A CHE SERVE IL NOMIGNOLO?

A CHE SERVE IL NOMIGNOLO?

Quando sarete al cospetto di Michele Greco non chiamatelo mai “Papa”, potreste ritrovarvi incaprettati in men che non si dica. Presso i mafiosi il nomignolo nasconde sempre una certa presa per il culo, la cosa serve a rendere chiaro che viene dato e non scelto (è la differenza fondamentale con i “nomi di battaglia”). In siciliano soprannome si dice 'nciuri, ovvero “offesa”.

Alcuni soprannomi venuti fuori al maxi processo di Palermo:

“u'Dutturi” (il dottore – uno specialista nel tagliare la droga).

“L'Ingegnere” (l’addetto alle radio).

“Il Senatore” (chi aveva conoscenze politiche).

“U'Tratturi” (il trattore – noto per i massacri compiuti).

Soprannomi "fintamente” positivi: “Re della Kalsa” (mandamento), “Principe di Villagrazia”, “Principe della Cocaina,” “Papa”, “Generale”, “Cavaliere”, ”Pinuzzu Garibaldi,” “L'Agnelli del Contrabbando” e “Onassissino” (piccolo Onassis).

“Il cornuto di Buffalo”.

“Il gioielliere” (un pescivendolo con prezzi salatissimi).

“Filippo” (un contrabbandiere che ha preso il nome dal guardiacoste sempre alle sue calcagna).

Soprannomi derivati dal fisico: “u'Beddu” (il bello), “Il Grosso”, “u'Riccio”, “Turchiceddu” (il piccolo turco, per la carnagione scura), “u'Buttigghiuni” (il bottiglione), “Faccia di Pala” (faccione).

“Pietro u'Zappuni” (per i dentoni frontali).

“Il vampiro” (per l’aspetto spettrale).

“Scillone” (il pendolo, per il modo d’incedere).

“Mussu di Ficurindia” (per la forma allargata della bocca).

“Pinzetta” (per l’abitudine di spuntarsi le sopracciglia).

“Alfio Lupara”

Derivati dal carattere: “u'Tranquillu” (quieto), “u'Guappo”, Abbruciamontagna” (brucia montagne, per il suo temperamento), “u'Cori Granni” (per la generosità), “u'Facchinu” (per la maleducazione), “Parrapicca” (di poche parole), “Piluseddu” (villoso), “Farfagnedda” (balbuziente), e “Tempesta”.

Derivati da animali: “Il Cane”, “Il Lupo”, “Capretto” (ragazzino), “Pecora Bianca” (per la chioma imbiancata), “Cavadduzzu” (cavallino), “Conigghiu” (coniglio), “Musca”, “Farfalla”, e “Salamandra”.

Derivati dagli hobby: “Turi Karaté”, “Scarpapulita”, “Pupo”, “Cacciatore”, “Studente” (un eterno fuori corso), e “u'Masculiddu” (maschietto).

Derivati dalla verdura: “Milinciana” (melanzana, per l’aspetto scuro e raccolto) and “Cipudda” (cipolla).

“Scagghidda” (scaletta).

“Pinnaredda” (pennetta).

“Puntina”.

“Il Bruto” (stupratore di minori).

“Ninu u'Babbu” (Nino the pazzo).

“Fifu Tistuni” (testone).

“Saru u'Bau” (l’orco).

“Calo Tabarano” (il depresso).

“Piddu Chiacchiera” (nick dato a Giuseppe Madonia per la sua mania di esagerare i racconto).

”Il Corto” (Riina).

“u'Viddanu” (il rozzo: Bernardo Provenzano).

“Mozzarella” (Marino Mannoia).

“Taninu Babbuneddu” (per il cranio grosso).

“Ciccio Occhialino”

Dati ai killer (notare la scarsa minacciosità): “Scarpuzzedda” [scarpetta], “u'Picciriddu” [il ragazzino], “Anatreddu” [anatroccolo], “Il Ragioniere”.

”Ciaschiteddu” (uccellino).

“Siddiati” (brontolone).

”Tignusu” (il pelato).

Ma perché si danno i soprannomi? Ci sono tante teorie: per consentire l’identificazione ai mafiosi (in Sicilia l’omonimia è diffusa), per depistare gli inquirenti, per stimolare la competizione, per prendere in giro, per creare intimità…

La mia preferita: per ricordare al soggetto i suoi difetti, ma soprattutto che la gente lo guarda e lo giudica. E’ la stessa funzione del pettegolezzo: una specie di sanzione informale data dal basso in grado anche di gestire le tensioni tra potenti e umili.

Poi serve anche come test: in Italia e non solo ci si saluta spesso con forme offensive (“tel chi il sacco di merda”, “come va vecchio figlio di puttana”, “va chi c’è, quel cornuto di Turiddu…”, “Oh, vecchio bastardo, come te la passi?…”). E’ un modo per stabilire intimità ma anche per capire se possiamo permettercela. Il passaggio dall’intimità al formalismo è un segno funesto. Esempio: se vi rivolgete a Riina chiamandolo “Curtu” e lui vi risponde serio serio con il Vossia, siete un uomo morto.

