I assume most of what draws us here has little to do with the health of mind of these types. Yet the link between mental illness and LCN cries out for notice. Particularly of late.

Give me a nickle for every reference to the sate of mind of even the lowest of soldiers and I got a ton of nickles. Sicko. Crazy. Psyhcho. Nutz. Insane.

What do use as a measuring stick? (Does a guy have to have done some work to even get honorable mention?) What's the difference in say a Roy Demeo and an old man Paruda? A Carneg and a Bull Gravano? A Disimone and a young Galante? The number of hits? The Pleasure Factor? Whether it was business or fun?

Was the guy just a non-feeling cog in the machine, just following orders, or a genuine sick murdering bastard? Or both?

I'd argue that all these guys are somewhat mentally ill for choosing their particular vocation.

Beyond that, I do think certain guys in the mob cross the line from sociopath (which many of them are) to near-psychopath.

If you are born poor and of an immigrant family, and with very, very few opportunities to learn or do anything different, your options of what to do with your life are very limited. Sociopaths, yes. Near-psychopaths, for sure.

I am in no way condoning the crime-pursuing lifestyle or the heinous things that come with criminal activities.

But if you or I were born in the same scenarios, would we really be so different?

Those guys didn't have computers and the Internet to chat on the BB with other people. They were raised by the streets.

When it comes to mental illness, we are all mentally ill to one degree or another...

I agree that many of them are psychopaths or border line psychopaths with severe antisocial tendencies. You can find these types throughout our society though, not only within the criminal element. Studies have shown that many CEO´s and successful businesmen for example, also possess these kind of personality features. They are often described as "men (and women for that matter) with ambition". The saying that "some people can literally step over dead bodies" may be more true than we are willing to admit. However, the difference between "respectable" people in our society, the ones we call "ambitious people" and a vast majority of criminals (including Mafia members) is that criminals suffers from learning difficulties and are very often school drop outs. Back in the day, many criminals only had three, four or five years of education which of course limited their chances of making it in the legit world.
A vast majority of criminals (I´d say 90 percent of them) also suffers (in one degree or another) from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) which is a problem with inattentiveness, over-activity, impulsivity, or a combination of these things. This is a mental disorder which is very common in our society. Note that I´m not saying that people who suffers from this are criminals, but a vast majority of criminals (studies have shown this) suffers from ADHD.

Humans always will push to the limits of the ruling authority. In the LCN culture it is accepted and end expected so it seems the norm. Their aggressive competitive males much like elite athletes. Agressive and pushing societal limits to succeed but not mentally ill. Sociopaths lack loyalty which these guys don't

In da end da gumada must be paid.

Insightful analysis. Of course you speak collectively, in the aggregate. But, not for nothing, you don't need a degree to see some of these fuckers were certified fricken looney!

relatives kill each other , best friends set each other up to get killed, i think that breaks the loyalty theory, these guys are loyal to themselves and protecting their power and money ..there is no loyalty.. that is the perception

They're loyal to omerta

Hahaha! Yeah, right. Loyal to the $$.

Over past few months I see that on internet a lot of people seem mentally ill. Not this site of course.

most are loyal, but some many guys talked here and in italy, that is without all the c.i. s.. most guys won't they have too much in the street.. it is a brotherhood , not just keeping a secret..

As for Mafia, I think they weeded out the mentally ill. The smaller gangs, or certain other ethnic one ness may have been less choosy. If even a small percent were that crazy, mafia would have had too much infighting, and way more internal wars.
Groups like Gambino and Genovese must have kept some street criminals of questionable mental stability close for when they might be needed. I don't think they let them get too close to crews, and they kept them from becoming made men.

OK. There's mental illness shuffling down the block in house slippers mumbling incoherently or talking an umbrella shower ala Chin (OK, it was phony, but a common notion of being off your rocker); then there's little-bitty Nicky Scarfo looking into the bloodless face of a hit victim, shouting, "I love it, I love it!" It's this last I had in mind in posing the initial inquiry.