Disclaimer: I’m not a scholar and am not smart in that way and although I am doing research I don’t know if I’m interpreting it the right way or if my source is 100% credible. Please read up on things yourself before taking me seriously.
So my story isn’t about mafia but I am doing research on the mafia because mafia does play a role in my story and I want to portray it accurately. This is definitely not a mafia story though. There might be a few scenes.
I’m reading this source (linked above) and I honestly just wanted to talk about it and the things that I am discovering from that source and what I’m gonna do in my story and also comparing that information from that source to what I see on Episode! I’ll probably be using other sources but this is the best one I found so far and the most interesting. It goes into extortion rackets and kinda how mafia organizations work (I think that they go into specifically the Sicily mafia). @Episodians tagging you cuz I think that this is an interesting chat on what the mafia is actually like verses what Episode stories portray… And if anyone is writing an Epi story or is gonna read a mafia story I think that the PDF is particularily interesting to look at!
So far I’m on the second page of the document and it’s interesting! There’s this thing called Extortion Rackets where the mafia will protect an organization (or individual? I think, bit confused about that point) in exchange for money or something.
I think that this is kinda cool to compare to the Episode stories. Tbh, they do get some of this right I think. In Episode stories, the mafia does often offer protection to groups but in those stories I haven’t really seen a clear exchange or like actual terms on how much they’re gonna protect and which individuals/businesses.
Also in Episode stories often the MC is offered protection for her doing nothing… Like according to what I’ve read so far in the PDF this wouldn’t happen… she’d probably have to pay up or she’d be in danger of the mafia going after her.
Also need to mention in extortion rackets if the people don’t pay the mafia the mafia will threaten harm or go after people.
Wow yep, this definitely goes against episode stories lol-
“4) MTOs’ (mafia) members are expected to obey to the law of silence (omertà). The term omertà,
etymologically connected to being a strong man, took in the usual meaning of a specific
attitude to silence and secrecy even in adverse conditions. In a so called “traditional area”,
area in which a MTO is embedded, as Sicily is, the term omertà refers to the attitude (or also
a sort of law) to keep reticent in front of the investigators, and more generally, the reluctance
to confide in strangers. The law of silence, is seen one of the distinguishing characteristics
assigned to the Mafia, together with violence.”
So yeah, leader of the mafia probably wouldn’t be spilling things to MC when they’ve just met.
Surprisingly, just based on this article some of the stuff that mafia stories on episode present are actually correct. But then again, I don’t think that this article goes into the emotional side of the mafia and what each member goes through in terms of manipulation and that sort of thing, but so far they have gotten it right that mafia members are usually highly trained and selectively picked, "Therefore, they must possess peculiar inclinations, they must have
experienced a long and demanding training, they must be chosen through selective
cooptative procedures. " but of course they (Episode stories) usually don’t go into detail about this.
"Mafia-men should be able to communicate, to limit the use of
violence to extreme cases, to choose the “right” ways of threatening, and so on. "
I’ve seen some stories do this but the majority of stories I’ve seen the mafia’s just been all violence.
I wanted to have some scenes about MC accidentally running into the mafia like once or twice since she’s kinda a super hero. And also there’s this whole backstory to the story where there’s this world and it’s just overrun by crime and mafia then eventually gets better.
Oh yeah my story isn’t focused around mafia so it isn’t really a mafia story- wait are you talking about the story or the thread? Cuz yeah the thread might get buried lol.
Yeah on the story part- shouldn’t be an issue since my story isn’t actually about or even revolved around the mafia, but it is an element that I want to add/research properly. Plus I tend to read mafia stories for a laugh anyway so I want to do the proper research to actually be able to say, "Yeah that’s just plain wrong according to this, this, and this and this… "
hahaha I feel you, that’s what I have now when I read about for example people who are depressed and stuff, they try to explain it and I’m like…the only person you’re making happy with this, is my psychology teacher who will have a GREAT time explaining to you what is actually going on.
I just want to add here that there’s an amazing book by Elijah Anderson about subcultures and there’s a lot in there that can be used for mafia (or gang) stories! It’s called Code of the Street. I had to read it for a class and found out that it would be great for research on mafia!
My book is about a drug mule, so I’ve had to do some research for it, and among that research, I read up on the witness protection program as I was going to have her go into that (have since changed my mind). An interesting thing I read - which would also pertain to mafia informants - is that nobody who follows the rules has ever been killed. 100% success rate IF the rules are followed. People who have been killed have broken a rule ie. returned to their previous town - one guy went back for a funeral.
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