Jump to content

Crime Boss

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the rapper, seeCrime Boss (rapper).
"Mob Boss" redirects here. For the film, seeMob Boss (film).
"Criminal mastermind" redirects here. For the television series, seeDemente criminal.

Al Caponewas a crime Boss during theProhibition era.

Acrime Boss,also known as acrime lord,mafia don,gang lord,gang Boss,mob Boss,kingpin,godfather,crime mentororcriminal mastermind,is the leader of acriminal organization.

Description[edit]

A crime Boss has absolute or nearly absolute control over the other members of the organization and is often greatly feared or respected for their cunning, strategy, and/or ruthlessness and willingness to take lives to exert their influence and profits from the criminal endeavors in which the organization engages.[1][2]

Some groups may only have as little as two ranks (a crime Boss and their soldiers). Other groups have a more complex, structured organization with many ranks, and structure may vary with cultural background. Organized crime enterprises originating inSicilydiffer in structure from those in mainland Italy. American groups may be structured differently from their European counterparts and Latino and African American gangs often have structures that vary from European gangs. The size of the criminal organization is also important, as regional or national gangs have much more complex hierarchies.[3]

Sicilian Mafia[edit]

Structure of Mafia crime family

The Boss in theSicilianandItalian-American Mafiais the head of thecrime familyand the top decision maker. Only the Boss,under Bossorconsiglierecan initiate an associate into the family, allowing them to become amade man.The Boss can promote or demote family members at will, and has the sole power to sanction murders inside and outside the family. If the Boss is incarcerated or incapacitated, he usually retains the title of "Boss" but may appoint anacting Bosswho is responsible for running the crime family in his stead or on a more daily basis. In addition to "Boss" and "acting Boss", some families have at times officially or unofficially utilized the positions offront Bossandstreet Boss.A "front Boss" is generally put into place to act ostensibly as the Boss while drawing police attention away from the actual official Boss operating behind the scenes. A "street Boss" is often informally appointed or regarded by the official Boss or by subordinates as the "hands-on", street-level, actively engaged proxy or stand-in for the official Boss, usually coordinating, controlling, and managing street operations on the behalf of an official Boss who prefers to stay behind the scenes (either by choice or to avoid police scrutiny). "Street Boss es" are often particularly influential or powerfulcaporegimesorunder Boss es,and the term is sometimes used interchangeably with "acting Boss" or "front Boss" depending on the circumstances.[4][5][6]When a Boss dies, the crime family members choose a new Boss from inside the organization.

The typical structure within the Mafia in Sicily and America is usually as follows:[7]

  • Boss of all Boss es – also known as thecapo dei capiorgodfather(Italian:padrino), has been given by the media to the most powerful Boss, although the Mafia never recognized the position itself. The highest body to decide on inter-family issues isthe Commission(see alsoSicilian Mafia Commission).
  • Boss – Also known as thecapomandamento,capocrimine,rappresentante,don,orgodfather,is the highest level in a crime family.[2][7][8]
  • Under Boss– Also known as the "capo bastone"in some criminal organizations, this individual is the second-in-command. He is responsible for ensuring that profits from criminal enterprises flow up to the Boss, and generally oversees the selection of the caporegime(s) and soldier(s) to carry out murders, kidnappings, carjackings, robberies, terrorisms, and etc.[2][7]The under Boss may take control of the crime family after the Boss ' death. He keeps this position until a new Boss is chosen, which in some cases may be the under Boss.
  • Consigliere– Also known as an advisor or "right-hand man", this person is a counselor to the Boss of a crime family. The Boss, under Boss, and consigliere constitute the "Administration".[9]The consigliere is third ranked in the hierarchy but generally does not have capos or soldiers working directly for him.[2][7]Like the Boss, there is usually only one consigliere per criminal organization.[2]
  • Caporegime– Also known as a captain, skipper, capo, or "crew chief", the caporegime was originally known as a "capodecina"(captain of ten) because he oversaw only 10 soldiers. In more recent times, the caporegime may oversee as many soldiers as he can efficiently control.[2][7]A caporegime is appointed by the family Boss to run his ownborgata(regime, or crew) ofsoldati(soldiers). Each caporegime reports directly to the under Boss, who gives him the permission to perform criminal activities. If the family decides to murder someone, the under Boss normally asks a caporegime to carry out the order. The caporegime runs the day-to-day operations of his crew. The caporegime's soldiers give part of their earnings to him, and then he gives a share to the under Boss. A caporegime can recommend to the under Boss or Boss that a recruit be allowed to join his crew as a mob associate.
  • Soldato– Also known as a sgarrista, soldier, "button man", "made man","wiseguy "or" goodfella ", this is the lowest level of mobster or gangster.[2][7]A "soldier" must have taken theomertà(oath of silence),[2][7]and in some organizations must have killed a person to be considered "made".[10][11]Apicciottois a low-level soldier, usually someone who does the day-to-day work of threatening, beating, planting bombs, and intimidating others.[12]
  • Associate – Also known as a "giovane d'onore"(man of honor), an associate is a person who is not a soldier in a crime family, but works for them and shares in the execution of and profits from the criminal enterprise.[2]In Italian criminal organizations, "associates" are usually affiliates of the criminal organization who are not of Italian descent, or affiliates and candidates of Italian descent who have not yet been "made" or inducted into the Mafia and thus have not yet been promoted to the position of "soldato" or "soldier".[12]

