Journalist Nicaso (Middlebury College) and anthropologist Danesi (Toronto) demystify the Mafia. Instead of perpetuating the cinematic image of Mafia members as misunderstood patriarchs, the authors spotlight the discrepancies between popular culture and reality. More importantly, they shatter the myth that all Italian mob families operate alike, as well as the myth that organized street gangs, in general, are one-dimensional entities, making this book a valuable addition to the scholarship on organized crime. Nicaso and Danesi clearly show that what keeps these organizations' "thugness" disguised as honorable criminality are the cultural markers and rituals that become the social glue for members. Included in these markers and rituals are distinct clothing, vocabulary, nicknames, and initiations intended to provide a veneer of exclusivity to members. Nicaso and Danesi drive home the point that no gangs, including the Mafia, can be classified together in a homogenous lump. Both anthropological and sociological, the book is exhaustively researched yet lightly written, assumedly to reach a wider audience, particularly at the less initiated undergraduate level. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels/libraries.

Choice Reviews

If you are interested in criminal organizations, particularly the Mafia, this book is a must read. Nicaso and Danesi explain in elaborate detail how the use of rituals binds members and allows criminal organizations to persist through time despite the best efforts of law enforcement.

Howard Abadinsky, Ph.D., St. John's University

Just when you thought there was nothing new to say about the Mafia comes Antonio Nicaso’s and Marcel Danesi’s Made Men. The authors debunk many of the long-help perceptions of the Mafia myth using a novel approach to deconstruct the Mafia mystique. Made Men is chockfull of insightful observations that help to show that the symbols, rituals, and myths that organized crime groups such as the Mafia (as well as the Yakuza, Triads and Russian mobsters) use to ensure their continuity are little more than self-serving justifications for their criminal and amoral actions.

Mitchel P. Roth, Sam Houston State University