The Rise of the MAGA Mafia

First of all, I want to be 100% honest and straightforward: There is NO Mafia. It doesn’t really exist. Never did.

It’s just a vicious stereotype against hard-working Italian men and women. 

In fact, if anyone were to claim that I had ANY knowledge of the Mafia, I’d deny it, change my address, and get the hell outta Dodge. THERE IS NO MAFIA! (Hey, I don’t wanna wake up with a horse’s head on my pillow. Are you crazy?)

“Allegedly” my hometown of Tampa Bay was once a Mafia haven; it’s a port city near Cuba, which made Tampa ideal for all kinds of smuggling operations — especially during the prohibition era. Al Capone had a house nearby. A former client of mine, famous attorney Barry Cohen, told me he used to represent Henry Hill, the character Ray Liotta played in “Goodfellas.” (Coincidentally or not, Cohen always kept a loaded firearm in his office and installed a bulletproof door.)

Charles Ponzi, the namesake of the Ponzi scheme, also had ties to Tampa. 

Still, the original conceit of organized crime — i.e. that there are problems so daunting, they can only be solved via secrecy and group manipulation — is as relevant today as it was in the 1920s. And just like the (allegedly) real Mafia, criminals generally relied on a carrot-and-stick approach: You reward your friends and punish your enemies.

In the PR business, every time I pitch a story, there’s an implied threat: If you don’t accept it, I’ll give it to your competitor(s). Not only will your audience lose an opportunity to read an amazing story, but next time, I just might pitch your competition first. So take care of me — or else!

(And if you actually have an all-star roster of clients, these threats — implied or otherwise — really do carry a lot of weight. Especially with the show-biz media.)

It’s Mafia-styled tactics, but within a purely legal context: PR agents have the free speech right to pitch anywhere they want. So does everyone else.

But that’s just the first conceit of organized crime. The second is just as relevant because it goes to its fundamental purpose: The reason why the (alleged) Mafia existed in the first place was to solve problems that fall outside of normal jurisprudence.

It’s basic supply and demand: When there’s a demand for illegal services, it incentivizes the creation and distribution of a supply. Whenever there are social problems that cannot be addressed via legal routes, there will always be a subset of people who’ll chart a new route and go off-roading: Damn the consequences, full speed ahead!

For some, the law is an absolute moral standard that must always be heeded. But for many others, it’s mostly a risk-reward proposition. And whenever the potential reward exceeds the potential punishment, they’ll break the law without even blinking.

For years, Republican grassroots activists faced a similar dilemma: Over and over again, GOP candidates pledged to be good, loyal conservatives — but the moment they’re elected, they’re consumed by the D.C. culture. Suddenly, they’re no longer fighting for the conservative values they campaigned on; they’re apologists and enablers of the Deep State.

There must be a terrible, highly contagious pathogen permeating the air of Washington, D.C.: The moment a conservative steps foot in that town, they’re infected. It’s worse than COVID!

I called it “going native.” 

This week, a curious thing happened when squishy, RINO-ish Republican senators (like Joni Ernst) threw bricks at Trump’s cabinet picks: MAGA activists decided they had enough. 

And so, they organized.

Almost immediately, Ernst caved. 

The same woman who enthusiastically voted in favor of Lloyd Austin, Joe Biden’s choice for Secretary of Defense — yet was “concerned” and had “serious questions” about Pete Hegseth — showed her belly and begged for clemency.

It’s the rise of the MAGA Mafia.

Armed with hashtags, the X social media platform, and the ability to whip up conservative activism, the threat of conservative backlash has never been greater. It’s a potent hammer! But it’s especially useful against weak-willed, feather-fisted RINOs who instinctively cede to institutions. After all, those politicians aren’t ideologues or revolutionaries; they’re profiteers and survivors.

And you can’t profit if you don’t survive.

Unlike 2016, the 2024 MAGA Mafia has Trump’s back. It's aggressive and trigger-happy. And for the first time ever, it's also well organized. 

These people no longer tolerate slights, disloyalty, or disrespect — and if you think they’ll forget about your misconduct in November, I’ve got one word for youze: “Fuhgeddeaboutit!”

The MAGA Mafia is for real.

And before it’s over, Mr. Ed’s skull will be sitting on someone’s pillow.