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Promiscuity is regarded as a sign of manliness, right? Right, especially in the Mafia. So not only is it silently encouraged
to have beautiful mistresses, but of course Mafiosi also have some major advantages over your regular Joe. First of all, lots
of wiseguys have a helluva lot of money, and this does not exactly hinder them in their efforts to pick up women. They also
have power, and more importantly, dont forget everyones fascination with the so-called mystique and romance of the Mafia...
this can really grease the so-called wheels of a potential mistress. Hey, thats funny! So how does a made man keep his affairs,
if you know what I mean, in order?
In a mob marriage, the wife knows ahead of time that her husbands business can
keep him out until all hours of the night, or even away from home for days at a time. On top of this, Mafia wives are trained
not to ask questions. Its a sweet deal, but this sort of freedom demands that certain rules be obeyed so that no one gets...
how should I put it... embarrassed. Its important not to disrespect or embarrass your wife because, as you know, family is
the name of the game in the Honored Society.
Im going to let you in on a little arrangement that keeps everybody
happy. Tradition dictates that Friday nights be reserved for wiseguys to take out their girlfriends. This way they can enjoy
a night in Little Italy or a stroll down Mulberry Street without the fear of running into their wives! Although violation
of a Mafia wife is punishable by death, the execution of the penalty (and I do mean execution) is rarely carried out for sexual
offenses. The actual purpose of these rules of sexual conduct is to reduce the incidence of matters of honor that could inhibit
the orderly activities of your crime family.
Now Saturday night is a little different. On Saturdays, wise wiseguys
make up for their Friday night escapades by giving their wives a night on the town. This happy arrangement reduces the chance
of a mobster running into any Mafia wives while out with his girlfriend. News like that has a nasty way of getting back to
a guys spouse, if you know what I mean.
Mobsters are expected to pamper their wives and take them away for trips,
cruises and that sort of thing. However, it is not unheard of for the boys to stash their old ladies in Deck A and their mistresses
a deck below. This custom is affectionately known as bringing both sets.
An exception to this rule is Christmas time
when tradition dictates fidelity to the wives. For years during the heyday of the Copacabana, while it was still a secret
Frank Costello operation, the Christmas rule at the Copa was mob wives only - no girlfriends allowed.
Its a neat
and civilized little arrangement that helps to keep the peace in the family. As far as the wives are concerned (or at least
as far as they are allowed to admit to admit), Friday night is the night their husbands go out to play cards, and they know
not to expect their men back home until Saturday morning or even Saturday afternoon. Its a safe bet that these wise guys always
get lucky when they gamble in this arena! It gives a new meaning to the term made man doesnt it?
Sex for gangsters,
be it illicit or not, is looked upon as perfectly normal macho recreation and, despite the rules, almost any peccadillo is
permitted as long as the woman in question is an outsider. For example, it was really quite all right for Vito Genovese to
have a man killed because he wanted that mans wife for himself. Not a problem. There is a mob rule against killing for personal
reasons but affairs of the heart can at times be excused. Of course, sex capers that produce no friction are preferred, but
a man of passion knows that rules and honor cannot always control the heart, so there is some flexibility.
Understand
that it no way is this behavior appropriate for women. Virtually all wiseguys hold their women to a very high standard. Many
consider a woman who so much as swears to be a puttana - a whore. Im sure you can imagine the attitude toward a woman who
has cheated on her Mafia husband. This is unacceptable, the ultimate insult to a Mafiosos honor and manliness, and is punishable
by death.
All in all, the rules are simple. A Mafioso is expected to enjoy mistresses and to keep them quiet. To
insult his wife by allowing her to discover the slightest detail of peccadilloes would be crude and unmanly. Though the mobster
may stray for his recreation and his reputation, he strives to treat his wife with respect and manners. A man of honor generally
holds his wife and children sacred, and he expects them to reciprocate. Simple enough?
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