GOP is criticized for campaign of Mafia metaphors

North Jersey Newspapers ^ | 06.29.05 | JOSH GOHLKE

[durasell]

Lansky?

[Echo Talon]

OR, if you really want to do it right... you will have to use a little but of your acting skills... When they ask, "ask are you connected?" You need to take a slightly deep breath hold it a little bit look a little stunned at the question, and take your eyes off him moving your head from side to side scanning the background as you say, "uh.. no...why?" all the while looking a little nervous and rocking side to side a little bit on your feet. then if its just someone you don't know that much or whatever say "uh.. i gotta go" still looking around and scanning the area. :D

[fieldmarshaldj]

Meyer Lansky, yeah, now that's an Italian name if I ever heard one. :-D

[Diddle E. Squat]

Clinton?

[durasell]

Oscar Meyer Lanski (note the "i") had his name changed on Ellis Island.

[ladyinred]

The Italian-American activists gathered in Trenton to demand an apology from top Republicans, who have repeatedly compared Corzine and his allies to mobsters in an effort to underscore his links to the party's most controversial figures.

It seems the dems aren't real happy with the truth being spoken in spite of the fact that they constantly accuse Pubbies of "Lying." Rather amusing actually.

[durasell]

Little known fact: The word "mafia" is actually derived from an Arabic word.

[fieldmarshaldj]

His original name was Maier Suchowljansky, born a Polish Jew (though many in "the business" considered him "paisan").

[HitmanLV]

Nope.

[HitmanLV]

It's an oldschool name with plenty of notoriety in the NYC are a well into the 1980s and 1990s - one of the region's crime families still bears the family surname.

[HitmanLV]

See, you know what I'm talking about! ;-)

[HitmanLV]

;-)

[HitmanLV]

Little known fact: The word "mafia" is actually derived from an Arabic word.

Yep - Sicilian (the dialect/language most identified with the Italian Mob) is a mishmash of Italian, Greek, Maltese, and Arabic, and probably some other influences from the region.

[Echo Talon]

I knew some of those characters and know how they act. :D

[durasell]

That's the line that many believe. There's also a story about it being an acronym. Apparently someone traced it back to arabic that translates from "bold men." Something about being hired to fight off arab invaders.

[HitmanLV]

Good friends to have, I think, though its best if they 'owe you one,' rather than you 'owe them one,' capesh? ;-)

[fieldmarshaldj]

Bonnano ? Genovese ? Lucchese ?

[durasell]

Talese?

[fieldmarshaldj]

That's so Gay.

[HitmanLV]

I like the language of the oldschool Italian Mob - refering tko their enterprise as 'Cosa Nostra,' literally 'Our Thing,' as in 'the man has his thing, and we have our thing.' Kinda cool, if you ask me.

People also don't know much about the history of the mob in NY and in the states. What started in some respects as legitimate protection from gangs from other neighborhoods, crooks, etc, quickly (and naturally) evolved into 'protection from us!' From there, some 'victimless crimes' like booze and prostitution seemed natural, and it degenerated from there.

Still, mob life isn't nearly as violent as media suggests. while getting roughed up here and there happens, I recall reading that there is something like only 300-400 Italian mob-related hits in the USA in the 20th Century. While people on the outside like the concept of 'whacking' people, the truth is that it was relatively rare, mostly because it was just bad business.

Not that I would know much about this kind of stuff...