1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:02,960 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you welcome to stump Mom never told you? 3 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:17,599 Speaker 1: From House top Works dot Com. Hello, and welcome to 4 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:20,440 Speaker 1: the podcast. This is Molly and then Kristen. Kristen. One 5 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: story that my father always told me about his days 6 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:26,400 Speaker 1: growing up in New Jersey was about a mobster who 7 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 1: lived in his neighborhood in Jersey. In Jersey. Uh, that's 8 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 1: the setting of the Sopranos, very popular show about the 9 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:36,960 Speaker 1: mob um. It was sort of like my dad was 10 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:38,840 Speaker 1: living a little bit of a stereotype. But he said, 11 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:41,400 Speaker 1: the guy was really nice. Is your father it's alien? No, 12 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:43,200 Speaker 1: he's not. He just happened to be in New Jersey. 13 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:45,839 Speaker 1: I guess with this guy and uh that. But I 14 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:47,960 Speaker 1: did go to Italy to study when I was in college, 15 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:50,600 Speaker 1: and you know, I was fascinated by the mafia there 16 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:52,919 Speaker 1: that I went to Russia, which also has a good Mom, 17 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 1: Were you hanging out with mafia folks and the mafio 18 00:00:56,840 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 1: so in Italy? Not to my knowledge, But I did 19 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 1: go to Naples, which, as we learned this week, is 20 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: quite the center of mafia activity but also surprisingly a 21 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:11,679 Speaker 1: center of female empowerment question mark question mark exactly because 22 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:14,119 Speaker 1: the story that we're going to try and lay out 23 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: for everyone today is whether women are breaking the glass 24 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 1: ceiling in the mafia. And this is also one of 25 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 1: the examples of whether or not we need to assume 26 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:28,400 Speaker 1: that everything that women step up to the plate to 27 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:33,479 Speaker 1: do and and breakthrough and typically male dominated activities and fields, 28 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:36,559 Speaker 1: is that always a good thing? Is that always something 29 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 1: to be celebrated? Does everything have to include is shattering 30 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: of a glass ceiling? Because I don't know if shooting 31 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 1: bazookas through a glass ceiling to perpetuate the heroin trade 32 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:52,640 Speaker 1: out of Naples is really something we need to be like, Yeah, 33 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: that's an example, all the same, it's a good story 34 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: while the kids. We can endorse criminal activity, but if 35 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 1: you're going to be a criminal, at least make it interesting. 36 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 1: And that's what these people have done, especially when you 37 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:09,520 Speaker 1: consider what the stereotype, especially perpetuated by the Godfather and 38 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 1: all these mafia mobster movies, is that the women are 39 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:14,680 Speaker 1: just there to take care of the men, to look 40 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 1: the other way when they've got a mistress, to raise 41 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 1: the kids, to keep quiet, to enjoy their spoils, but 42 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:24,280 Speaker 1: not raise a big ruckus about what the mister is doing. Yeah, 43 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:26,680 Speaker 1: and in a lot of cases that's that's true. And 44 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 1: then for the daughters in mob families, they're typically used 45 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:36,799 Speaker 1: as ponds. They create the ties between different families. They'll 46 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 1: be married off, set up. You know, everything is is 47 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 1: very much managed for them, at least back in ye 48 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 1: old mob days. Yeah, and that we found this really 49 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:49,799 Speaker 1: interesting commandments of the mafia that were found when they 50 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 1: when um, they did a raid on a mobster's house, 51 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 1: and it kind of showed how women were viewed. Uh, 52 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 1: you were supposed to respect your wife, not abuse her. 53 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 1: She shouldn't expect you to show up at childbirth because 54 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 1: you might be busy doing mob stuff. Um, you shouldn't 55 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 1: look at