HL CHAPTER 9 Nicknames

CHAPTER 9 Nicknames
Note:9@@@@@@@@@@@@

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I knew guys that had been hanging out together for five or ten years and did not know each other's last names.
Note:IL NOME NN DICE NULLA A QS RAGAZZI

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nicknaming is practiced virtually worldwide.
Note:UNIVERSALITÀ

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there is no causal connection between one's proper name and one's character's traits.
Note:PURTROPPO

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one known as Peter could just as easily have been known as Paul.
Note:Ccccccccccccc

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Adolf does not have the same connotations as Peter, not since the 1930s that is.
Note:PLA SORTE DI ALCUNI NOMI

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Neither Attila nor Judah
Note:ORMAI POCO ISATI

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a profession, a behavioral quirk, or a bodily feature for instance.
Note:IL RIFERIMENTO DEL SOPRANNOME

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The Importance of Being Ernest.
Note:NOME OMEN

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in police files criminals are commonly identified not just by their birth-certificate name
Note:PROVA DELL IMPIRTANZA

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using different names with different people is not useless.
Note:UNA TECNICA

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the need to preserve secrecy
Note:ALTRA MOLLA X I NICK

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THE ATTRIBUTION OF NICKNAMES
Note:Ttttttttttttttttt

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Among the defendants, 31.6 per cent are mentioned in the files as having more than one name, including many nicknames.
Note:AL MAXIPROCESSO

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There is no record of any other profession in contemporary Italy in which so many individuals bear a nickname.
Note:RECORD

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Several of these additional names correspond to the name of the father of the person the speaker meant to identify.
Note:IL PADRE

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they can be their bearer's creation in a way in which nicknames cannot.
Note:CODE NAME 1

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Code names are bestowed mainly for the purpose of veiling the true identity
Note:2

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given by or with the agreement or at least the knowledge of the bearer.
Note:3

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nicknames—”North,” “South,” “East” and “West”
Note:SOPRANNOMI X UNA SOLA OPERAZIONE

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“they called me Coriolano”—Salvatore Contorno, a mafioso who turned state's evidence, said—”have I ever been able to figure out when they gave it to me?”
Note:IL NICK PRESCINDE DALLA VOLONTÀ DEL CARCERATO

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There is however no easy way for the bearer to prevent others from using it behind his back,
Note:TE LO TIENI...ESSENZIALE

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Nicknames are a collective property
Note:BENE COMUNE

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“Stop calling me Bruto!” is an injunction with little hope of success; it may even backfire,
Note:Cccccc

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resisting only creates fun for others at their own expense.”
Note:CONTROPRODUCENTE

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Code names tend to be neutral,
Note:ALTRA DIFFERENZA

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Noms de guerre too are chosen by their bearers, but they tend to be positive,
Note:ALTRO TAROCCO...NOME DE PLUME

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The monikers of Russian mobsters, which are chosen by the bearers (see below), are far more positive than those of mafiosi.
Note:RUSSIA E SICILIA

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“L'Ingegnere” (Engineer) acquired his name “because
Note:CHI SI OCCUPA DELLE RADIO X LA RAPINA

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“u'Dutturi” (Doctor) had a golden touch refining heroin.
Note:ALTRO SPECIALISTA

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“Il Senatore” (Senator) never stood for election but “was involved with politicians,
Note:ANCORA

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“U'Tratturi” (Tractor) refers to its bearer's skill “in murdering people….
Note:ANCORA

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“Re della Kalsa” (King of Kalsa), “Principe di Villagrazia” (Prince of Villagrazia), “Principe della Cocaina,” “Papa” (Pope), “Generale” (General), and “Cavaliere” (Knight)—including some derived from famous individuals—”Pinuzzu Garibaldi,” “L'Agnelli del Contrabbando” (Agnelli of Smuggling), and “Onassissino” (little Onassis)—are so grand as to be mocking.
Note:ALTRI NICK POSITIVI

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mockery rather than admiration,
Note:IL SENTIMENTO LATENTE AFFICHÈ SIA ATTENDIBILE

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word 'nciuri, Sicilian for nickname, means abuse.
Note:ETIMOLOGIA

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cornuto di Buffalo” (Cuckold of Buffalo) and “u'Scemu” (Fool).
Note:INSULTI GIRATI IN NICK

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“Gioielliere” (Jeweler) was a fishmonger whose merchandise was said to be as expensive as diamonds.
Note:ES DI SCHERNO

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Alfio Ferlito “was scornfully nicknamed Filippo by Mangion Francesco.”
Note:UN CONTRABBANDIERE CHIAMETO COME IL GUARDACOSTE CHE GLI DÀ SEMPRE LA CACCIA

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“u'Beddu” (Handsome), “Il Grosso” (Fat), “u'Riccio” (Curly Haired), “Turchiceddu” (Little Turk, because of the dark color of his skin), “u'Buttigghiuni” (Large Bottle), “Faccia di Pala” (Shovel Face, “because of the wide shape of his face”). There
Note:IL CORPO

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“Pietro u'Zappuni” owed his nickname to his “two horsey front teeth”
Note:Cccccccc

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Vampiro,” who was tall, slim, and spooky.
Note:Ccccccccc

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“Scillone” (Pendulum) because “he swings when he walks.”
Note:Ccccccccc

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“Mussu di Ficurindia” (Prickly Pear Mouth) because of the shape of his mouth.
Note:Ccccccc

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“Pinzetta” (Tweezers) because of his habit of plucking his eyebrows and cheeks.”
Note:Ccccccccc

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“u'Tranquillu” (Quiet), “u'Guappo” (Braggart), “Abbruciamontagna” (Burn Mountain, because of his hot temper), “u'Cori Granni” (Big Heart), “u'Facchinu” (Ill-bred), “Parrapicca” (Few Words), “Piluseddu” (Hairy, also Stingy), “Farfagnedda” (Stammer), and “Tempesta” (Storm, “because for him it's always stormy”).
Note:CARATTERE

