Gangsters and Gangstas?

[Farnan]

Why is the Mafia (and pseudo-Mafia) romanticized and not the gangs?

Is it race? Class? Or is it method of Operation?

[Celsius]

My guess it the way they act, talk, dress. Gangsters are clean-cut guys, wear suits, that do the organized crime while Ganstas are the thugs who stand on the street and wear their pants down to thier knees.

[patrick1191]

Gangsters = organized intelligent criminal organizations.
Plus back in the day the Mafia spent a lot of money improving there image, For instance during the great depression they set up soup kitchens and gave people jobs.
Gangstas = unorganized common street thugs, Someone who will sucker punch you and take your wallet.

[Farnan]

Gangsters = organized intelligent criminal organizations.
Plus back in the day the Mafia spent a lot of money improving there image, For instance during the great depression they set up soup kitchens and gave people jobs.
Gangstas = unorganized common street thugs, Someone who will sucker punch you and take your wallet.

However, the Mafia sells drugs and is involved in weapons trafficking and prosecution. On the other hand, like you say the Mafia is not as random. You're less likely to be killed in a random shooting by the Mafia.

[IrishHitman]

Who looks more dangerous?

Two Hats, only one can win!

[Pallantides]

Who looks more dangerous?

Two Hats, only one can win!

First guy looks like Bryan Ferry.

[Armfelt]

Anyone who thinks that most of the Mafia is guys in suits that live by a code of honour are naive and should watch the Italian film Gomorra, which is about the Neapolitan Mafia Comorra. They aren't men of honour that look like handsome young de Niros or Pacinos in Kiton suits, the majority of them are middle aged men from the slums in Sergio Tacchini tracksuits who shoot everyone who get in their way.

[Da Skinna]

It's about precedent. Mafia came first and blacks idolized it and tried to copy it.

Mafia's code was much more streamlined, Omerta and La Cosa Nostra and such.

Gangstas keep to the streets and watch BET and want to be flashy. Mafia views that behaviour as a fatal mistake.

[IrishHitman]

It's about precedent. Mafia came first and blacks idolized it and tried to copy it.

Mafia's code was much more streamlined, Omerta and La Cosa Nostra and such.

Gangstas keep to the streets and watch BET and want to be flashy. Mafia views that behaviour as a fatal mistake.

And thus, the Mafia is more successful..

The "gangsta-rappers" were all low level drug dealers and local drug lords..
Hardly the America-wide cartels you could see (or couldn't) with the Mafia.

[Da Skinna]

Look at Frank Lucas... conducted himself like the Mob, made millions. His mistake as seen in the movie American Gangster was get dressy... act all jive, so to speak.

[patrick1191]

However, the Mafia sells drugs and is involved in weapons trafficking and prosecution. On the other hand, like you say the Mafia is not as random. You're less likely to be killed in a random shooting by the Mafia.

Now it is, but how many times do you think modern Mafia when its brought up? Not often due to the fact they don't stir up trouble, they try to fly under the radar.When people think mafia it still brings them back to the 1930s.
Back then the mafia was looked at highly because they created a prestige, for themselfs which still lasts today. Not to mention the mafia has a huge history. While the bloods for instance were started in the 60s(?) and we have seen constant civilian deaths from there "drive bys" and shoot outs. Just ask yourself when was the last time you heard a child was killed by a mafioso

[Barry Goldwater]

Gangsters are the real tough hombres in suits & hats who carry out their business in the dark, 'gangstas' just look like knife-brandishing attention (usually man)whores out on the streets...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[★Bandiera Rossa☭]

We aren't against rap, we aren't against rappers, what we are against is those thugs
-Bone Thugs n Harmony

[Bwaho]

gangstas = black youngsters robbing and soccer kicking senior citizens for 2 cents.

gangsters = even though they were criminals they generally didn't target the "common man" as much. They were quite popular for opening up soup kitchens for the poor during the depression among other things.

I've also heard from numerous people who worked during that era (mostly entertainers) who said the mafia always treated them right, never argued about paying them their fair share etc.

then there's the famous stance on narcotics "don't sell it to kids, stay away from schools" that many top mafiosos felt strongly about. Things like that gave the mafia the "criminal gentleman" image.

[L'Afrique]

I think most of you don't know what real "ganstas" are like. There are wannabe rap-lovers who idolize the culture, and lowlife thugs who'll shoot for twenty dollars, you on the street, but real, organized Afro-American and Latino crime syndicates do exist. They are more obviously low-class than the likes of Al Capone, but their organizations aren't all that different.

[Farnan]

I think most of you don't know what real "ganstas" are like. There are wannabe rap-lovers who idolize the culture, and lowlife thugs who'll shoot you on the street, but real, organized Afro-American and Latino crime syndicates do exist.

By Gangstas I was referring to the first part, the organized crime syndicates (not like Bloods and Crips) of all races exist.

[L'Afrique]

By Gangstas I was referring to the first part, the organized crime syndicates (not like Bloods and Crips) of all races exist.

The thing is, a "legitimate" black gangster wouldn't really be all that distinguishable from a generic rap fan, unless you knew what gang he was a part of or had knowledge of various gang identifiers.

[Bwaho]

I think most of you don't know what real "ganstas" are like. There are wannabe rap-lovers who idolize the culture, and lowlife thugs who'll shoot for twenty dollars, you on the street, but real, organized Afro-American and Latino crime syndicates do exist. They are more obviously low-class than the likes of Al Capone, but their organizations aren't all that different.

Those gangs don't come close to the level of organization the Italian crime families had/have. You wont find anything as sophisticated (for lack of a better word) as the "mafia commission" in any other racial crime syndicate.

most other crime syndicates are very loosely connected, much more so than the italian crime syndicate.

[Last Roman]

Those gangs don't come close to the level of organization the Italian crime families had/have. You wont find anything as sophisticated (for lack of a better word) as the "mafia commission" in any other racial crime syndicate.

most other crime syndicates are very loosely connected, much more so than the italian crime syndicate.

yet, the hardest criminal groups to crack into are not Italians, but Asian, Russian and Latino.

[★Bandiera Rossa☭]

I think most of you don't know what real "ganstas" are like. There are wannabe rap-lovers who idolize the culture, and lowlife thugs who'll shoot for twenty dollars, you on the street, but real, organized Afro-American and Latino crime syndicates do exist. They are more obviously low-class than the likes of Al Capone, but their organizations aren't all that different.

Nuestra Familia, MS-13, Yakuza, The Bloods. by the way the Bloods are very well organized compared to the Crips and other street gangs.