a friend's wife. So it was this degree 56 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:07,920 Speaker 1: of respect, but also the sense that women needed to 57 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 1: know their place. Their place was not at the table 58 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:13,840 Speaker 1: with the rest of the family figuring out what the 59 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 1: family was going to be doing. And they also need 60 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 1: to get over the fact that their husband probably had 61 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: at least one mistress on this side, because within the 62 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 1: the mob social scene, the mistresses would be used as 63 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:32,960 Speaker 1: a sign of a demonstration of a man's power, and um, 64 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 1: you know, a lot of I was reading this one 65 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 1: or girl said a lot of the modern mobsters kind 66 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:41,920 Speaker 1: of learned how to be mobsters by watching The Godfather. 67 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 1: I mean, you think that they would have figured it 68 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 1: out hundreds of years of criminal activity, but that really 69 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 1: seemended things to a lot of people. But it came 70 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 1: out kind of recently that Mario Puzzo, who wrote The Godfather, 71 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 1: based the character of Don Corleone on his mother. Like 72 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 1: what he said, when I heard r Leon's words come out, 73 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 1: I heard my mother and all her wisdom and all 74 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 1: her love for her family and her ruthlessness. And you know, 75 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 1: he wrote this very aggressive character that to him represented, 76 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: you know, a very prominent female in his life, which 77 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:16,120 Speaker 1: I think is really interesting that mobsters have internalized this 78 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:19,359 Speaker 1: character who's actually based on a woman. But maybe Mario 79 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 1: Puto's idea of this more female of figure, or at 80 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:28,679 Speaker 1: least putting the female figure in the form of Marlon Brando. 81 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:34,720 Speaker 1: Uh is actually coming to fruition today in Naples. And 82 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: again this is when I'm I feel strange about getting 83 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:43,520 Speaker 1: excited about talking about this. But the Godfather is fading 84 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:48,520 Speaker 1: into the distance as God mothers rise up through the ranks, 85 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:54,800 Speaker 1: particularly in naples, within these naples of mafia families, and 86 00:04:55,760 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 1: one of the leading women in this all these crime 87 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:04,120 Speaker 1: rings is a woman named Maria Lechi. Yeah, I think 88 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:06,760 Speaker 1: she had to be kind of my favorite. Again, it 89 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:08,480 Speaker 1: sounds weird to say that, but if you just want 90 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:11,480 Speaker 1: to go for a woman whose life can be a 91 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:15,479 Speaker 1: movie so easily because it's gonna have so many shootout scenes, 92 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:19,440 Speaker 1: you're gonna go with her. Uh. She, you know, was 93 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 1: was kind of instrumental in allying all these little gangs together, 94 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:26,360 Speaker 1: all these little mafia families. And then one day they 95 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 1: get in a shipment of heroin, naturally, and Maria is like, whoa, whoa, whoa, 96 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:33,160 Speaker 1: this is way too strong. It's going to kill the junkies. 97 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:35,360 Speaker 1: And at first I was like, oh, that's so nice 98 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:37,159 Speaker 1: public health, and then I realized, you know, she's really 99 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:39,719 Speaker 1: looking after her customer base, handing out you know, like 100 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: free condoms, Molly, this is heroin. It's just it's weird 101 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 1: how you find yourselves, you know, allying with these people 102 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 1: for the ladies, they're so interesting. So anyway, she's like, 103 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:51,520 Speaker 1: that's probably and also, I mean that's that also hints 104 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:53,920 Speaker 1: at her more nurturing side, like when we're talking about 105 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 1: like female bosses in the corporate world. Uh, she's just 106 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:01,719 Speaker 1: demonstrating that she's just eternal skill sets. Yes. Anyway, she's like, guys, 107 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:03,920 Speaker 1: don't sell this, and one of her, one of her 108 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:07,280 Speaker 1: you know, allied families, is like, no, we're selling the heroine. 