Soldato
Encyclopedia
American Mafia
The American Mafia , is an Italian-American criminal society. Much like the Sicilian Mafia, the American Mafia has no formal name and is a secret criminal society. Its members usually refer to it as Cosa Nostra or by its English translation "our thing"...
and in Sicily. However, a soldier is much greater in rank and prestige than any ordinary associate of the crime family. In order to become a soldier, the primary requisite for an associate is to become a made man
Made man
A made man, also known as a Mafioso , made guy, man of honor, or uomo d'onore , is someone who has been officially inducted into the Sicilian or American Mafia . They may also be referred to by some as a goodfella or wiseguy...
. The promotion to the rank of soldier is a tremendous step up in the hierarchy from the associate level. The Italian term picciotto (plural picciotti) is also used to refer to lower level mafioso soldiers. However, picciotto usually indicates a younger, more inexperienced mafioso, one who has not necessarily been made. Picciotti usually perform grittier tasks or simple tasks such as beatings and robbery.
Duties and advantages
Once inducted into the Mafia, a soldier is now part of a crew, a collection of soldiers and associates working under a caporegimeCaporegime
A caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to just a capo, is a term used in the Mafia for a high ranking made member of a crime family who heads a "crew" of soldiers and has major social status and influence in the organization...
(captain). A soldier's main responsibility is to earn money and kick a portion of his profits up to his caporegime (also known as a "capo"). Under normal circumstances, a soldier never receives orders directly from the boss
Crime boss
A crime boss or boss is a person in charge of a criminal organization. A boss typically has absolute or near-absolute control over his subordinates, is greatly feared by his subordinates for his ruthlessness and willingness to take lives in order to exert his influence, and profits come from the...
of the family. Rather, he issues them in private either to the capo, or to the consigliere, who passes them to the capo. The orders are passed down the line to the soldiers.
They also serve as muscle of their crime family. Like an associate, he can also be relied on to commit acts of intimidation, threats, violence and murder. The soldier is obliged to obey orders from his capo to commit murder for his crime family. As a made man
Made man
A made man, also known as a Mafioso , made guy, man of honor, or uomo d'onore , is someone who has been officially inducted into the Sicilian or American Mafia . They may also be referred to by some as a goodfella or wiseguy...
, he is bound by the Mafia code of Omertà
Omertà
Omertà is a popular attitude and code of honour and a common definition is the "code of silence". It is common in areas of southern Italy, such as Sicily, Apulia, Calabria, and Campania, where criminal organizations defined as Mafia such as the Cosa Nostra, 'Ndrangheta, Sacra Corona Unita, and...
and must serve loyally for life. Since the soldier is a made man, he is considered untouchable in the criminal underworld. If another mobster wants to kill a soldier, it is compulsory that he gets permission from the soldier's boss. For example when Philadelphia crime family
Philadelphia crime family
The Philadelphia crime family, also known as the Scarfo crime family, Bruno crime family, Philadelphia Mafia, or Philly Mob, is an Italian American criminal organization based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is one of the most active American Mafia families outside of the Five Families of New York...
associate Nicodemo Scarfo, Jr.
Nicodemo Scarfo, Jr.
Nicodemo Salvatore "Nicky" Scarfo Jr. is the second son of convicted Philadelphia crime family boss Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo, Sr. In his 20s, he was allegedly inducted into the Lucchese crime family sometime in the early 1990s....
was almost killed by a warring faction of the family, his father
Nicodemo Scarfo
Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Domenico Scarfo is a member of the American Mafia who eventually became the Boss of the Philadelphia crime family after the death of Angelo Bruno and Phil Testa...
pulled some strings to get him inducted into the Lucchese crime family
Lucchese crime family
The Lucchese crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The family originated in the early 1920s with Gaetano "Tommy" Reina serving as boss up until his murder...
, protecting him from any possible attacks in the future. Killing a soldier without getting the boss's permission is considered taboo in mob circles and can lead to the perpetrator of the murder getting killed himself. The lone exception to this rule is when the boss himself calls a soldier in; this may be because the soldier's capo has fallen into disfavor and the boss wants him killed.