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“Il Cane” (Dog), “Il Lupo” (Wolf), “Capretto” (Kid), “Pecora Bianca” (White Sheep, because of his white curly hair), “Cavadduzzu” (Little Horse), “Conigghiu” (Rabbit), “Musca” (Fly), “Farfalla” (Butterfly), and “Salamandra” (Salamander).
Note:DA ANIMALI

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“Milinciana” (Eggplant) and “Cipudda” (Onion).
Note:VERDURA

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“Alfio Lupara” (Sawed-off Shotgun)
Note:DA COSE

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“Scagghidda” (Little Scale), “Pinnaredda” (Little Feather), “Puntina” (Little Nail). We also found a couple of punbased aliases: Francesco Di Noto becomes “Franco Noto” (Renowned), and Gaetano Galatolo becomes “Tanu Alatu” (Winged).
Note:cccccccc

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“Turi Karaté” (Turi Karate), “Scarpapulita” (Clean Shoe), “Pupo” (Dapper), “Cacciatore” (Hunter), “Studente” (“because he went to University,” though never graduated),30 and “u'Masculiddu” (Little Male).
Note:DA HOBBY

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“Il Bruto” (The Brute),
Note:A PROCESSO X STUPRO DI MINORI

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only a quarter of the mafia bosses involved in the trial are reported as having an additional name.
Note:NN UN ESCLUSIVA DEI BOSS

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“Ninu u'Babbu” (Nino the Fool), “Fifu Tistuni” (Thick Head), “Saru u'Bau” (Ogre), and “Calo Tabarano” (Downhearted).
Note:OFFENSIVI

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Giuseppe Madonia was nicknamed “Piddu Chiacchiera
Note:LA MANIA DI ESAGERARE I RESOCONTI

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“Il Corto” (The Short);
Note:RIINA

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“u'Viddanu” (The Uncouth).
Note:BERNARDO PROVENZANO

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Stefano Giaconia “stuck upon me the name Mozzarella,”
Note:PRESA IN GIRO...MARINO MANNOIA

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THE USE OF NICKNAMES
Note:Tttttttttttttttt

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society continuously reminds itself of what it considers good and bad behavioural traits.”
Note:PRIMA TEORIA...FUNZIONE DEI NICK....RICORDARTI COME TI VEDONO E TI GIUDICANO PER I TUOI DIFETTI...CONTENERE I BIAS

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nicknames fuel aggression and competition.
Note:TEORIA 2

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Some deem them to provide a sense of community,
Note:3 TEORIA

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it seems far-fetched
Note:STIRACCHIATO

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above a certain threshold of use the survival of a nickname (or of any name for that matter) requires no special explanation: people use it simply because it is used.
Note:INNESCO...SOGLIA CRITICA

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Favoring Identification
Note:Ttttttttttttt

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The hypothesis I want to pursue is that nicknames are useful in circumstances in which, had they not been available, code names would have had to be coined.
Note:LA TESI....SOSTITUTO X L AVATAR

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Nicknames can help to differentiate individuals
Note:IL NOME PROPRIO È TROPPO COMUNE

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In Sicily the frequency of individuals bearing the same first name is high
Note:ES

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At the same time, among mafiosi the pressure for accurate identification is higher
Note:INOLTRE

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Mistaken identities can be a cause of conflict and even cost people's lives.
Note:IDENTIFICAZIONE

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Carlo Teresi, the oldest of three cousins all named Carlo, was nicknamed “Numero Uno”
Note:ESEMPIO

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in the families of a cluster of small towns in the province of Agrigento, both rural areas for which we have very good information, nicknames are much rarer than they are among mafiosi in Palermo or Catania.
Note:TREND OPPOSTO A QUELLO COMUNE

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in the American Cosa Nostra, which is an entirely urban phenomenon, the use of nicknames is even more common than in its Sicilian counterpart.
Note:ALTRO TREND A CONFERMA

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Hampering Identification
Note:Ttttttttttt

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they also have an even keener interest in preventing being identified by the authorities or rival mafiosi.
Note:ESIGENZA COMPLEMENTARE DEI MAFIOSI

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Taking advantage of the different name by which he was known to the other bandits and his covillagers, he walked free.
Note:GIUSEPPE SCIORTINO ACCUSATO A PORTELLA DELLA GINESYRA

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”he saved himself from being identified by saying that he was called Giacomo and not Giuseppe.”
Note:LA DIFESA DI GAMBINO

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“Jachinu u'Spurpatu”
Note:ESEMPI DI NICK...LO SCHELETRO

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“Taninu Babbuneddu
Note:TESTAGROSSA

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Cipudda
Note:CIPOLLA

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“Ciccio Occhialino”
Note:Cccccccc

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In order to disclaim actions carried out under one's nickname, one can retreat to one's birth-certificate name.
Note:ALTRO MODO IN CUI AIUTA IL ACUTA CK

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Shifting from one name to another makes it possible to rely on a second identity
Note:SHIFTING

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an indirect test of whether nicknames survive better when keeping one's identity secret is a greater concern.
Note:TEST DI SOORAVVIVENZA

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The highest frequency, however, is found among hit men: among them, two out of three bore a nickname.
Note:TRA I KILLER IL RECORD...IN EFFETTI L ESIGENZA DI COPERTURA È PIÙ ALTA

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“Scarpuzzedda” [Little Shoe], “u'Picciriddu” [the Kid], “Anatreddu” [Duckling], “Il Ragioniere” [The Accountant]).
Note:NICK POCO MINACCIOSI

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the more a mafioso needs to avoid identification and to lead a secretive life, the more likely a nickname sticks to him.
Note:LEGGE

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Unintended Consequences
Note:Ttttttttttttttt

