They "worked" their way to that positions,and that way is not easy at all.

No there's not. In a documentary i seen it said Carlo was killing people for bosses back in Sicily before he came to the US. I don't believe it because there's nothing to back it up and he would've only been 19 or something when he arrived it's not impossible for him to be doing hits at that age but unlikely imo.

In Sicily doing hits with 19 years,very possible.There you have guys that got first murder with 14-15 years.I've heard that Lo Piccolo's son did his first murder when he was 14,also he was shoothing around with 2 guns.

Fair enough. It just sounds unlikely imo of course it's possible and it's clearly quite common in Italy but as i said it's based on nothing as far as i'm aware other than a documentary.

On one hand, it is hard to hold it against them. Everyone constantly acts in their self-interest- they entered the life for self-interest (and not any honor codes or vows) and they exited the life due to self-interest. When it suits them they will be stand-up and get back into the life and when they are facing a lifetime they might as well just get out. Doesn't make it right, just or fair- it's reality.

On the other hand, I absolutely hate when they pretend they had to rat or write books to "speak out against the mob" or had a moral obligation to leave the life. Bullshit. These rats are all almost all sociopaths have zero empathy for the victims or the crimes they committed. They got out when it suited them- otherwise they would have left in the prime of their crime life to preach or whatever.

I also wish they would just be honest, kinda like Ron sometimes, say I left the life because I was facing a shiton of time. It was an easy way out.

Fucks like Sammy, even with ratting, should have got 50 years for their serial killer like crimes. As you can see with Sammy, they will just return to another form of human predation after pretending to be "reformed".

I agree Nicky. I dont know that I would say that I like Ron, nor do I think that he is a particularly good human being, but I respect the fact he makes it clear he flipped out of self interest, and not out of any ethical grandeur. Include the fact that he didn't go into any witness program and is still right in Jersey makes me admire the prick. Not too mention, I think Philly really deserved it. The fact they would make an ex cop, junkies who were Polish with Italian sounding last names (Veasey) and generally had no respect for LCN led to their demise.

right, and what about someone like Fat Pete Chiodo? first they try to whack him, then threaten his family... you want to FORCE a guy to rat, that's the way to do it.

Good point. That was a dumb move by Casso and really showed his psychopathic nature. Going after the guys family? It's not even allowed. But I guess him and Gas were that desperate and stupid. Pete really had no choice after that.

By the way it's La Cosa Nostra. New York is full of rats and incompetence. Rats will kill the Mafia, not attrition. It's quality that you want, not quantity.

Ideally, you want both. Because you can have all the quality in the world but, if they all die out, then you've got nothing.

IF YOU CAN'T DO THE TIME DO NOT DO THE CRIME.

If you ask me when deals are done to rat people out criminals know they can kill people at will knowing if arrested down the line they can just rat and get out of jail no rat evidence in court and i bet the murder rate would drop like a stone.

Was scarpa sr. a rat or a cooperator?

Is there a difference?

Nope.

(Yeah, I know it was rhetorical )

I am not taking the side of rats, but I think that Frank Ganngi did the world a favor by ratting out Tommy Pitaro. Just think of how many lives he saved. Had he not ratted, I doubt Pitaro would have been stopped. Who knows how many people he really killed???

You know somebody who hates rats as much as Casso it must kill his self esteem to become what he hated most, almost the worst punishment he could have gotten, I cant imagine earning all those stripes and then throwing them away, and still doing life.

My brother took his time instead of being a "rat", so I cant respect somebody who ends peoples lives, but sings for there freedom.

The two biggest "Anti-Rats" has to be Gene Gotti and John Carniglia, both of whom are doing 50 years without ratting

"What's your opinion on La Costa Nostra Rats?"

Honestly..? The more the merrier! Without them, we´d still be asking who the fuck is Joe Bonanno? We´d be arguing whether Carlo Gambino was the real boss or just acting for Vito Genovese while the dude was in prison and we would be throwing insults at guys, calling them insane for trying to explain that there really is a formal structure within a Family. And we would have treated The Arm and EastHarlemItalian like gods, kissing their asses. What a nightmare!

LMFAO

"Rats are a necessary evil, they thin the herd!"

Kind of Bean ,I say between rico, and the guys that kill 19 people then lie the Feds have an unfair advantage.

Now if it was on the up and up , I would say necessary evil.

The way it is now, no way fair,(They have a license to kill and lie)

LOL @ HK