The Mafia Ten Commandments

In October 2007 Italian police arrested Salvatore Lo Piccolo, the alleged boss of the Sicilian Mafia, at a farmhouse outside Palermo. Among the papers seized in the raid was a handwritten document setting out ten rules for members of Cosa Nostra — rules that had clearly been in use for some time and that reflected the same values and prohibitions that the American Mafia had inherited from its Sicilian origins.

The document attracted worldwide attention because it confirmed something historians and law enforcement had long argued: that the Mafia was a genuine organisation with formal rules, not simply a loose collection of criminals. Here are all ten commandments with the context that explains what each one actually means.

The Ten Commandments — Explained

1. No one can present himself directly to another of our friends. There must be a third person to do it.

This rule governs the introduction of members to each other. A made member can only be formally introduced to another made member through a mutual contact who knows both parties. The rule exists to prevent impostors — law enforcement agents, rival criminals, or enemies — from infiltrating meetings by claiming membership they don’t have. It also maintains the careful compartmentalisation that protects senior members from exposure.

2. Never look at the wives of friends.

Sexual conduct with the wife or partner of a fellow member was one of the most serious violations of the Mafia’s code. It created the kind of personal grievance that could destroy alliances, trigger violence within the organisation, and destabilise the trust between members that the entire structure depended on.

3. Never be seen with cops.

Association with law enforcement — even casual, innocent association — creates suspicion of cooperation. A member seen regularly with police would be assumed to be informing. This rule applies even to members who have legitimate reasons for police contact and reflects the absolute requirement that members maintain a visible separation from law enforcement.

4. Don’t go to pubs and clubs.

Public venues where alcohol loosens tongues and strangers can overhear conversations are dangerous for men who operate in secrecy. This rule reflects the broader discipline requirement that members maintain a low, careful profile in their public lives.

5. Always being available for Cosa Nostra is a duty — even if your wife’s about to give birth.

This is perhaps the starkest expression of the oath’s meaning: the organisation comes before everything, including family. The deliberate use of childbirth as the example makes the point as forcefully as possible — there is no personal circumstance significant enough to excuse non-attendance when the organisation calls.

6. Appointments must absolutely be respected.

Reliability is a fundamental requirement of membership. A man who cannot be trusted to keep appointments cannot be trusted with criminal operations, sensitive information or responsibility of any kind.

7. Wives must be treated with respect.

The organisation has an interest in the domestic stability of its members. A member whose marriage is in chaos creates risks — an angry or suspicious wife may talk to the wrong people, and domestic instability attracts police attention. The rule also reflects a genuine cultural value around the treatment of women within the families’ social world.

8. When asked for any information, the answer must be the truth.

Within the organisation, honesty between members is essential. The entire structure depends on members being able to trust each other’s word. This rule applies to internal communications — it does not, obviously, require honesty with law enforcement.

9. Money cannot be appropriated if it belongs to others or to other families.

Stealing from fellow members or from other families is one of the most destabilising acts a member can commit. It destroys trust, creates enemies within the organisation, and triggers the kind of violence that the Commission structure was specifically designed to prevent.

10. People who can’t be part of Cosa Nostra: anyone who has a close relative in the police, anyone with a two-timing relative in the family, anyone who behaves badly and doesn’t hold to moral values.

The exclusion criteria confirm the organisation’s priorities: police connections create compromise risk, family instability creates character doubts, and poor personal conduct disqualifies someone from membership regardless of other qualities. The “moral values” standard is applied within the organisation’s own framework — it has nothing to do with conventional morality.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the Mafia Ten Commandments?

A set of rules for Sicilian Mafia members discovered during the 2007 arrest of alleged boss Salvatore Lo Piccolo. They cover conduct between members, obligations to the organisation, and the criteria that disqualify someone from membership.

Are the Ten Commandments used by the American Mafia?

The document was specifically Sicilian but the values it reflects — omerta, loyalty, separation from law enforcement, financial honesty within the organisation — are identical to those observed by the American Mafia throughout its history.