Traditionally, mafia men are depicted with a sense of honor which Tommy seems to lack. Scorsese portrays Tommy as impulsive and dangerous, giving the audience a different look into the mafia and their methods. Similarly, murder is a common event in The Godfather. During the famous baptism murders scene, Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino, has his men murder the businessmen and heads of rival families who are preventing him from carrying out his plans. These men stood against his plans and therefore were sinners against his family. The scene implies that Michael had no choice but to murder these men, that in having them killed, he was executing a sort of divine justice. Coppola suggests that murders committed by the mafia are calculated, either as revenge or as a way to move forward in the world. In both films the concept of murder is a daily occurrence. Both directors illustrate that the mafia is dangerous and willing to kill, either for pride or progression. Taking another person's life means nothing to any of the characters because in the mafia, murder is business. Unfortunately for the Italian American community, this gave the perception that they are dangerous as a people, while only a miniscule percentage are actually affiliated with organized crime and an even smaller percentage active killers. .
A common stereotype within the mafia is that the women within the family must be respectful and passive within the presence of men. Both movies portray this concept in a unique manner. In scenes where food is being prepared and cooked, it is done by men. For example in Goodfellas, food preparation in prison is a big deal, as explained by Paulie, as he slices the garlic thin enough to melt on the pan. Similarly in The Godfather, Clemenza shows Michael how to prepare pasta with meatballs in case he ever has to "cook for 20 guys someday." What is interesting about this dynamic is that it is the exact opposite of what an average American viewer in the 1980s would expect.