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Carlo Teresi, known as Numero Uno, a mafioso we already met, wished he had no nickname when he found himself in court:64 “The Teresis are as many as drops in the sea,”
Note:MEGLIO NN AVER MAI AVUTO UN NICK

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“Numero Uno” nickname helped the mobsters to identify the right Carlo Teresi, but it ultimately helped prosecutors to do the same thing.
Note:Ccccccccc

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Tommaso Buscetta revealed that Francesco Maiorana was a member of the mafia,
Note:CE N ERANO DUE...NESSUN ARRESTO

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there were eight Prestifilippos
Note:ALTRO CASINO DI CONTORNO

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Ciaschiteddu [small bird]
Note:ALTRO SOPRANNOME X IL FISICO ATLETICO

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the same moniker may occur more than once and cause confusion,
Note:MAFIOSI FUORI INNOCENTI DENTRO

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Siddiati” (Grumpys).
Note:SOPRA

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Tignusu (Hairless)
Note:ANCORA

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Why Not All Criminals Use Aliases
Note:Tttttttttttttt

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far from a universal phenomenon.
Note:SOLO UN TERZO

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The mobsters say “this guy there…,” “that old fellow, who's older than us…,” “that nephew, the fat one…,” “the Moustache…,” “the tall one…,” “the short one…,” “that cousin from where the children are…,” “the uncle from over there….”
Note:ALTRO MODO X MASCHERARE...NN USARE PROPRIO I NOMI

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identify uniquely a person without naming names.

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The mentor discusses names with the novice, and they agree on one.
Note:NOMI DI BATTAGLIA

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“At his crowning, the officiating vor [ends] the ceremony
Note:INCORONAZIONE...NUOVA VITA

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Monks and nuns bear two names,
Note:TRADIZIONE CATTOLICA

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the Russian and the Neapolitan groups lack the rich community ties that other mafia groups enjoy.
Note:DIFFERENZA CON LA MAFIA

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The Neapolitan gangs are many and fragmented, while the Russian vory form a national network and operate at great distances
Note:Ccccccccccc

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OTHER MOTIVES FOR THE USE OF NICKNAMES
Note:Ttttttttttttttt

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icknames in the Mediterranean area are a form of verbal aggression,
Note:ALTRA TEORIA....INVIDIA AL CENTRO

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manifestations of aggressive, controlling impulses, as partially unconscious attempts to gain dominance over others by attacking their sense of self-identity,
Note:IN ALTRI TERMINI

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mocking others.
Note:Tttttttttttttttt

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presence of derogative nicknames in cultures in which macho values or envy are not especially relevant.
Note:DUBBI SULLA TEORIA

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in other groups in which envy and amour propre are present—academia for instance—nicknames are not common;
Note:ANCORA DUBBI

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we find not only mocking but also appreciative or neutral nicknames,
Note:ALTRI DUBBI

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The greater proportion of derogative or jocular over positive nicknames could simply be due to the fact that they provide more fun, much as negative gossip, which is also predominant over positive gossip, does.
Note:PIACERE DEL GOSSIP

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listener searches not for truths but for plausible, juicy stories, the linguistic brilliance and humorous content of nicknames must be part of their success.
Note:cccccccccccc

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Think for instance of the nicknames that pupils routinely assign to their teachers. The fun and the relief that nicknames provide
Note:GESTISCE LE TENSIONI

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high risk of making these tensions explicit
Note:XCHÈ ALLENTARE LA TENSIONE?

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nicknames are found mostly among groups of men and mostly among men engaged in team activities.
Note:ALTRO ELEMENTO

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the presence of shared risk would encourage the use of nicknames.
Note:TRA I MINATORI

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provide a facetious easing of the tension connected to risky actions
Note:RELAX?

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It is not uncommon to greet male friends with terms of abuse—this is frequently witnessed in Southern Italy.
Note:VECCHIO FIGLIO DI PUTTANA....CONFIDENZA INTIMITÀ

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they do so when they meet rather than when they part.
Note:Ccccccccc

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“look who's here, u Curtu, ya old bastard, how're ya?”
Note:ESEMPI

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the ritual tests the solidity of friendship,
Note:TEST

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We have evidence that mafiosi become worried if someone who previously addressed them in a familiar way suddenly resorts to formality.
Note:UNA SVOLTA PREOCCUPANTE

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although in the past he addressed me with ‘you’ now he was calling me ‘sir.’
Note:LIGGIO PRIMA DEL MASSACRO

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Antonio Ferro from Canicatti began to call Calderone vossia (sir)
Note:ALTRO ESEMPIO

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Men who work in teams in risky or demanding jobs do need to be able to trust one another,
COSTRUZIONE DELLA FIDUCIA

L’IMPORTANZA DI CHIAMARSI ERNESTO

L’IMPORTANZA DI CHIAMARSI ERNESTO

Cose imparate oggi: i cognomi erano soprannomi.
Voi non ci crederete ma è esistito un mondo in cui l’informazione scarseggiava, cosicché non andava sprecata, a partire dai nomi. Il fatto che io mi chiami “Riccardo” non dice niente a nessuno, se mi chiamassi “Pietro” non farebbe differenza. Si tratta di una palese occasione sprecata per informare. Oltretutto, “Riccardo” è un nome che mi è stato appioppato quando ancora non si conosceva il mio carattere.  Sarebbe molto più utile  se la gente mi chiamasse “lo spaccaossa”. O al limite – considerata l’ereditarietà dei caratteri personali - “Mario”, che è il nome di mio papà, lui almeno aveva già vissuto a lungo e qualcosa in più si sapeva.

Ma ancora oggi ci sono mondi dove l’informazione scarseggia ad arte: il mondo del crimine. Al maxiprocesso di Palermo il 32% degli imputati era schedato dalla polizia con un soprannome (spesso il nome del padre o del nonno). Non esiste professione che eguagli questo record. 