109 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:09,920 Speaker 1: And they do, and all these junkies start dying, as 110 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:14,960 Speaker 1: Maria predicted, Yeah, eleven junkies died in Naples in one week. 111 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 1: And so they're saying that, you know, tourists are tripping 112 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 1: over bodies in the streets. A little bit of an exaggeration, 113 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:25,159 Speaker 1: but but like I said, great movie, great movie, heroin, 114 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:29,840 Speaker 1: junkies dying in the streets, Molly very mccob sense of 115 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:36,040 Speaker 1: sense of cinematic greatness. So anyway, eventually these these families 116 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:39,600 Speaker 1: are are feuding because the junkies died and it's bad 117 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:42,719 Speaker 1: press for the mob, and Maria Lechiari is like, dudes, 118 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:46,680 Speaker 1: I told you not to to give that pure heroin out. 119 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:49,200 Speaker 1: We were supposed to cut it up. Yeah, And so 120 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 1: eventually someone shoots members of Licharity's own own, own family, 121 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:58,200 Speaker 1: So that means more. Obviously I've seen enough mom movies 122 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:01,839 Speaker 1: to know that. And what commenced was this just deadly 123 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:06,800 Speaker 1: spree of dead bodies, dead dead, all sorts of death, 124 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 1: dead dead blood running in the streets of Naples to 125 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 1: read one article. And so she became one of Italy's 126 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:19,200 Speaker 1: most wanted criminals, most infamous for this spree of deadness, 127 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:22,680 Speaker 1: and finally she was caught. Um. But I mean that 128 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:25,400 Speaker 1: was an example of someone who rose through the ranks 129 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:28,080 Speaker 1: and wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty. You know, 130 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 1: there was this myth that these female bosses, yeah, they 131 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: might be taking over, but they were, you know, they're 132 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:37,119 Speaker 1: just kind of place placeholders till the men got back. 133 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 1: But you know, people like this are showing that women 134 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:42,960 Speaker 1: can be just as aggressive when it comes to ordering 135 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:45,680 Speaker 1: hits as men can well. And we should also point 136 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:48,920 Speaker 1: out that this makes sense for the families in Naples because, 137 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:52,440 Speaker 1: according to their family traditions, family the business matters within 138 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 1: the family, i e. Uh, you know, cutting up heroin 139 00:07:56,360 --> 00:08:01,480 Speaker 1: and other things, um passes down to a female family 140 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:04,880 Speaker 1: member before it would be passed down to an unrelated male. 141 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:07,440 Speaker 1: Not so, as we'll learn a little bit later on. 142 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:10,800 Speaker 1: In Sicilian families, which is where the core leoned family 143 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 1: from the Godfather series um is from But I just 144 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:18,320 Speaker 1: want to share this one tidbit. This is from an 145 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:24,040 Speaker 1: AP story from two thousand nine describing these showdowns in 146 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:28,440 Speaker 1: Naples among rival Camorra clans. In the Camora clan is 147 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:32,400 Speaker 1: the one that Maria Alicchiardi, the Madrina or Godmother, is 148 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:34,840 Speaker 1: head of. And it says in one of the most 149 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:38,080 Speaker 1: lurid episodes in two thousand to two, carloads of women 150 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:43,000 Speaker 1: from rival Camora clans lurched through the streets, first trading 151 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:46,240 Speaker 1: insults in the machine gun fire and pistol shots until 152 00:08:46,640 --> 00:08:49,800 Speaker 1: two grandmothers and a sixteen year old girl were dead. 153 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:53,520 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, but that's where I gets a little bit better, 154 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:56,439 Speaker 1: because you know where this whole fight started. Yeah, I 155 00:08:56,520 --> 00:08:59,640 Speaker 1: do a hair salon. A hair salon. The sixteen year 156 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 1: old is getting her hair done, and she's sassy, and 157 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:06,160 Speaker 1: she is too sassy to a rival clan member and 158 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:08,920 Speaker 1: slaps her in the face. And so that night, that's 159 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:10,560 Speaker 