A soldier has the responsibilities of all made men. He must vow to stay loyal to the Mafia for life and earn his superiors money. Whenever he is called for by his superiors, he must oblige without reservation. He must also never cooperate with authorities in any way and must serve out prison sentences without complaint. In exchange for their loyalty they have full access to their crime family's protection, power and connections. His organization is also expected to look after his family and sometimes pay for legal fees if he serves a prison sentence.
Like an associate, a soldier is required to pay tribute to the captain for the privilege of being able to operate. However, he does not have to kick up as much money from his criminal endeavors as an associate. He must have enough success in his schemes in order to remain in favor with his superiors and avoid becoming a liability. Some associates become soldiers because of their usefulness in strong arm work, but even they must demonstrate an ability to earn money. A soldier will be given profitable rackets to run by his superiors, but for the most part they must also generate money on their own. Not all soldiers are treated equally within the family. A soldier is respected and treated according to the profits that his rackets generate and the loyalty that he shows to his family. A boss's son like Alphonse Persico
Alphonse Persico
Alphonse T. Persico, known as Little Allie Boy or just Allie Boy, is a former acting boss of the Colombo crime family from the 1980s and 1990s. He is not to be confused with his uncle of the same name, who was also a Colombo family mobster known as "Allie Boy", who died in 1989.-Background:Born in...
of the Colombo crime family
Colombo crime family
The Colombo crime family is the youngest of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia ....
, may be a soldier, but all family members and mobsters from other families know from early on that he is being groomed for bigger things. Another soldier might be a great money earner and report directly to the boss, like Gambino crime family
Gambino crime family
The Gambino crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The group is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963...
soldier Robert DiBernardo
Robert DiBernardo
Robert DiBernardo, also known as "DB", was a caporegime in the Gambino crime family...
did in the 1980s when Paul Castellano
Paul Castellano
Constantino Paul "Big Paul" Castellano , also known as "The Howard Hughes of the Mob" and "Big Paulie" , was an American Mafia boss in New York City. He succeeded Carlo Gambino as head of the Gambino crime family, at the time, the nation's largest Mafia family...
was boss. Others, like the Chicago Outfit
Chicago Outfit
The Chicago Outfit, also known as the Chicago Syndicate or Chicago Mob and sometimes shortened to simply the Outfit, is a crime syndicate based in Chicago, Illinois, USA...
's Phil Alderisio in the 1950s are greatly respected for their crafty ruthlessness.
Soldiers can be virtually broke, just managing to earn enough cash to live day-to-day. Aside from any rackets that are given to them (which can vary in profitability depending on the strength of their crime family), they are often left to survive on their own means. Unlike their superiors, they do not have made men beneath them to kick up money to them. However, they are now better positioned to organize and lead their own group of associates and wannabes eager to prove their worth. Far too often, they live lavish and extravagant lifestyles while not saving any legitimate money. They may also spend exorbitant sums of money on lawyer fees while their earning ability is thwarted by incarceration or police surveillance. They can also be millionaires through their own prowess by having full access to their family's business/political connections. For example, John Baudanza, a soldier in the Lucchese crime family
Lucchese crime family
The Lucchese crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The family originated in the early 1920s with Gaetano "Tommy" Reina serving as boss up until his murder...
was able to make millions from running a pump and dump
Pump and dump
"Pump and dump" is a form of microcap stock fraud that involves artificially inflating the price of an owned stock through false and misleading positive statements, in order to sell the cheaply purchased stock at a higher price....
scam with his crew. Soldier Ralph Scopo
Ralph Scopo
Ralph "Little Ralphie" Scopo was a New York mobster with the Colombo crime family who became a powerful labor racketeer. He was the father of Colombo mobsters Joseph Scopo and Ralph Scopo Jr., and the grandfather of Joseph Scopo Jr...
of the Colombo crime family
Colombo crime family
The Colombo crime family is the youngest of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia ....
controlled a key labor union in construction and was a major player in a multi-million dollar racketeering scheme ran by the Five Families
Five Families
The Five Families are the five original Italian-American Mafia crime families which have dominated organized crime in America since 1931. The Five Families in New York remain as the powerhouse of the Italian Mafia in the United States.-History:...
. Depending on the power of the family they belong, they can also receive "no show jobs" (being employed at a job and receiving pay checks without ever showing up to work) due to their crime family's influence infiltration of legitimate businesses like construction, waste management, etc.