A Boss will typically put up layers of insulation between himself and his men to hinder police efforts to connect his orders to him. Whenever he issues orders, he does so either to his under Boss, consigliere or capos. The orders are then passed down the line to the soldiers. This makes it difficult under most circumstances for the police to directly implicate a Boss in a crime, since he almost never directly gives orders to the soldiers.

Mr. Big[edit]

The termMr. Bigis used withinthe underworld,and additionally during media reportings of persons associated with criminal activities, to refer to a leader of a body of persons functioning in the capacities of roles within organised crime. Sometimes Boss es of the so-called gangland are referred to as beingMr Big,as for example when he could not be named for legal reasons.[13]The term implicitly indicates a degree of a possession of a higher intelligence of an individual.[14]

The term especially indicates the existence of involvement in what is known asbig-time crime,which would include for examplearmed robbery,and the more organised aspects of careers within crime.[14][15]

A 1945 dictionary of criminal slang in the U.S. listsBig Brainsas "a gang-leader", but notMr Big.[16]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Pistone, Joseph D.The Way of the Wiseguy: The FBI's Most Famous Undercover Agent Cracks the Mob Mind.Philadelphia: Running Press, 2005.ISBN0-7624-2384-6
  2. ^abcdefghiManning, George A.Financial Investigation and Forensic Accounting.Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press, 2005.ISBN0-8493-2223-5
  3. ^Albanese, Jay,Contemporary Issues in Organized Crime.Monsey, N.Y.: Criminal Justice Press, 1995.ISBN1-881798-04-6
  4. ^DeStefano, Anthony M. (2015).Gangland New York The Places and Faces of Mob History.Lyons Press.ISBN9781493018338.Retrieved24 August2022.
  5. ^Leonetti, Phil (2014).Mafia Prince.Running Press.ISBN9780762456000.Retrieved24 August2022.
  6. ^Burnstein, Scott M. (2010).Family Affair Greed, Treachery, and Betrayal in the Chicago Mafia.Penguin.ISBN9781101185575.Retrieved24 August2022.
  7. ^abcdefgDeVico, Peter J.The Mafia Made Easy: The Anatomy and Culture of La Cosa Nostra.Tate Publishing,2007.ISBN1-60247-254-8
  8. ^Raab, Selwyn.The Five Families: The Rise, Decline & Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empire.New York: St. Martins Press, 2005.
  9. ^"Genovese IndictmentArchived22 July 2020 at theWayback Machine"U.S. District Court. Southern District of New York.
  10. ^Maas, Peter.Under Boss: Sammy the Bull Gravano's Story of Life in the Mafia.Paperback reissue. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1997.ISBN0-06-109664-4
  11. ^DeStefano, Anthony M.King of the Godfathers: Big Joey Massino and the Fall of the Bonanno Crime Family.New York: Kensington Publishing Corp., 2008.ISBN0-8065-2874-5
  12. ^abNash, Robert Jay.World Encyclopedia of Organized Crime.Cambridge, Massachusetts: Da Capo Press, 1993.ISBN0-306-80535-9
  13. ^Alan Sherry –Article titled: Drug lord avoids death after gardai intelligence stops attempted hitArchived4 March 2016 at theWayback MachineSundayworld Friday 23 May 2014 [Retrieved 2015-07-27]
  14. ^abFiona Brookman; Mike Maguire; Harriet Pierpoint; Trevor Bennett (1 February 2010).Handbook on Crime.Routledge 1 February 2010.ISBN9781317436751.Retrieved27 July2015.[failed verification]
  15. ^J. Ridings –Chicago to Springfield:: Crime and Politics in the 1920sArcadia Publishing 18 September 2012
  16. ^Vincent Joseph Monteleone (1949).Criminal Slang: The Vernacular of the Underground Lingo.The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. 1949.ISBN9781584773009.Retrieved27 July2015.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Crime_ Boss &oldid=1232191661"