The Godfather is renowned for romanticizing the life of the mafia family.  It is common in American culture to hear quotes from the film in daily conversations, and to idealize Don Vito Corleone as a man of character.  In Blood and Honor however, the true lifestyle of the common Mafiosi is brought to light.

            Blood and Honor is the story of a common Philadelphia mobster, named Nicholas “Nicky Crow” Caramandi, who was brought up in the order of the Scarfo Mafia Family and then later testified against them in federal court.  This documentary of sorts follows Caramandi on his way to the top of the mob, and the deceit, violence, and death that led him to turn on his former associates. 

            It is stories such as these that show the true face of the mob.  It is not the romantic ideal that is so prominently portrayed in The Godfather, even though there is excessive murder and crime in the film.  By watching the movie, one is almost enthusiastic to join the elite organization, but in reality it is an association of thieves, murderers, and monsters.  These groups take part in extortion, racketeering, prostitution, gambling, and so on.  It is the vices of men that put the mafia into power.  The old-world ideals of “men of honor” have long been forgotten in the modern world of corruption and crime.

            It is important to note stories such as Caramandi’s, for many times the public is fooled by the image set forth by The Godfather.  Although the mafia holds its roots in tradition and structure, it is still an organization stained by the blood of America’s innocent.  As one film, A Bronx Tale, so aptly assessed the power of the Mafiosi, “people don’t love them, they fear them.”