Hearty congrats, Mike!

"Though people die and sometimes things go missing, there is a reassuring clarity in the handling of Mob affairs. Everybody knows what they?re supposed to do, what not to do, and the consequences of non-compliance or failure are fully disclosed in advance. As for themes, loyalty and honor, so pervade at least our impression of mafia culture, that they confer upon the mafioso archetype a form of authoritative nobility. And yet, because we know that they are "rule breakers", we are put at ease, we feel free to be ourselves ? flawed, human sinners. The company of mafiosi breeds a cozy feeling of complicity. And that is what marketers must exploit. We like the mobster because he has power, yet he does not judge us. And if we fear him, it is always a depersonalized fear. "It?s nothing personal?" is often the line delivered right before somebdady gets whacked... more