Cose imparate oggi: LA PAURA PUZZA (proverbio carcerario)

Cose imparate oggi: LA PAURA PUZZA (proverbio carcerario)

La violenza prospera laddove ci sono molte anonime divise senza gradi: scuole, caserme, carceri sono acquari dove nuota a suo agio il pesce-bullo. La violenza non è quasi mai bruta, serve per comunicare. Cresce dove scarseggia un’informazione adeguata in grado di illuminare sulla gerarchia. Abbiamo bisogno di punti di riferimento per agire e in assenza di gradi ce li creiamo a suon di botte. La pace tra gli uomini è sempre “pace mafiosa”, dietro c’è una violenza allusa. I "beati costruttori di pace" sono in genere degli energumeni col cervello particolarmente lungimirante. La prigione è un ottimo laboratorio per studiare la violenza poiché lì, almeno in partenza, vige un egalitarismo anonimo e il controllo delle guardie è spesso superficiale. Inoltre, i criminali sono maestri nella produzione di violenza opportunamente dosata. La violenza serve per testare gli altri, per far capire chi sei e come sei disposto ad usarla. I più vittimizzati sono i più deboli: pivellini, donne e colletti bianchi. I più violenti – la cosa è contro intuitiva - sono i candidati ad essere considerati deboli: i pivellini, le donne e i colletti bianchi: sono loro a dover dimostrare qualcosa. Un boss mafioso o un delinquente abituale non deve informare nessuno su chi è e su cosa è disposto a fare.

HL CHAPTER 4 Why Prisoners Fight (and Signal)

CHAPTER 4 Why Prisoners Fight (and Signal)
Note:la violenza serve anche a comunicarela violenza spietata nn è sintomo di crudeltà ma serve a costruire reputazoonestudio della violenza tra i carcerati: il metcato nero

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violence is dramatically more common in the underworld
Note:AMMETTIAMOLO

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success in the underworld is often decided by violence,
Note:SUCCESSO E VIOLENZA

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communication and violence are closely connected.
Note:NEMMENO LA VIOLENZA È BRUTA

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rational criminals can be expected to minimize violence whenever they can achieve the same results
Note:IL CRIMINALE RAZIONALE

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Nonviolent display-acts of strength or threats are quintessentially communicative
Note:L OTTIMO

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reveal one's true violent potential
Note:OBBIETTIVO DELLA VIOLENZA

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create a useful reputation
Note:A CGE SERVE LA VIOLENZA

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goods are allocated under prison rules or at the discretion of prison authorities. Others are distributed via informal markets created by prisoners,
Note:I BENI IN PRIGIONE

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an inmate cannot normally select the inmates with whom to associate.
Note:ALTRA CARATTERISTICA DELLA VITA CARCERARIA

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Prisons are a near perfect natural environment for understanding how humans communicate
Note:L ESPERIMENTO XFETTO

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“Scarcity and deprivation make inmates particularly alert to the immediate effects of their actions and to resulting payoffs,”
Note:LA COSA INTERESSANTE

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VIOLENCE AND INFORMATION: HYPOTHESES
Note:Tttttttttt

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not enjoy fighting for the pleasure of inflicting or receiving pain. “Psychos” are an exception,
Note:PSICOPATI I

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prefer not fighting to fighting,
Note:PREFERENZA SEGRETA

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fighting is not undertaken lightly.
Note:CONFERMATO DA TITTI

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not want to fight but did so because they saw no other option.
Note:REGOLA

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research on fighting and assessment in animals.
Note:FACILITA LA COMPRENSIONE

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establish their mutual positions in the prison “hierarchy” of violence potential by communicative means.
Note:UNO... COME SI DELINEA LA GERARCHIA... SEGNALI

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Any condition that promotes the knowledge of each other's fighting prowess
Note:COSA DIMINUISCE LA VIOLENZA?

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tagged by a mark that accurately reveals his disposition for
Note:PRIGIONE IDEALE

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prisoners will be more likely to challenge each other
Note:QUANDO REGNA L IGNORANZA

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the more opaque the relative positions are, the more fighting we expect
Note:INFO E SCONTRO

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Fighting generates information
Note:MOTIVO DI SCONTRO

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those less versed or less experienced in using violence will have more reasons to fight
Note:PREVISIONE CONTROINTUITIVA

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they have reasons to prove themselves to others
Note:Cccccccccc

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they themselves may not know how tough they really are.
Note:AUTOREFERENZIALITÀ

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The better information circulates, the fewer reasons to fight there will be.
Note:MEDIA ABBIGLUAMENTO ATTIVITÀ EXTRA...

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the number of prisoners any one prisoner will deal with while knowing nothing about their traits.
Note:VARIABILE CRUCIALE

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high turnover of inmates
Note:VIOLENZA SU

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prisoners are frequently reallocated
Note:IDEM

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where internal or external turnover is higher, norms will be more precarious
Note:RIPETITA

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once physical superiority has been established, it is not necessary to continue to attack
Note:PACE MAFIOSA

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everyone will want to know the fighting record of everyone else.
Note:SFORZO VERSO LA PACE

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Prisoners, we can therefore expect, will tend to encourage each other to fight,
Note:INFO SENZA RISCHIO

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ostracizing dodgers
Note:Ccccccccccc

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DISPLAYING AND OBSERVING CUES
Note:ttttttttttDA QUI SI CERCANO CONFERME ALL IPOTESI

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Body size is only one sign and not a very good one apparently.
Note:PRIMA INFO