1: why they had to go out in the streets of 160 00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:15,439 Speaker 1: Naples and they're Audie and rumble and uh and what 161 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:17,320 Speaker 1: they found and you know, the sixteen year old died 162 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:19,800 Speaker 1: for her sass. But what they found on her body 163 00:09:19,960 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 1: was a vial of acid, Like, oh, they're about to 164 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:24,600 Speaker 1: throw acid. We're going to throw acid on someone. And 165 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:26,840 Speaker 1: so that just shows that you gotta be careful what 166 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:29,640 Speaker 1: you say in the hair salon lesson for us, all 167 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:33,760 Speaker 1: mafia related or not. These mafia women who were taking 168 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:36,040 Speaker 1: over while the all the dudes are in prison, they're 169 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 1: just as tough. They find that there are reports of 170 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:43,199 Speaker 1: bazooka fights. Bazoukas. Why do you get your hands on 171 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:46,600 Speaker 1: a bazuka. It's like a flamethrower. Someone's gonna know it's 172 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:49,520 Speaker 1: gonna be the mom. But let's let's go back, though, 173 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:53,880 Speaker 1: and talk about the woman who really started it all, 174 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:56,800 Speaker 1: who really made her mark. And I feel like we're 175 00:09:56,800 --> 00:10:00,480 Speaker 1: talking about like, I don't know, Susan being the New Years. 176 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:06,200 Speaker 1: I think who is the really first icon of female 177 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 1: mafia member and that is the little Doll Doll? Uh Yeah. 178 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:17,240 Speaker 1: Everyone seems to trace this female mob bactorty back to 179 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:21,680 Speaker 1: La Popeta and in the nineteen fifties, the Little Doll 180 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:25,320 Speaker 1: she was in her twenties. Uh, she was hanging out 181 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 1: with a guy named Big Pasquality Simonetti and uh he 182 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 1: would sell protection to the local produce venders, and uh 183 00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:37,560 Speaker 1: little doll was a beauty contest winner, so you know 184 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:40,840 Speaker 1: she made a nice arm candy for the Big Pasqually 185 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:44,440 Speaker 1: And uh then there happens to be some bad blood, 186 00:10:44,559 --> 00:10:48,199 Speaker 1: as there usually is in mob stories, and Big Pasquality 187 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:52,040 Speaker 1: gets shot by a guy who was sent by another 188 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:57,800 Speaker 1: guy named Tony Esposito. But here's the thing. Before the 189 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:02,600 Speaker 1: dude was shot, Big Pasqually, big um He and La Pepeta, 190 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:06,440 Speaker 1: we're gonna have a bud. No, it's true. Yeah, so 191 00:11:06,559 --> 00:11:09,760 Speaker 1: she was a quick child in the nine fifties, a 192 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:12,520 Speaker 1: time when you should be you know, at home, getting 193 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:15,600 Speaker 1: ready to nest and whatnot, barefoot and pregnant. But but 194 00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 1: Pasquality told her it was Tony. She takes the gun 195 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:25,319 Speaker 1: into her own hands, a little pregnant is something woman, 196 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:29,960 Speaker 1: and she shoots Tony Esposito. She goes to court. The 197 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:32,320 Speaker 1: case was so big that they put microphones in the 198 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:36,200 Speaker 1: courtroom so everyone could hear. And when when she says, yeah, 199 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:38,320 Speaker 1: I shot the guy and I would do it again, 200 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:43,280 Speaker 1: everyone just cheers, like here's this little pregnant woman upholding 201 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:48,760 Speaker 1: these uh mafia ideals of protecting your own and uh, 202 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:51,040 Speaker 1: she'd be just became famous. She went to jail and 203 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:52,640 Speaker 1: then she kind of got out and lived a life 204 00:11:52,679 --> 00:11:54,640 Speaker 1: of crime, and everyone was like, you know what, that's 205 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:56,880 Speaker 1: what you do in our family. So it's some people 206 00:11:56,920 --> 00:11:59,440 Speaker 1: make the argument in these articles about mob women that 207 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:02,160 Speaker 1: it is the mothers who instill these kind of values 208 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:04,760 Speaker 1: in their kids. And it makes sense that, you know, 209 00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:06,520 Speaker 1: you can't break up a family or get one of 210 00:12:06,559 --> 00:12:10,319 Speaker 1: them to turn state's witness because the women just ingrain them, 211 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:13,040 Speaker 1: you know ingrain these values in them so strongly, and 212 00:12:13,679 --> 00:12:19,880 Speaker 