Crossword clues for underboss
Wiktionary
n. An assistant to the boss of a crime family
WordNet
n. an assistant or second-in-command to a chief (especially in a crime syndicate)
Wikipedia
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Underboss (also capo bastone or sotto capo) is a position within the leadership structure of Sicilian and American Mafia crime families. The underboss is second in command to the boss. The underboss is sometimes a family member, such as a son, who will take over the family if the boss is sick, killed, or imprisoned.
The power of an underboss greatly varies; some are marginal figures, while others are the most powerful individuals in the family. Traditionally they run day-to-day affairs of the family. In some crime families, the appointment is for life. If a new boss takes over a family with an existing underboss, that boss may marginalize or even murder him. On the other hand, if a boss receives a prison term, the underboss may become acting boss. As bosses often serve large periods of time in prison, an acting boss will often become the effective boss. Even with the boss free, sometimes the underboss will gain enough power to become the effective head of the organization, and the boss will become a figurehead. An underboss likely has incriminating information about the boss, and so bosses often appoint people close to them to the underboss position for protection.
In most families, the underboss arbitrates many of the disputes. Depending on the seriousness of the problem, he might consult with the boss. Some conflicts are immediately bucked up to the boss. In those cases, the underboss usually sits in and offers his opinion. In either event, the ultimate authority rests with the boss. This sometimes chafes the ego of an ambitious underboss and can lead to problems.
An underboss receives monetary compensation in various ways. For example, he may be a partner in several rackets and thus get a cut. In addition, several capos may pass their envelopes through the underboss, who takes a percentage and passes the remainder to the boss. However he makes his illegal earnings, it is a significant enough amount to make his position one of envy, especially when prestige and the possibility of additional advancement are weighed. Sometimes an underboss will have his own crew.
Just like the boss of a family, an underboss may also have a right-hand man. This right-hand man may speak in place of an underboss or carry out additional tasks for the underboss.
Underboss (ISBN 978-0-06-109664-8) is a biographical book based on the life of Sammy "The Bull" Gravano. The book goes though Gravano's early life up to 1997, which does not cover his re-arrest. The book's author is Peter Maas, who also wrote the book The Valachi Papers. Although Peter Maas is the credited author, Gravano was interviewed multiple times to describe what happened in his life. The book is published by HarperCollins Publishing Company.
Usage examples of "underboss".
His best friend in all the world was one Leo Turrin, undercover fed extraordinary and underboss of an eastern US crime family.
But now he had begun to hit the mobsters, with a terror campaign against the lower-level family members--the assassination of an underboss here, a soldier there.
Everyone whom he summoned over that time - the underbosses of his family, as well as the oyabun of the other Tokyo families - was obliged to pass it on their way to meet with him.
Mitsuba was one of Seizo's underbosses and one of his two chief expediters.
In the ensuing weeks, the bodies of various Yamauchi soldiers and underbosses were found, until Katsuodo Kozo had weeded out all his enemies and had consolidated his power.
He believed in katamichi, the method the Yakuza bosses used in the old days to weed out the dross: He allowed his underbosses to jockey among themselves for position.