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“predators and nonpredators did not differ reliably with respect to weight and height.
Note:RICERCA CANADESE

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posture, fitness, and demeanor,

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ALTRE FONTI

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“You can read fear in a man. You can smell it.
Note:CONFERMATO DA MOLTI

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a man who came out of Harlem would be pretty tough,
Note:PROVENIENZA

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I can tell you just by the way people conduct themselves whether you're nervous or cool or what.
Note:NERVOSISMO E POSTURA

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inexperienced prisoners may end up fighting more
Note:NN SANNO LEGGERE NÈ I SEGNALI CCHE RICEVONO NÉ QUELLI CHE MANDANO

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scars.
Note:IMPORTANTI

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he's in excellent shape from weightlifting. And, like many inmates, he has scars:
Note:IL CARCERATO TIPO

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The huge quantity of scars surprises me. Half the inmates in Sing Sing seem to have been stabbed
Note:CICATRICI OVUNQUE

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Scars on the front (not the back!) of Roman soldiers' bodies were a testimony to their courage in battle and loyalty to Rome.
Note:UNA TRADIZIONE

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Many criminals also mark themselves with tattoos,
Note:ALTRA FONTE...SVALUTATA

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the case of yakuza members,
Note:SU TUTTO IL CORPO

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tattoos testify to a considerable resilience to pain.
Note:PRIMA INFO

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bearer does not frequent refined social circles;
Note:SECONDA INFO

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signal membership in a particular gang
Note:ANCHE LE FIGURE INFORMANO

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tattoos also show “rank, specialization, and personal accomplishments, which typically revolve around murder, drug-trafficking, and other crimes.”
Note:IL RAMO

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a long history among individuals in military or pseudomilitary
Note:MILIZIA...LEALTÀ...NN SI TERNA INDIETRO

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battle dates, crossed guns, flags, cannons, and pyramids of bullets.”
Note:SIMBOLERIA TIPICA

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The crimes they are convicted
Note:ALTRA FONTE

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the length of one's sentence:
Note:ALTRA INFO

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life without parole makes an inmate more threatening
Note:ALTRA INFO

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it removes the main incentive for the prisoner to behave well.
Note:Ccccccccccccc

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reputation that a prisoner acquired during a previous prison term
Note:VITTIMA O BULLO?

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MIMICKING TOUGHNESS
Note:ttttttttttttttttt

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the “plastic gangsters,
Note:I COSIDDETTI

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if someone would fuck with me I would kill them….

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LO SGUARDO PARLA

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walk like a real jerk
Note:NN SONO UNA FEMMINUCCIA

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display the signs of toughness by those who are not tough are, however, short-lived in prison.
Note:LE BUGIE DALLE GAMBE CORTE

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It's not something you could bluff
Note:SEMPRE SOTTO PRESSIONE...NN C È RESPIRO

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“it is incredibly difficult to fake toughness.
Note:ALTRA TESTIMONIANZA

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distinguish between, say, a genuine sociopath and a fake.”
Note:ALLA LUNGA È FACILE

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the only way to mask fear is by truly cultivating negative emotions, such as hatred and suspicion, which can override fear.
Note:L UNICA MASCHERA CHE FUNZIONA

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change your emotions
Note:Cccccccc

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In order to survive prison, this man reconfigured his emotional space so well that when he got out of prison he found, to his apparent chagrin, that he could not revert
Note:IRREVERSIBILITÀ

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THE INCIDENCE OF VIOLENT CONFLICTS AND THEIR MOTIVES
Note:Tttttttttttttt

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when enough information is available by display, prisoners do not need to fight
Note:L IPOTESI UNO SEMBRA CONFERMATA

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verbal abuse, taunting, threats, “shouting,
Note:INIZIO DELLO SPETTRO

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pushing or shoving, slapping, scratching, butting, punching, biting, elbowing, kneeing, kicking, knifing, shooting.”
Note:FINE DELLO SPETTRO

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being a victim of assault was strongly correlated with being also a perpetrator.
Note:RECIPROCITÀ

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there are groups of prisoners who do not fight but are only preyed on.
Note:BOTTOM

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fighting increases as uncertainty about prisoners' violent prowess increases,
Note:TESTIAMO LA SECONDA IPOTESI

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material interest “such as drugs, personal possessions, games, food, tobacco, and phone cards”
Note:IL MOTIVO PRINCIPALE DEL FIGHT

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“non-material interests (self-respect, honour, fairness, loyalty, personal safety and privacy) were important in every incident.
Note:MA...CONNESSO...

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establishing one's reputation
Note:OBBIETTIVO ESCUSIVO O ACCESSORIO

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the target is willing to use violence
Note:IL SEGNALE DA MANDARE

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the definition of a communicative act,
Note:LO SCONTRO

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one who chooses to fight is possibly less likely to be victimized in future encounters.
Note:CHIARA CONSEG..IPO 2 CONFERMATA

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AGE AND GENDER OF OFFENDERS
Note:Tttttttttttttt

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we should observe more violence among younger prisoners and women.

