I found this pretty interesting. Considering what shows like the Sopranos portray, this is a far cry from the adulterous nature of the Mafiosi in the Soprano family. While raiding a hideout of a known boss in the Sicilian Mafia, the police found the “10 Commandments” for members of La Cosa Nostra. For whatever reason, I sort of have a fascination with the Mafia. Perhaps it’s because I grew up in an Italian family with a grandfather who had a lot of people that did things as “favors” for him (and that no one was allowed to look in the trunk of his car or the crawl space in his basement). Now I find myself in Providence, home of the New England Mafia, the Patriarca family. Anyway, here’s the “10 Commandments” of La Cosa Nostra (the original in Sicily). Found this from kottke.org.
1. No one can present himself directly to another of our friends. There must be a third person to do it.
2. Never look at the wives of friends.
3. Never be seen with cops.
4. Don’t go to pubs and clubs.
5. Always being available for Cosa Nostra is a duty – even if your wife’s about to give birth.
6. Appointments must absolutely be respected.
7. Wives must be treated with respect.
8. When asked for any information, the answer must be the truth.
9. Money cannot be appropriated if it belongs to others or to other families.
10. People who can’t be part of Cosa Nostra: anyone who has a close relative in the police, anyone with a two-timing relative in the family, anyone who behaves badly and doesn’t hold to moral values.