Question:

What percentage of current made guys in Philly, Chicago, Boston, New York and New Jersey are willing to take a life bid for cosa nostra?

If not life, what do you think the typical guy in cosa nostra (in the us) is the max hes willing to do. What is the line when the average guy starts cooperating.

Specific examples would be good.
My example would be Philly Boss Joe Ligambi; who got sentenced to life and never made a peep.

It's very hard to judge imo, because i don't think the FBI say who they've offered a deal to and who rejected it. I mean did the FBI offer Tommy Pitera or Paul Vario or John Gotti a deal? I don't think we'll ever know.

ITs an opinion bro. Not saying anyone knows.

In Chicago, Joey Lombardo and Jimmy Marcello have yet to talk. Joey Aiuppa and Jack Cerone didn't either. Both Aiuppa and Cerone were released right before their deaths, though. It's hard to judge who will flip and who won't though. It's the ultimate moment of truth, I guess...

Well in regards to anthony nicodemo in philly i have a mixed opinion were related but not closely so i know nothing of his mob business and what not but my mother says growing up he was always a wannabe and a pussy so she thinks hell flip on everyone

but as we have seen here all them young scarfo guys with the exception of geno milano and wayne grande those guys took there sentences with no problems, real stand up guys

Nicodemo is pretty old school if you look at it. Hes gotten his hands dirty a few times wacked out at least 2 guys.

has more to do with age i think, older guys less likely to flip, should be noted that not that many made guys flip relative to how many made guys are actually on the street, you just hear about cooperators all the time in the media and so forth and most CWs nowadays aren't made to my knowledge.

I'm interested in how the FBI actually decides who to offer deals to, i'm guessing there willing to listen to anybody, but the feds probably realize a lot of these guys are stupid and ignorant and probably do not make good witnesses anyways. I wonder how they size up potential CWs

cant think of any current guys just getting into a life bid except for vernace, he was probably was offered a deal, he could of done a lot of damage.

yeah thats why i think hell stand up and take it, im just stating what my mother said how he was growing up. and like i said before i dont know what he does as far as business and what not were not that close and i wouldnt ask him about it if we were

i think the median would fall around 15ish. A lot of guys have flipped for less, and stood up for more. Depends on age, family, financial security, mental toughness, and/or vanity. Some guys just want to go down as stand up rather than a rat

Ive never done any hard time but I know people in my family and friends who have.
My cousin said its really just about a mental toughness and mentality you have to have. You have to just not give a fuck. You have to achieve a mentality where you just assume your never getting out. Then they cant bother you and then nothing would suprise you.
Very difficut no doubt..

my dad said the worst part was the constant stress of having your guard up for years on end. Thinking about life on the outside will drive u nuts, just focus on one day at a time. Start to read some books, call your family, etc... The only thing that will keep you going.

What do they have to offer at this point..?

Not much I guess apart from a being treasure troves of information for the last 50 years....

It really depends on the personal code of the man. Although it wasn't life,"Lefty Guns" Ruggiero of Donnie Brasco fame refused several opportunities to lessen his 20 year sentence by flipping.Not only that,but even after finding out Pistone was an undercover FBI agent,he still vowed to "get that mother****er Donnie if it's the last thing I do".

He was so embarrassed by the loss of face he suffered by bringing Pistone in,that he was not about to lose his honor by also flipping.

After being released early for medical reasons,Lefty was approached by the Donnie Brasco producers. They offered him a million dollars to cut a brief promo for the film. Despite being terminally ill and broke,Lefty threatened to spit in their faces,and to do worse than that if they ever approached him again.
I think no matter what his sentence would have been, Lefty wouldn't have talked.

Not only was he willing to do his time over the donnie brasco thing, he was ready to die over it. Didnt the fbi arrest him when he was on his way to a meeting where he knew that he was probly gonna get whacked at.

It a code everyone tough on the street be life is life.That why the fed cut deal with them. American guys r soft,some stand up do the time but 9 time out of 10 the guy will flip to see light at the end of the tunnel look at Joe Massino life sentence and flip to save his own butt.