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SONO I SOGGETTI COM MENO INFO TO DISPLAY

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young offenders are more likely to be involved
Note:CONFERMATO DA TUTTI

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age is inversely correlated
Note:Ccccccccccc

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consistent with this finding and provides a plausible social rather than biological explanation
Note:IL TESTOSTERONE NN RILEVA IN ESCLUSIVA

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Young prisoners—like younger men generally—have more to prove
Note:INFATTI...CURRICULUM

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they may also be less skilled at reading other prisoners' signals.
Note:ALTRA CAUSA

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“Boys trying to become Men….
Note:LA PRIGIONE NE È PIENA

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Women are significantly less violent than men in the outside world and less lethal
Note:DATI STRABILIANTI...ASSUNTO DI PARTENZA

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This holds in all times and places
Note:Cccccccccccc

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in prison this universal fact is overturned: women become at least as violent and often more prone to violence than men are.
Note:SORPRESONA!!!!....RAGIONI NN BIOLOGICHE

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rarely commit homicide,
Note:FORSE L UNICA DIFFERENZA

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women assault each other twice as much as men do,
Note:SECONDO UNA RICERCA

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women are convicted of proportionally fewer violent offenses than men are and have shorter criminal histories,
Note:LA CAUSA DI FONDO

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Lucia Zedner,
Note:RICERCATRICE SULLA VIOLENZA FEMMINILE

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mostly social-psychological.
Note:MOTIVI DELLA VIOLENZA FEMMINILE

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suffer more at being taken away from their families
Note:ORIGINI DELLA SOFFERENZA 1

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greater levels of mental illness and depression
Note:2

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seek solace in intense emotional (often lesbian) relations
Note:3

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drug addiction is more frequent among jailed women than among jailed men,
Note:EFFETO DI SELEZIONE

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TURNOVER AND PRISON REGIME
Note:Tttttttttttt

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the greater the number of unknown prisoners that any one prisoner encounters, the greater is the likelihood of fighting
Note:IPOTESI TRE...A CACCIA DI CONFERME

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prisoners in the local prison, who were “a more heterogeneous group,” “were more likely than others to use force
Note:LOCALISMI

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Dispersal prisons contain prisoners who have longer sentences, above four years, and who are much more likely than local prison inmates to be convicted of a violent crime.
Note:MENO VIOLENTI

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The inmates in local prisons, by contrast, have shorter jail terms
Note:I PIÙ RISSOSI

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inmates in both the local and the remand prisons have less of a reputation
Note:LOGICO

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“higher security levels are associated with higher levels of violence.
Note:MOLTI STUDI LO CONFERMANO

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communicative means can fail to establish a violence “hierarchy” for lack of ways to display or see inmates' violence capital,
Note:PIÙ RIGORE...MENO COMUNICAZIONE...PIÙ VIOLENZA

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mix with other prisoners should decrease fighting because information circulates better when prisoners can meet,
Note:IL VAGABONDARE TRA LE ALI

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“frequent changes of cells and jails produce Hobbesian interactions that are often ‘short, nasty and brutish.’”
Note:MA ATTENZIONE AI CAMBI SENZA PRE CONOSCENZA

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predatory aggression appears to peak early in the inmate's sentence, and then decline.”
Note:ALTRO DATO IMPORTANTE X LE NS IPOTESI

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CHALLENGES, THREATS, AND FIGHTS
Note:Tttttttttttttttttt

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how prisoners decide to fight.
Note:CAMBIAMO ARGOMENTO

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two prisoners fight over a physical resource
Note:IL CASO PIÙ SEMPLICE

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other fights may break out because new entrants who fear seeming weak—those who have no violence capital to show—may choose to attack unprovoked or respond violently at the mildest provocation
Note:ALTRO CASO

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challenge issued by a settled inmate and designed to test a new entrant's mettle.
Note:UN CASO MOLTO COMUNE

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Sometimes the challenge is veiled under the mantle of a conflict over resources, including attempts to extract sexual favors.
Note:PRETESTI

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prisoner, however, is often not “a serious target of rape but an object of manoeuvres designed to test his ‘manliness'
Note:PROVOCAZIONI

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The test is manliness. The criterion is courage.
Note:IL CRITERIO

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willingness to fight and by the capacity for doing
Note:LA SPIA

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those who feel strong enough relative to the new entrant to risk a fight, but not so strong as to feel safe in their own position in the hierarchy;
Note:LO SFIDANTE

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The response to provocations and insults can be in kind and still refrain from physical violence.
Note:CORAVGIO A PAROLE

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“A verbal exchange could always lead to arguments about who got the better of the other.”
Note:IL DIFETTO DELLE PAROLE

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Even if he expects to lose, it may still be better to risk a fight than to back down, in order to impress on the attacker and on the audience that he is not a hapless victim.
Note:SEMPRE MEGLIO COMBATTERE

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winners and losers,
Note:FALSA DIVISIONE

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fighters and passive victims:
Note:VERA DOVISIONE

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tribulations of those who fail to respond to challenges will not be short.
Note:Ccccccccccc

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“hawk,”
Note:PSICOPATICO

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“dove,”
Note:PASSIVO

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“bourgeois,”
Note:NORMALE

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making threats,
Note:TERZA RISPOSTA DELLO SFIDATO

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raise their fists, advance toward and fix their gaze on the challenger,
Note:X RENDERE CREDIBILE UNA MINACCIA

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change their tone of voice;
Note:Cccccccccccccc

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A tense body makes a more high-pitched sound than a relaxed one.
Note:INDIZI DI FALSIFICAZUIONE DELLA PAURA

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By shouting, one shows that one has energy to waste and is not worried about having to spend
Note:ALTRO ESPEDIENTE

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escalation of threats raises the risk of a fight, for it increasingly commits the contenders not to desist.
Note:COSTOSO TORNARE INDIETRO

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The more a prisoner suspects that the challenge is a mere test, the more reasons he will have to respond
Note:ELEMENTO INQUINATE

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if the tested prisoner knows that it is just a ritual challenge, then the challenge will not reveal
Note:Ccccccccccccc

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The skill of the challenger lies in his ability to persuade the target that he is facing a real conflict.
Note:ANCHE LO SFIDANTE DEVE AVERE DELLE ABILITÁ

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the more public the challenge, the greater the negative consequences on the target's reputation if he chooses not to respond
Note:ANCHE IL PUBBLICO PUÓ INQUINARE

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FIGHTS BETWEEN PEERS
Note:Tttttttttttt

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“real gangsters”
Note:BOSS

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“plastic gangsters,”
Note:FALSIFICATORI

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“bourgeois”
Note:CHI COMBATTE SOPO SE MINACVIATO

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“nonces,”
Note:DENTRO X CRIMINI SESSUALI

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“kids,”
Note:GIOVANI PIVELI

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“psychos.”
Note:PSICOPATICI

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Nonces are a favorite target
Note:X QS COLTIVANO LA REPUT DI PSYCHO

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who is going to win,
Note:LA DOMANDA CHE SI PONE CHI È ATTORNO...SU QUALE CARRO SALTARE?

