Stupid shit you wish people would stop saying regarding the Mafia or just organized crime in general. I'll go first, " You're not even Italian!" So you have to be Italian to be interested in this subject? You know how many non-Italian associates helped make this thing what it was/is? Some with even more clout than some made men? Even in Italy, big busts often involve a rainbow mix of criminals involved from all over the world. Or here's a similar one, "You're not even from Chicago!" As if somehow being from Chicago makes you the absolute authority on organized crime in Chicago. There's people not even from Chicago who probably know more about your own city than you do. Ridiculous.
You are right - this is a definite fallacy. It's like saying you'd only want to be treated by a cancer doctor who had actually had cancer, rather than evaluating their abilities based on their education, experience or qualifications. You're either in the mafia or you're not and if you're not then it wouldn't matter if you're Italian, German, Pakistani or Japanese - you're just not in. And historically there would have been many Jewish men walking around that would know a lot more about it than you would, no matter how Italian you were.
Agree 100%
