Did You Know…
Every year, the Washington Post puts out a list of the 100 best movies. Almost every year the number one and number two spots switch. It switches, but it’s usually the same two. Do you know what the two are? They are:
- The Godfather
- Gone with the wind
Why are they considered one and two interchangeably? I really could care less. Furthermore, this is a blog site that only focuses on manhood and the aspects of manhood. Therefore, the intent of any subject is manhood. Just understand that that’s how wonderful this movie is.
It is the Cowboy Movie of our Time…
I’m not sure if The Godfather was the first Mafia movie…but I believe that the impact of this movie was the genesis of future Mafia movies based on the lives of real Men of Honor.
I believe that the Godfather trilogy sparked my interest in watching mob movies. And because of that interest, I went down that rabbit for years. Because of my passion for mob movies, my spouse at the time had to suffer as I watched good and bad mob movies.
When I first met my late father-in-law, I came to the realization that he loved cowboy movies. As the years went on, I began to realize that men in his age group had a passion for cowboy movies as guys around my age group had a passion for mob movies! I eventually came to the realization that the cowboy movies were their “Mob” movies of our time! But what was the similarity to what we were watching and what they were watching? I’ve come to the conclusion that the common denominator between the two genres of movies was….manhood.
Now to be fair, I did get into cowboy movies later on. What sparked my interest? My coworker put me onto…TombStone! That sparked my passion for cowboy movies! But I digress.
If they like it, you should too…
Over the years, I’ve read many interviews on great men. And when the subject of great books that changed their lives come up, the usual suspects are usually mentioned (more on that at a later time). But what is also interesting, is that when they are asked what’s their favorite movie…it usually is the Godfather. Why is that?
Many times when I’d see an ad in the Robb Report (magazine for the affluent), the Godfather would be in the background. Why is that?
I’ve personally met successful and great men, over the last 20 years. And when the subject of movies comes up, usually The Godfather is their favorite movie. What am I saying to you? Simple, I’m saying that if they like it, maybe you should too?
One Word…
Why is this movie trilogy so important to be studied by men? Well, as men, you are born with an innate desire to find your mission in life. I discuss the importance of this and how to find your purpose in my book, Secrets of Manhood #6: You haven’t begun to live until you’ve found your purpose in life.
I would say that your other innate desire is wrapped up in one word:
Legacy
And I believe that there are two components of Legacy:
- to build a legacy genetically
- To build a legacy materially.
When I say Genetically, I mean reproducing a son so that your name and your blood can live on into the future. Remember when your daughter gets married, she will take on the name of her husband and reproduce his lineage. His name will live on. Your name typically lives on through your son. Unless your daughter has a child out of wedlock, and the man doesn’t claim the child so she gives the child your name…but who wants that for their daughter? We all desire for our daughters to be married one day, don’t we?
Many of you may say that I don;t desire anything materially…but this topic goes further than that. The Bible tells us that a good man LEAVES something for his children’s children! This my friend is material! Also, don;t you want to leave something behind so that the world knows that you were here? This is also material! Legacy.
And I would say that the Godfather trilogy gives you the blueprint on how to build a legacy on so many levels! You learn what to do and what not to do.
It Must be a Section…
Back in the day, for years my lieutenant and I would go back and forth on the different details of the Godfather. Years. When I’ve met other Godfather enthusiasts, we’d usually go for hours on this subject. So when I realized that I was going to start a blog as part of my business on the subject of manhood, there was no way that I was going to write a blog, and not discuss the knowledge found in the Godfather! No way! So one of the subsections in my blog is- The Godfather!
It must be studied…
Again, we will study this trilogy. We will dissect and study all of the nuances of the trilogy and the books to get what we can get from this great work. This series is the blueprint to empire building.
But first we will start at the beginning…
What’s the Godfather?
Recently, I’ve met plenty of men in their 30’s and below that have never seen the Godfather. It has happened so many times that I would be wrong to assume that you know what the Godfather is. So for those who have never seen it before, let me give you a brief synopsis of this movie.
The Book and the Movie…
The movie is based on Mario Puzo’s book, The Godfather. It is a story about the Corleone family. Even though the movie is based on the book, the book and the movie are a little different. I believe that because the first movie did so well, they decided to make a part two and then a part three. And because they decided to create the other two movies, they had to alter and change the storyline.
Furthermore, like all other movies that are based on books, things have to be omitted to not make the movie as long. But…if you don’t read the book, there are little nuances in the movie that you’d miss. Once you read the book, you’d understand the nuances.
The leader of the Corleone family is Vito Corleone. Vito Corleone has two families.