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more likely in long-term prisons
Note:LOTTA TRA PARI

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more serious in terms of injuries,
Note:NN È N TEST MA UNA GUERRA

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less frequent than the pure testing game.
Note:X GLI STESSI MOTIVI

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the individuals who will be more likely to fight violently over resources are the ones who are similar in terms of fighting strength,
Note:COME X GLI ANIMALI

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They occurred notably over unpaid debts
Note:SCINTILLA

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being left alone, having preferable jobs, holding more material possessions, being treated with a certain consideration by the staff, perhaps to the extent of being consulted in limited ways by managers.”
Note:I PRIVILEGI DEL BOSS....FACE

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RITUALIZED TESTS OF TOUGHNESS
Note:Tttttttttt

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Marek Kaminski
Note:8 MESI DENTRO IN POLONIA X ANTI COMUNISMO...IL TESTIMONE MIGLIORE

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“grypsmen,”
Note:AFFILIATI

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a secret knowledge, consisting of an argot and shared norms and taboos.
Note:IL MARCHIO DELL AFFILIATO...70-80%

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“suckers,”
Note:NN IN GRADO DI AFFILIARSI...20-30%

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“fags.”
Note:FROCI 1-2%

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Testing a newbie could be a matter of hours, and did not involve violence.
Note:COLLOCAMENTO NUOVI ARRIVATI

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Although some inmates who ended up in the fag caste reported having been raped, in Kaminski's experience this was rarely the case.
Note:STUPRO RARO

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A tough enough rookie or an informed one who knew the ordeal was basically a test would have known that it was to his advantage to refuse even if he was not tough.
Note:LA PROPOSTA SESSUALE

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“Baptism” might be the next stage.
Note:DOPO IL TEST

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a special wet towel that is supposed to break your bones and yet not leave external signs of beating.
Note:L ASCIUGAMANO BAGNATO

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Just before the slaughter begins he is offered an option out of the ceremony
Note:L AVVISO

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the rookie was led to believe that he was about to suffer, but this was not really so, as the “actual blows” were “symbolic.”
Note:IL TRUCCO

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the relative weakness of administrative control that was common in Polish prisons,
Note:XCHÈ IN POLONIA SÌ E IN GB NO?

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we find Alcatraz or similar maximum security prisons, where inmates spend most of the time in one-man cells with doors made of bars [no privacy], and, at the other end, we find Polish “barns,” with 40-50 inmates locked in an essentially private space that guards are usually afraid to enter
Note:GLI OPPOSTI

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In the prisons where Kaminski was incarcerated, career criminals with long sentences were mixed with inmates sentenced to just a few months.
Note:IL MIX RICHIEDE PIÙ INFO

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CONCLUSIONS
Note:Tttttttttttt

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I knew guys that had been hanging out together for five or ten years and did not know each other's last names.
Note:IL NOME NN DICE NULLA A QS RAGAZZI

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nicknaming is practiced virtually worldwide.
Note:UNIVERSALITÀ

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there is no causal connection between one's proper name and one's character's traits.
Note:PURTROPPO

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one known as Peter could just as easily have been known as Paul.
Note:Ccccccccccccc

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Adolf does not have the same connotations as Peter, not since the 1930s that is.
Note:PLA SORTE DI ALCUNI NOMI

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Neither Attila nor Judah
Note:ORMAI POCO ISATI

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a profession, a behavioral quirk, or a bodily feature for instance.
Note:IL RIFERIMENTO DEL SOPRANNOME

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The Importance of Being Ernest.
Note:NOME OMEN

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in police files criminals are commonly identified not just by their birth-certificate name
Note:PROVA DELL IMPIRTANZA

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using different names with different people is not useless.
Note:UNA TECNICA

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the need to preserve secrecy
Note:ALTRA MOLLA X I NICK

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THE ATTRIBUTION OF NICKNAMES
Note:Ttttttttttttttttt

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Among the defendants, 31.6 per cent are mentioned in the files as having more than one name, including many nicknames.
Note:AL MAXIPROCESSO

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There is no record of any other profession in contemporary Italy in which so many individuals bear a nickname.
Note:RECORD

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Several of these additional names correspond to the name of the father of the person the speaker meant to identify.
Note:IL PADRE

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they can be their bearer's creation in a way in which nicknames cannot.
Note:CODE NAME 1

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Code names are bestowed mainly for the purpose of veiling the true identity
Note:2

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given by or with the agreement or at least the knowledge of the bearer.
Note:3

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nicknames—”North,” “South,” “East” and “West”
Note:SOPRANNOMI X UNA SOLA OPERAZIONE

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“they called me Coriolano”—Salvatore Contorno, a mafioso who turned state's evidence, said—”have I ever been able to figure out when they gave it to me?”
IL NICK PRESCINDE DALLA VOLONTÀ DEL CARCERATO