Buckwheats

This is a nice forum you have here. It would be a shame if anything were to happen to it...

Hi! It's my first post!

I love the Valachi Papers and have a question regarding his term "buckwheats", meaning (as I understand it) making a victim's death extra painful. Has anyone come across buckwheats in any other gangster lit, or read where the term could have come from?

I've got lots of gangster questions stored up in my head, and am glad to have found this forum.

Thanks!

Rich

Welcome..

Cant say ive ever came across that word other than this book..

The term is also referenced in the "Mafia Encyclopedia" by Carl Sifakis. Several examples are given but the only specific primary source listed is the Valachi Book. The Chicago Outfit evidently specialized in this sort of thing.

Another pop culture reference was in the movie Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead when the quadriplegic mob boss, played by Christopher Walken, promises buckwheats for Andy Garcia's entire crew. Here's an interesting take on the origin of the term.

http://moviesareonlyalife.wordpress.com/2008/10/12/give-it-a-name/

Very interesting, Lilo. Thanks!

Wasn't this word mentioned in The Sopranos?

If I remember right, I believe it was highly racist.

It depends on the context and who's saying it.
So calling someone Buckwheat could certainly be derogatory but ordering buckwheats on someone wouldn't be..

I thought it was the name of a new breakfast cereal

If I was you I'd rather have someone THINK I might be a little nuts rather than go out and prove them right.

The term "buckwheats" as used in the original connotation of this thread's intent, has NOTHING to do with race.

Tony Soprano used it as a derogatory term (about Noah) because it was the name of a Little Rascals character who was black.

I was just pointing out my way of thinking.

Give it a name, SC..
I'm not sure where you're coming from Lompac. But whatever.