- His blood family-His wife and four children
- His Mafia family of which he is the leader.
Art Imitates Life…
The Godfather is a fictional movie based on Italian culture and Mafia culture. So to understand the movie, you must become familiar with American Mafia culture and structure.
Mario Puzo stated that he wrote the Godfather based on his research of Mob Families in the 1940’s. He studied them, and created his characters around them.
As a matter of fact, many say that Vito Corleone was the distilled character of the following Dons:
- Joe Prafaci (who owned an olive oil business)
- Carlo Gambino ( his quietness and his ability to live out of the spotlight)
- Frank Costello (He was known as the Prime Minister. )
- Joe Bonanno ( His wisdom and class)
- And probably others.
The Commission
This God Father is based in Newyork city. Vito Corleone is the leader of his family-The Corleone family. He is one of five other crime families that run Newyork. The Five families comprise of:
- The Corleone Family
- The Barzini Family
- The Tattaglia Family
- The Cuneo Family
- The Stracci Family
These families sit on a board named The Commission. On this board, bosses discuss business and other things to make sure there is peace amongst them. Because if there is no peace amongst them, money can’t be made. Furthermore, it brings the police and other authorities into their business. And this also messes with the money. Issues can be brought up between Made-Men who are in these societies to work out their issues. And before a made-man can get killed, it is usually discussed.
Organized Crime
Anytime you hear the term Organized Crime, they are usually talking about the American Mafia. They call it organized because it is a structured organization. It is not only structured, but it has rules. And it has consequences for breaking those rules. The reason why law enforcement is able to deal with other types of criminals is that they are unorganized, unmethodical, and impulse-driven. They also like to tamper with drugs. They don’t have codes of ethics. So it’s so easy to deal with them. They tend to be more violent and flashy. And this brings more attention to them, which makes law enforcement crackdown on them. Usually, this is not so with the Mafia. And when they have violated their own rules, this hurts them.
Even though the Feds have given strong blows to the mafia, they have adjusted, and they are still here..in the shadows. And to be honest, what got them in trouble was something that they agreed to not get involved in because of the longer jail sentences of their soldiers-Drugs! More on that later.
It is said that the structure of the American Mafia was created in 1931 by a Mob boss by the name of Salvatore Marinzano. The Tradition of the Mafia came from Italy, but it was adjusted and refined in America to survive the new environment.
Made Man
What is a Made Man? A made man is an initiated member of a Mafia family. To even be considered a made man, he must first be a full-blooded Italian…which means both parents are Italian. I’ve recently read the rules had been slackened at a period of time that only your father had to be Italian. But in 2000 at a commission meeting, they returned it back to both parents.
Non-Made Men are called Associates. These associates can be of any race. It is not uncommon to have Spanish, blacks, whites, etc. in the organization. They make money for the organization or carry out other “functions” for the family. They usually are under a Captain in the organization. A Captain must be a Made Man.
If you are a full-blooded Italian, you’re a good earner for the family, and well respected you will be recommended. You will have to Make Your Bones (kill someone that they have chosen for you to kill). After you do this, you then can be initiated in. And in the initiation, you must take the code of silence-Omerta. And you are told what will happen to you if you break that code-death! Furthermore, you cannot kill another man from your family or any other family without permission from the higher-ups. If you do kill another Made Man without permission, you will be killed. There are other things also that you must adhere to.
Once you become a Made Man, you now hold the rank of Soldier. A soldier must be a Made Man. And now you can eventually rise up in the family, assuming different ranks of the family. You can one day become a:
- Captain
- Consigliere
- Underboss
- Boss
So to be clear, let me reiterate. The structure is as follows:
- Associate: Non-Made Man that can be of any race. They work with or for the family.
- Soldier: A Made Man. Full-blooded Italian.
- Captain: AKA SKipper. Aka Skipper. AkA Caporegime. AKA Capodecina. He has a crew of soldiers and Associates under him. He gets some of the money but is responsible to make sure that money is being made by his crew. He is appointed by the Boss and reports to the underboss or the Boss. He will have between 10-20 soldiers and many associates.
- Consigliere: He is the counselor for the Boss.
- Underboss: He is the second in charge of the Family He is the natural successor if the boss passes. He is the buffer for the boss, all orders get passed down through him. He then gives the instructions to the Captains. Then the Captains pass down the instructions or information to the Soldiers and associates.
- Boss: AKA Don AKA Godfather. He is the sole leader of the Family. He decides on the direction of the family.
To be Continued….
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And remember…BE A MAN…
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