Why did gangsters who are big shots today decide to become A criminal and join the mob? Is it because they like the thought of being A tough, feared and respected gansgter, or are they just in it for the money?

Money and respect. Sammy Gravano decided he wanted to be a Gangster after he saw two gangsters with his father in his factory, they wanted money of course. Then Sammy´s father asked "Mr Zuvito" a favour, Zuvito had mob connectios. Then the 2 guys appeared just to be forgiven, and Sammy saw everything and since then wanted to be a Gangster.He wanted to protect his family.

Most of the gangsters came from a very poor life, like John Gotti, Vincent "The Chin" Gigante, and many italian-american from the end of the 19th century until the 30s and 40s.

Both.
Many, as Don pointed out came from poorer backgrounds and saw becoming a 'gangster' as the only way to make money. Also, I'm sure anyone can see the advantage or allure of being respected by people as well as feared by them. No one wants to be disrespected or feel like everyone knows they are better or stronger than them. Being a rich, powerful criminal gave them the security they wanted.
Another reason might be that they were born into a family of criminals and see it as a normal life, or one which they have grown up seeing and like the look of.

Pippi

Prestige, money, power, High-class life-styles. :rolleyes:

Yes, indeed. One of the major reasons for the decline of today's Mafia is the upward mobility of Italian-Americans. They were among the poorest and most discriminated-against groups in America several generations ago. In some neighborhoods, the Mafia was the "employer of last resort," like the telephone company was for WASPs in smaller cities. Nearly all Mafia types were just common criminals. But a few--Charlie Luciano, Frank Costello, Carlo Gambino, Tony Accardo, among others--had real abilities and might have been successful in business, the professions or the arts, if they'd had the opportunity. They didn't. Today's Italian-Americans do, and they choose careers in legitimate life. The Mafia is left with the John and Junior Gottis.

If you really want to know about that you've to read Organized Crime from Abadinsky. A big part of this book is based on this subject. He takes all kinds of aspects in sight. Money/Social Structures/Friends....real good.

I agree!
When you come from poverty & you see your peers become gangsters & have power,prestige & money all without having to go to School who would'nt be interested?
Mind you that's not to say all poor people become gangsters.
Most don't!
I'm just saying it must be tempting...

If you have a knack for doing this - do it.

Mafia business

Organized crime can be categorized:

* Theft and Fraud:
o Victimizing business:
+ hijacking of cargo trucks
+ robbery
+ bankruptcy fraud (also known as "bust-out")
+ insurance fraud
+ stock fraud (inside trading)
o Victimizing individual persons:
+ car theft (either for dismantling at "Chop shops" or for export)
+ burglary
+ credit cards
+ stock fraud ("pump and dump" scam)
o Victimizing state:
+ bid-rigging public projects
+ money counterfeiting
+ smuggling, manufacturing illegally (counterfeiting) or trading in untaxed alcohol (bootlegging) or cigarettes (buttlegging)
+ providing immigrant workers to avoid taxes
* Providing illegal services and goods:
o loansharking
o gambling
o prostitution
o pornography
o drug trafficking
o murder for hire
o toxic waste dumping (in Japan)
o people smuggling
o trafficking in human beings
* Business and labor racketeering:
o casino skimming (in Las Vegas)
o setting up monopolies in rigid market low-tech industries (e.g. garbage collecting, cement pouring)
o bid-rigging
o abusing labor unions (in eastern USA):
+ extortion (e.g. construction, transport, garment industry, longshoremen)
+ getting "no-show" and "no-work" jobs
+ using non-union labor and pocketing the wage difference
o monopolizing the supply of immigrant workers with the associated people smuggling (Russian-Estonian Obtshak in Finland)
* Money laundering

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organized_crime

Money can't buy anything.Power can!I think that the best in the Real Mafia is Power.You can do anything with relayable connections and loyal 'friends'.Nothing can stop you if you live in a small world that is absolutely controlled by you.You can not control America,but smaller countries like mine "Bulgaria" are not so complicated,and if you have brains you can do much.Some years ago there were a school of fighters (i mean sport fighting).Most of them became small time gangsters(car hijacking,recketing,pickpocketing and so on).After some time some of them made companies for insuransies,some made gambling business,but all of them were in narcotics.Some years ago they understood that narcotics is very dangerous(most of them were already killed or caught),and there were pretty few left.Some years ago the were trying to legalise everything but you can't get out so easily.in 2 years most of them were precisly killed.Now there are very few left maybe 2 or 3.The most powerful died because he was too public-newspapers,he owned a soccer team and so on.But the most powerful now(lets call him V.B.) ownes the gambling and much more.He has more power in BG than adybody else just because he buys everyone-preseident,ministers and totally everyone.That's the best explanaiton why BG is not in the European Union-there can't be a guy powerful than the system,than the law.If we get in EU he will lose much of his power over the politics.
I gave this for an example for what i meant with this"It's impossible to controll the world ,but the mafiozzi want to controll a small world of their's" just like now V.B. controlls everything in BG.

P.S:Sory for the bad english.

oops.Big mistake.V.B. was NOT one of the guys who were professional sportists once.He finished Mathematics in the best university here.He finished Economics in the other best university.He helps sport organisations,and holds the best soccer team in Bulgaria.He ives charity and so on.

I would be in it for the rush. Plus I wouldnt have to be listening to good government bullshit. Actually, I never hear good government bullshit, hmm. Well Id take the rush any day.

life in crime is the easy way out pretty much...i mean look at the "glory" the mob people have. the only worry they have is getting caught...the ones that we see are rich and have big houses and nice cars....its just an easy way to make money...but idk....i could b wrong...do u want me to go undercover in ummm the pheonix mafia and check it out?! who dares me ?! lol

I'd do it. I'd say it's for respect, wealth, protection, the reasons are on going. They weren't always bad, if you look back to when the Mafia was first around in Sicily, they helped a lot of people...people the government were obviously not taking care of properly.

They didn't "help" as much as "take advantage of" the people in Sicily

They didn't "help" as much as "take advantage of" the people in Sicily [/b][/quote]Mmm I think that point can be argued both ways though because I've read books that said they helped the people, politically and ecomonically, you know, people in the "foot" of Italy, basically in the south.

Help the people how? In surpressing the economy by impleting a second tax the pizzo? By bullying every competent corp., which is not in their hands, out of business? By corrupting the whole infrastructure (to suck money out of the state and the EU), and making it the most expensive and worst in the whole EU? By stealing water from the farmers to resell it for enormous prices? By killing and surpressing every honest movements and people (the fasci, impasto, la torre....)? By impossing a political dictatorship: pressing people to vote in their meaning, and exterminate political opposition: the last one Francesco Fortugno in Calabria... etc. etc......
I can´t find any facts, which would prove that the mafias "helped the people, politically and ecomonically". Excuse my bad english.

No you are wrong the mafia originally fought as resistance to French occupation later policing Sicily in a dubious manner against the HRE controlled king in Rome this was long before even the water trade was controled by the mafia

Fighting against French occupation? And when was that?

"french occupation"
Either he thinks of the sicilian vespera ca 1290, were sicilians raised up killed die people of the french anjou, and got peter from aragon into the country.

Or he ist talking about Garibaldis war against the bourbon kings (french decent), which was partly joined by parts of groups which were ancestors of the Cosa Nostra.
If you think these mafioso-type groups fight for a noble cause, read Tomasi di Lampedusa: "il leopardo". They fought because "everything had to change, to stay as it is!!!!!" (from the book= one of the most true/truest??? sentences about sicillia), the mafia did this do survive, and finally they grew even stronger.
excuse my bad english