1: probably ingrained pretty good marksmanship because La Pipetta apparently landed 213 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:26,960 Speaker 1: twenty nine bullets in Tony Esposito's body, is saying, and 214 00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:29,600 Speaker 1: her life was made into a movie. There's usually a 215 00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:32,920 Speaker 1: good movie where a mafia story is concerned. Let's face it, 216 00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 1: so Lava Peta kinda you know, is usually consider the 217 00:12:36,920 --> 00:12:41,200 Speaker 1: first real female mafia mafiosa. And uh, but you know 218 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:43,080 Speaker 1: there are, like we said, all these trend stories about 219 00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:45,960 Speaker 1: this happening in Naples and the reason it's happening there, 220 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:49,040 Speaker 1: like Kristen said, there's a difference in Sicilian values and 221 00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 1: the values in Naples, where it's it's more acceptable to 222 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:55,160 Speaker 1: give your business to a female family member, um rather 223 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:58,160 Speaker 1: than an associate, because you know, in Sicily they still 224 00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:01,280 Speaker 1: have a lot of these uh gen their stereotyped ideas 225 00:13:01,320 --> 00:13:04,320 Speaker 1: of the woman in the kitchen um. But basically, there 226 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:08,160 Speaker 1: was a big crackdown on male mobsters, so all the fathers, 227 00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:10,920 Speaker 1: all the brothers, all the uncles were in jail, so 228 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:12,679 Speaker 1: that someone had to step up, and more and more 229 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:15,480 Speaker 1: it's the women. And so some people are saying it's 230 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:18,760 Speaker 1: really not empowerment because they're just holding the place until 231 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:21,559 Speaker 1: the guy gets back. There'd be no other circumstance in 232 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:24,280 Speaker 1: which they get to head the family. But other people 233 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:27,160 Speaker 1: are saying, no, it's been the women all the time. 234 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:30,839 Speaker 1: There was this one Sicilian court that said that, uh, 235 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:33,319 Speaker 1: you know, women, we shouldn't pay attention to women. They're 236 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:37,080 Speaker 1: too stupid to make mobster related decisions. And uh you know, 237 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:39,480 Speaker 1: a prosecutor later said, if we had just followed the women, 238 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:41,560 Speaker 1: we would have found all the crimes because they were 239 00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 1: the ones orchestrating it. They were just clever enough to 240 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:46,760 Speaker 1: make the men think that they had thought of them. 241 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:50,320 Speaker 1: And even when the men are in prison, the women 242 00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:53,480 Speaker 1: can run messages by going to visit their husbands and 243 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:57,360 Speaker 1: then take whatever kind of commands back to the other 244 00:13:57,920 --> 00:14:02,320 Speaker 1: mafio so out there. And of course the Italian police 245 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:05,600 Speaker 1: have caught on to this trend of of women taking 246 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:09,040 Speaker 1: more powerful roles within mafia families, and the number of 247 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:13,160 Speaker 1: women charged for mafia crimes has only been escalating since 248 00:14:13,559 --> 00:14:17,719 Speaker 1: nine when only one woman was indicted for a mafia association. 249 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:20,400 Speaker 1: And it has a lot to do with people like Lechiardi. 250 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:25,040 Speaker 1: And then there's this also wonderful rival. Why am I 251 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:30,160 Speaker 1: saying wonderful? It's so weird, Uh, this rival god mother 252 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:36,320 Speaker 1: figure named Armenia Giuliano, who was also arrested not too 253 00:14:36,360 --> 00:14:40,440 Speaker 1: long ago. But she insisted on being able to take 254 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 1: a shower, visit her hairdresser, put on high heels in 255 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:49,360 Speaker 1: a fake leper skin coat just for the pictures she 256 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:51,520 Speaker 1: is being taken to jail. She wanted to look good. 257 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:53,760 Speaker 1: And of course the press eats these things up, and 258 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:56,400 Speaker 1: that's why we can, you know, giggle over these, you know, 259 00:14:56,440 --> 00:15:00,120 Speaker 1: titillating articles. But you know, it just seems to go 260 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:04,560 Speaker 1: in the face of stereotypical gender stereotypes because a lot 261 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:09,600 Speaker 1: of uh, legislators and law officials thought that once women 262 00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:11,600 Speaker 1: were in charge, they might do what was better for 263 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 1: their children. They