When referring to the hierarchy, starting at the bottom feeders, there are the Associates. The Associates are not actual members of the Mafia, but rather anyone who teams up with them on a criminal enterprise of some kind. They could be someone who does business with the mob, including money-laundering bankers, crooked cops, lawyers, politicians, drug dealers, etc. The next rung of the ladder is the Soldiers. The Soldiers are the lowest-ranking members of the crime family. These are the “grunts” of the organization that do most of the “dirty work”, such as running errands, making deliveries, or picking up cash. They generally “stick their neck out” in the hope of making a name for themselves by demonstrating their loyalty to the “family”. The Capo, or Caporegima, is the captain or lieutenant of a division within the Mafia. He heads a crew of soldiers and reports directly to the underboss, who hands down the
When referring to the hierarchy, starting at the bottom feeders, there are the Associates. The Associates are not actual members of the Mafia, but rather anyone who teams up with them on a criminal enterprise of some kind. They could be someone who does business with the mob, including money-laundering bankers, crooked cops, lawyers, politicians, drug dealers, etc. The next rung of the ladder is the Soldiers. The Soldiers are the lowest-ranking members of the crime family. These are the “grunts” of the organization that do most of the “dirty work”, such as running errands, making deliveries, or picking up cash. They generally “stick their neck out” in the hope of making a name for themselves by demonstrating their loyalty to the “family”. The Capo, or Caporegima, is the captain or lieutenant of a division within the Mafia. He heads a crew of soldiers and reports directly to the underboss, who hands down the