It seems like most people rat but when you look at all the people who had the chance to flip, it outnumbers the people who actually do flip.

The feds tried very hard to get Pitera to flip, even trying to make him feel like his life was in danger (or actually push it to that point).

Im sure the feds pressed long john but he kept his mouth shut for 17 years after he ate the 10 year sentence and the life sentence and came out still ready to hustle he was real cosa nostra and drove to doctor with all them bullet wounds at his age one tough son of a bitch

That's a point I've tried to make over and over. The rats get the attention so people get the incorrect idea that everybody is flipping when that's not the case. As one law enforcement official said, the difference in numbers between those who flip today and those who don't is not even close.

I always wondered what the feds would of done if say Anthony Senter flipped, young guy who got life at 34. If they would of cut him any deal after he talked about how many people he chopped up.Maybe 19 murders with Gravano, but 50+ kills and dismemberments the feds would of caught heat for giving someone like him any deal.

I can tell you right here, right now, I'm not doing life for some organization. My mother, yes. The mob today..no chance. Doing a couple months will wear you out. What Skinny said up above is on point- the stress of ALWAYS keeping your guard up wears you down. Everything is race based. If I'm looking at life for killing some dude I don't know because I was ordered to kill him by some 'boss' I don't know. Nope. I would stand on the highest chair and sing louder than Paveratti.

Respect

Then why did you pledge loyalty to that organization if you never intended to uphold it?

This....If a guy gets a button, wants it, he knows the consequences, the risks--and the possible reward. A real man takes enters into that life taking those risks and accepting them.

Say whatever you want about LCN, wiseguys, the nature of it all, good or evil, but there is some honor in a guy willing to do life in jail, rather than sell out his friends.

Maybe they should change the rules when you're inducted, put in an option clause if you face a sentence more than 15 years it's ok to cooperate.

"May I burn in hell like this saint if I betray my brothers....unless it's to avoid a long prison sentence than it's ok."

When today's mafiosi (and I use that term loosely) in the US, can't do a bid longer than Martha Stewart, it's time to rethink their career choice. Anything involving a cardboard hat, and saying, "would you like fries with that?", I'm thinking.

That's the way it seems to be going.

That's it exactly. It's the mindset that I'm in here today and I'm gonna be in here tomorrow. And you keep telling yourself that until whenever. It really is a one day at a time mentality. Because the days turn into weeks and so on. You can't start thinking of your entire stretch from the day you go in or you'll never make it. It's about being strong willed, not about being a tough guy in general. And outside of writing your family and keeping in touch with them by phone, you have to put the outside world completely out of your head in order to survive a long stretch. Dream about pussy and margaritas on the beach all you want, but don't dream about your regular life that you miss. That's the only way to get through it.

I disagree. This is what they SHOULD know going in, but most guys never think that far. Everyone knows they are getting made. Its not a surprise. Guys come back and have a party. In fact most have two partys. One with guys in the family, one with their buddys who mostly arent made at all. Its like becoming a CIA agent and going around showing all ur friends ur badge at the hs reunion. No one goes into that ceremony thinking some day down the road i could regret this... No one thinks that one day they could get sentenced to 16yrs for a crime that would be less than 2 if you werent a member. No one thinks that one day when your 85 years old some guy you sold weed to 30 years ago ratted you out. You start to think u can get off it bc the statute of limitations, but your a member of a continuous racketeering enterprise. None of these guys think like that. Its all me me me, now now now! Its america, its being young, and spoiled, as well as being human. Some people can take jail, some people crack. Thats life. You cant explain it all. At least new jersey turnpike guy was honest. Would you stand up? Would you ever put yourself in that position to have to make that choice? I am cynical when it comes to life. I find it to be the easiest approach. I understand human nature. That inside we are all self serving beasts, our interests to serve anyone/thing outside of our selves only comes from the outward pressures of others. When it comes to the life, i may know the names, the rackets, but if you dont have a grasp on the complexity of human nature when it comes to that life you will never understand it.

Skinney, NOT plus 1, but PLUS. 2! Very good insight, especially over the last couple of decades in the me, me, me America.