might, you know, try and get their 264 00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:17,600 Speaker 1: men out of crime. You know, they might get them 265 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:20,840 Speaker 1: to to turn, you know, to confess, to to give 266 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:23,600 Speaker 1: up some names. And they really haven't done that. There's 267 00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:27,360 Speaker 1: only one notable case where female mobster got arrested and 268 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:30,600 Speaker 1: finally uh sang like a canary so that she could 269 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:32,960 Speaker 1: be with her children. And it, you know, it's been 270 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:35,880 Speaker 1: interesting to the prosecutors to see that. You know, it's 271 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:37,280 Speaker 1: not like women are going to be the trick to 272 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:41,400 Speaker 1: breaking up organized crime. But on the outside of the mafia, 273 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:45,960 Speaker 1: we should note that there is a group of women 274 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:50,880 Speaker 1: in Sicily who was trying to stand up to the 275 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:53,320 Speaker 1: mafia forces that will go around to the businesses and 276 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:57,600 Speaker 1: basically charge them for the protection. And they founded this 277 00:15:57,720 --> 00:16:04,560 Speaker 1: group called the Audio Pezo name meaning goodbye Piso uh 278 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:06,880 Speaker 1: and the Pizzo is a reference to a ten percent 279 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:09,960 Speaker 1: levy and post on the entire business community by the 280 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:13,200 Speaker 1: coast and coastin Nostra, so that's where the name comes from. 281 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:16,040 Speaker 1: But a lot of these are younger female business owners 282 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:17,840 Speaker 1: who are saying, you know what, it is time for 283 00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:22,960 Speaker 1: us to stop sitting under the mafia's thumb and let's 284 00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:26,280 Speaker 1: let's create our own sort of protective bands. And they've 285 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:30,840 Speaker 1: also done a tourism push to uh have tourists come 286 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:35,720 Speaker 1: and support specifically support these businesses that are not giving 287 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:39,240 Speaker 1: money to the mafia, and so far it seems like 288 00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:41,760 Speaker 1: it might be making a little bit of a difference. Granted, 289 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:45,080 Speaker 1: some of these female business owners are terrified because they 290 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:50,960 Speaker 1: are still getting followed and threatened by mobsters. But again, 291 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:52,880 Speaker 1: it's it's kind of interesting to see, like on one 292 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:54,920 Speaker 1: hand you have the rise of the female godmothers, and 293 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:57,440 Speaker 1: then on on the outside, we've got this, this rise 294 00:16:57,520 --> 00:17:00,960 Speaker 1: of the female led audio Piezo. So so here's my 295 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:02,880 Speaker 1: question to wrap things up, Christen, for you and for 296 00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:05,120 Speaker 1: our listeners if they care to weigh in, if we're 297 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:08,080 Speaker 1: going to make a female buddy movie, which would we 298 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:12,520 Speaker 1: rather play to godmother's you know, lording over Italy or 299 00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:15,480 Speaker 1: Jersey or wherever with our with our mob like ways, 300 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 1: you would have to be in Italy versus Jersey, let's 301 00:17:17,320 --> 00:17:21,200 Speaker 1: just put it, yeah, Or would we rather play two 302 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:24,639 Speaker 1: young women on the outside taking on the mob. Both 303 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 1: could be really good movies, you know, but what we 304 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:28,840 Speaker 1: could do, I mean this might sound a little controversially, 305 00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:32,040 Speaker 1: but you know, like I could play someone in the mafia, 306 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:34,480 Speaker 1: and maybe you could place someone on the outside trying 307 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:36,560 Speaker 1: to bring me down and taking the juicy role for 308 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:39,560 Speaker 1: yourself a little bit. And because I really, because that 309 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:41,920 Speaker 1: means that're not gonna be to the basta all the time. 310 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:45,359 Speaker 1: Coo can the spaghetti while your victims are in the 311 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:51,199 Speaker 1: basement while on throwing acid on people's faces from the 312 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:55,720 Speaker 1: window of my audie. So if you have anything he'd 313 00:17:55,720 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 1: like to say in response to are extolling the virtues 314 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:05,360 Speaker 1: of blood thirsty god mothers