For a few years, I was a Soprano’s junkie. And who doesn’t love the Godfather, or Goodfellas? Most fans can repeat lines from memory, “Leave the gun, take the cannoli” or “Keep your friends close, but you’re enemies closer”. And some of those lines are pretty good advice. Well, someone put together a book of actual business lessons from the Mafia. Check out, Mob Rules: What the Mafia Can Teach the Legitimate Businessman by Louis Ferrante
Louis Ferrante was an associate (those of us who saw Donnie Brasco knows what this means) of the Gambino family for years, and ended up serving an 8 1/2 year prison term for his involvement. During his time with the Gambino family, he helped pull of some of the jobs most of us can only dream about while playing Mafia Wars on Facebook. Mr. Ferrante is now an author of some of the most well read books about organized crime, including Unlocked: The Life and Crimes of a Mafia Insider and Tough Guy.
Here are some of the lessons Louis Ferrante goes over in his new book:
- Go get your own coffee!: Respecting the chain of command without being a sucker.
- The walls have ears: Never bad-mouth the boss.
- Is this phone tapped?: Watch what you say every day.
- How to bury the hatchet-but not in someone’s head.
- Don’t split yourself in half: The wrong decision is better than none at all.
- Don’t build Yankee stadium, just supply the concrete: Spotting new rackets.
- Leave the gun, take the cannolis…and beware of hubris.
And the reviews are pretty darn good. The London Financial Times says, “Useful lessons for entrepreneurs and even middle managers.”. Pretty high praise from a prestigious source.
