Originally posted by Associate:
But I do truly think that the mafia has such strong roots and generates such an appeal, shall we say, to new potential "recruits", that it will be impossible for anyone or any organisation to stamp it out completely.
Yes, it still has appeal to some young people, and they will keep it going in some form or another. But the quality of the recruits is really poor today. Generations ago, when opportunities for Italian Americans were very constricted, the Mafia was the "employer of last resort" in some neighborhoods (just as the phone company was for WASPs in small towns). A handful of Mafiosi--Charlie Luciano, Frank Costello, Tony Accardo, Carlo Gambino--could hve been successful in business, the professions or the arts if they'd had the chance. Today, bright young men of Italian descent have vastly more opportunities in the legitimate world. The Mafia gets the Junior Gotti's and Sammy Gravano's of thw world. :rolleyes:
