Mafia boss: seven rules for running a successful business

Shane says: "Great article from the Guardian about how the letters of mob boss Bernardo Provenzano give good guidance about how to behave and succeed in the business world."

Rule 2: Mediation

"Be calm, clear, correct and consistent, turn any negative experiences to account, don't dismiss everything people tell you, or believe everything you're told. Always try to discover the truth before you speak, and remember that, to make your judgment, it's never enough to have just one source of information."

This letter has been described as "a manifesto of Cosa Nostra under Bernardo Provenzano". After a decade of unspeakable violence under the previous leader, Totò Riina, Provenzano changed the culture of Cosa Nostra by instructing his men in the art of negotiation and the importance of dialogue.

Link

[#1 posted by Beryllium , April 9, 2008 3:55 PM]

Heh, great, just what the mafia needs: Lee Iacocca.

[#2 posted by gATO , April 9, 2008 4:08 PM]

Zen and the Art of Making Offers They Can't Refuse?

[#3 posted by Torchwood , April 9, 2008 5:28 PM]

The Golden Rule: (Wheezy voice) don't ever take sides with anyone against the Family again. Ever.

[#4 posted by Takuan , April 9, 2008 5:32 PM]

they do t-shirts too

http://www.20009.com/files/full-22X28PosterLarge.png

[#5 posted by Takuan , April 9, 2008 5:35 PM]

meh

http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/D/N/bush_shadybunch.jpg

[#6 posted by LogicalDash , April 9, 2008 6:33 PM]

Er... my understanding of the phrase "turn [x] to account" is that it means to hold someone responsible for something. What does it mean to turn negative experiences to account?

[#7 posted by Jeff , April 10, 2008 6:38 AM]

Machiavelli's The Prince contains all sorts of tid-bits like this. And for the more serious Mafia Don, there is The Psychopath's Bible by C.Hyatt. One of the more disturbing books I've read.

[#8 posted by cha0tic , April 10, 2008 9:04 AM]

Learn from your mistakes maybe Logicaldash. OR maybe 'That which doesn't kill me, only makes me stronger'?

[#9 posted by djam , April 10, 2008 10:48 AM]

they're successful at making money through various means but they're yet to come up with a fomula for not getting caught!