Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Mafia rules Vancouver public transit

This morning on the bus, the man standing in front of my seat absentmindedly mimed what I assumed to be his golf grip and swing. It looked very precise and strong. I chuckled at him inwardly until I looked up and got a complete picture of what this guy looked like. He was wearing a black suit with a black shirt underneath. His black hair (widows peak, receeding hairline) was slicked back. His pockmarked face had an Italian appearance about it.

In short, he looked like the Mafia. And his little pantomime seemed that much creepier.

4 comments:

Jan said...

Maybe/Hopefully he was an actor rehearsing for a role as a mafia hitman.

Unknown said...

ha!

Anonymous said...

Black suit + black shirt = mafia? No. Its pretty certain members of any of the italian crime groups dont walk around dressing like "im mafia". Its like saying "police, police, rcmp, anybody, please arrest me, I want to be caged". It doesnt happen, and that stereotypical look doesnt exist; its fabricated. They dress like you and me, eat like you and me, talk like you and me (mind you, probably even more polite to try and throw people off), and fart just like you and me too. They also run legitimate businesses and work jobs as well, just like you and me. The difference is that they live a double life, which most times their wives probably suspect, but arent told and dont know for sure. You cant tell if someone is an organized crime member or not by looking at them. Believe me, I come from an area in ontario that has a large organized crime presence. No one knows, until one day they turn on the TV at dinner time and watch their neighbour on CITY or Global. Its happened to people I know. Honestly. Its not everyday, but maybe every couple years you'll hear of someone you know, or thought you knew. They have gone totally underground since probably the 1980's in Canada. Italy is different, they are still open about their business, meaning residents in towns know who they are, dont go to police, and definitely dont object to their presence. Extortion is still huge in Italy. Its their bread and butter there. They dont extort in Canada, they'll get caught quickly because people trust govnt more here, enough to go to police. Southern Italy is a different world from Europe, corrupt through and through. Only trust your mother. Most people are awsome, tourists dont see mafia, but its alive and kicking there.

The more time goes on (and mark my words), the less you'll hear of Italians as criminals, the more influetial theyll become. And we have alot of N'drangheta here (one specific group) which is ultra-secretive. They intermarry as a way of ensuring nobody turns informer. Drugs on a massive scale, the port of montreal is theirs. Real estate, laundering proceeds of crime from other organizations who cant, gambling is big as well, construction.

So anyways, who and I will never see anybody that looks like a mafia member. People who look like mafia dont exist. Stereotypical jet-black, michael corleone type hair doesnt exist because there are blonde mafia members, brown, and whatever else, maybe red hair.

Diedre said...

Greetings, "Anonymous"! I'm assuming that means that you and I don't know each other....Anyway, my blog is mostly just read by personal friends of mine, most of whom would be able to tell that my post was rather tongue-in-cheek, and not to be taken literally.

Anyway, thanks for your insights on organized crime culture!