Napping Inequality
Important lessons from the mob
This FGF, I’m super excited to introduce a friend (and former colleague), whom I’ve been pestering to share 250 with us. Mangrinch and I both used to write quite a bit as part of our jobs, and his almost daily posting of daily economic updates is an inspiration to me as part of my effort to post every day in 2023.
With that, enjoy this post from Mangrinch — hopefully not his last for TND (or elsewhere)!
Blogging about napping! That sounds downright negligent. In certain lines of work, it seems obvious that the pitfalls of napping might extend beyond grogginess. For up-and-coming mobsters, napping is a big no-no. “I never sleep, ‘cause sleep is the cousin of death” is creed.1
Yet, if napping is so dangerous, why do there seem to be few, if any, TV or movie scenes involving mobsters murdered while napping? Admittedly, TND has not (yet) commissioned a full research study to firmly conclude that the risk of being murdered while napping is minimal, however, the internet and AI chatbots turn up little to conclude the risk is high, even in a risky profession like being a mobster.
In fact, the situation is quite different. Mafia Dons and Capos are often portrayed napping. In the television series The Sopranos, Tony’s dreams, often when napping, lead him to profound insights around his control of his crime family. Given the demanding hours and stress of the profession, mob bosses are often in search of the sweet respite of a nap.
All of this goes to illustrate that the ability to nap suffers greatly from inequality. Bosses off napping while the lay workers soldier on. Perhaps it is time to take a stand for what’s right, equal rights to nap.
The revolution starts now, who’s with me?
I’m going to take a nap. When I wake up, if the money is on the table, I’ll know I have a partner. If it isn’t, I’ll know I don’t.”
– Hyman Roth, Godfather II2
Ed.: From Induction, by Thomas Sackville (1563-1608), by way of Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who clearly drew inspiration from the 16th century first earl of Dorset when writing “NY State of Mind.”
Roth was nearly suffocated in his sleep, perhaps he is not the best character to lead the napping revolution.