Is it possible to be recruited by the Mafia based on your personality and skills? How would they approach you and would they reveal their affiliation immediately?

In theory, that’s the ONLY way you get recruited, albeit not in the way we traditionally think of recruitment.

Most of those in ‘the life’ started out one of two routes: growing up in teenage gangs / petty criminals OR being the relatives of existing made members (sometimes people fell into both categories).

Local Mafia/Cosa Nostra ‘talent spotters’ would look at these gangs and young criminals akin to how professional sports teams look for raw youth talent to bring into their academies.

And they’d be looking for specific traits:

Toughness

A stand-up guy (didn’t rat, did your time, followed the code etc)

Potential to earn / ability to execute rackets/cons

Malleable/impressionable and could be brought under their wing

(Ideally) No links to law enforcement

The approach would be slow and subtle. Having off hand conversations, getting to know each other slowly in and around the neighbourhood, and then eventually an offer to help out on a job or to do something quick/immediate to get a little cash.

Given these potential recruits would likely already be burgeoning criminals in their own right, it is highly likely they would already know who the person recruiting them is and who they are with - Cosa Nostra are still criminal underworld ‘stars’ in the neighbourhoods they infest, so it wouldn’t require a ‘big declaration’ upfront.

So yes, it is your personality and skills that would lead you to being recruited … its just that you cannot apply, they have to approach you.

A young John Gotti. Gotti grew up in various street gangs and ended up leading one called the Fulton-Rockaway Boys, a known feeder gang for local mafia families. Gotti was ‘groomed’ by infamous Gambino caporegime Carmine Fatico; becoming his errand boy and slowly making his way into ‘the life’.

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