because as it goes families wanted to be able to trace you back to the old country? But I mean was their ever a recorded example of a family tracing a members heritage to Italy and doing something with their families over there? Or that never happened

For instance, I am Half Italian, Half Cajun. If I were to be a criminal, why would I partner up with LCN if I knew they were going to make some borderline retarded person because he has more Italian blood in him than I do? LCN is losing a lot of power in that way in my opinion.

I don't know if it ever happened. I'm sure they probably checked to make sure your mother and father were both Italian. It was probably a line added to make Goodfellas more interesting.

They are gonna have to eventually end up mixing things up if they want "their thing" to stay around. The full blooded Italian gene pool is slowly shrinking (as is every caucasian gene pool) as interracial screwing is accepted more and more from the northeast as well as the rest of the country (minus we here in the south).

For instance, I am Half Italian, Half Cajun. If I were to be a criminal, why would I partner up with LCN if I knew they were going to make some borderline retarded person because he has more Italian blood in him than I do? LCN is losing a lot of power in that way in my opinion.

Are family members of mobsters that flip considered fair game for retaliation? Were family members of Al D'Arco, Gaspipe Casso, Joe Bonanno, Sal Vitale, Sammy Gravano, Tommy Ricciardi, Phil Leonetti, Joe Valachi, etc... murdered?

Any family member, male or female, that isn't in the life is generally considered off limits as far the American mob is concerned.

In other words, the mob has no revenge against mobsters that flip, outside of whacking that particular rat or one of his connected male relatives? Maybe that's why so many mobsters have flipped.

So, the line in Goodfellas where Henry says you have to be 100% Italian so they can trace all of your relatives back to the old country.....that's not referring to a deterrent against someone flipping?

I know it's fiction, but isn't that what they did in GFII when Frank changed his mind about testifying against the family?

In other words, the mob has no revenge against mobsters that flip, outside of whacking that particular rat or one of his connected male relatives? Maybe that's why so many mobsters have flipped.

So, the line in Goodfellas where Henry says you have to be 100% Italian so they can trace all of your relatives back to the old country.....that's not referring to a deterrent against someone flipping?

I know it's fiction, but isn't that what they did in GFII when Frank changed his mind about testifying against the family?

I don't think people in organized crime think like that. It's not a career you "choose" like being a dentist or something. Most people end up in OC because of short-time financial and other benefits it offers to them. They're often desperate people with no other future or simply don't want to bother with all the troubles of living a 'normal' life and look for a temporary shortcut to money. In other words, they don't join the organization thinking "it's a shitty job now, but someday I want to be a captain with a lucrative racket", they join because OC offers them something that very moment. If they get promoted fine, but there has to be something that offers them a better lifestyle than a legitimate job even without that. IMO that's why the LCN doesn't bother to change that rule, they can get non-Italian associates regardless and get from them what they want. I mean, would a 100% Italian-American work for the LCN because it's an Italian thing or because he's earning money with them? I doubt anyone joined the mafia because of "Italian pride" or something like that