Often an elder member of the Family who has partially retired from a career in crime, he gives advice to Family members, including the boss and underboss, and thereby enjoys considerable power and influence. Below the level of the underboss are the caporegime, some of whom serve as buffers between the top members of the family and lower echelon personnel. Other caporegime serve as chiefs of operating units. The lowest level "members" of a Family are the soldati, the soldiers or "button" men who report to the caporegime. A soldier may operate a particular illegal enterprise. Beneath the soldiers in the hierarchy are large numbers of employees and commission agents who are not members of the Family and are not necessarily of Italian descent. These are the people who so most of the actual work in the various enterprises. (Abadinsky, 1990).
The Mafia has many unwritten codes, which its members are expected to adhere to. Some members who had served in the military found that Mafia principles were much like the United States military code, emphasizing honor, obedience, and silence if captured. (Talese, 1971) According to Joe Valachi, a Mafia member who testified before a Congressional committee, new members would pledge, "I swear to be loyal to my brothers, never to betray them, and if I fail, may I burn and be turned to ashes like the ashes of the image." The image is that of a saint on a page that the member would hold while taking said oath. (Ryan, 1995).
All of the 24 bosses know one another personally, and their families are usually related by marriage. The Mafia boosts a membership of 5,000 with 2,000 of these members residing in New York.(Talese, 1971) Of the 24 bosses nine of them form a "commission." Any time an important decision needs to be made, or there is a dispute between "Families," the commission will convene to settle the matter. The commission is also responsible for appointing a new boss if it becomes necessary.