in Naples, send us an 315 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:08,960 Speaker 1: email or head over to Facebook and Twitter and let 316 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:11,320 Speaker 1: us know your thoughts. And in the meantime, let's read 317 00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:18,120 Speaker 1: a couple listener emails. Okay, I've got one here from 318 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:20,920 Speaker 1: Mary and it's on the episode about whether it costs 319 00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:22,679 Speaker 1: more to be a man or a woman? And Mary right, 320 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:24,679 Speaker 1: it does cost more to be a woman. This is 321 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:27,320 Speaker 1: a fact recognized by the federal government as reflected and 322 00:18:27,359 --> 00:18:31,120 Speaker 1: the clothing allowance received by military enlisted personnel this year, 323 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:33,240 Speaker 1: Army man will receive a clothing allowance of three D 324 00:18:33,359 --> 00:18:36,240 Speaker 1: seventy dollars and eighty cents, while women we'll see four 325 00:18:36,800 --> 00:18:39,960 Speaker 1: ten and forty cents. Uh. This additional mused to pay 326 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:42,639 Speaker 1: for extra stuff women needs, such as running bras, pantyhose, 327 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:46,080 Speaker 1: dress pumps, and other gender specific necessary uniform items that 328 00:18:46,119 --> 00:18:48,159 Speaker 1: are not issued. When I was in the army, it 329 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:50,240 Speaker 1: was always nice to get that little bit extra. It 330 00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:52,040 Speaker 1: was never enough to actually pay for all the additional 331 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:53,480 Speaker 1: items that I had to buy simply to be able 332 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:54,919 Speaker 1: to go to work, but it was better than not 333 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:57,560 Speaker 1: getting anything extra compared to the men. I've don an 334 00:18:57,600 --> 00:19:02,240 Speaker 1: email here from Phoebe and she is fourteen years old 335 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:06,080 Speaker 1: living in London, and she was writing in in response 336 00:19:06,119 --> 00:19:09,879 Speaker 1: to our Royal Wedding podcast kind of Up. It really 337 00:19:09,880 --> 00:19:12,800 Speaker 1: delights me so and she writes, I don't think that 338 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:16,359 Speaker 1: the Royal Wedding is all that negative, especially considering we're 339 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:20,639 Speaker 1: just emerging from a depressing recession. The wedding is refreshing 340 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:22,480 Speaker 1: and new and seems to be giving people a sense 341 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:26,800 Speaker 1: of national identity and constancy. I disagree with those who 342 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:29,320 Speaker 1: try and demonize the wedding, as it should be remembered 343 00:19:29,320 --> 00:19:31,520 Speaker 1: that this union seems to be a real love match 344 00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:34,359 Speaker 1: and made of true feelings and not just glued together 345 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:38,159 Speaker 1: by meringue like dresses and a lot of imagined affection. 346 00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:41,280 Speaker 1: The wedding is also positive because it shows younger children 347 00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:44,680 Speaker 1: that princesses don't have to be ditzy and charmingly vulnerable 348 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:48,000 Speaker 1: to be considered true princesses, but can also be intelligent, 349 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:51,720 Speaker 1: down to earth and independent, something that may well instill 350 00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:54,119 Speaker 1: values of self reliance and literal life, and the knowledge 351 00:19:54,119 --> 00:19:56,080 Speaker 1: that they don't need to pretend to be dumb and 352 00:19:56,160 --> 00:20:00,320 Speaker 1: only interested in ball gowns to feel feminine. Uh well, 353 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:03,960 Speaker 1: said fourteen year old Phoebe. I love it. If you 354 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:07,720 Speaker 1: have any emails again, our address is mom Stuff at 355 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:10,040 Speaker 1: how stuff works dot com, and as always, you can 356 00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:12,919 Speaker 1: connect with us over on Facebook, Like us, leave a comment, 357 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:16,520 Speaker 1: comment on other people's comments, and head over to Twitter 358 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:20,639 Speaker 1: and follow us at Mom's Stuff podcast, Tweet me, and 359 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:23,320 Speaker 1: also read our blog during the week. It's stuff Mom 360 00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:31,000 Speaker 1: Never Told You at how stuff works dot com for 361 00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:33,760 Speaker 1: moralness and thousands of other topics. Is it how stuff 362 00:20:33,760 --> 00:20:36,560 Speaker 1: works dot com. To learn more about the podcast, clock 363 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:38,960 Speaker 1: on the podcast icon in the upper right corner of 364 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:42,400 Speaker 1: our homepage. The how Stuff Works iPhone app has a ride. 365 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:49,960 Speaker 1: Download it today on iTunes, brought to you by the 366 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:53,360 Speaker 1: reinvented two thousand twelve camera. It's ready, are you