Yours Truly, Mafia Boss Don Spaghetti Quiz

Answer: Extortion

Extortion is the act of threatening injury to another person in an attempt to get them to turn over something valuable. It differs from blackmail in that blackmail involves the threat to damage the victim's reputation rather than to physically harm them. Extortion differs from larceny in that in extortion the intent is for the victim to voluntarily hand over the valuable item whereas with larceny the perpetrator simply takes the item. In the US extortion generally carries a prison term of 2-4 years although longer terms, including a life sentence, may be imposed if the victim was threatened with death or grievous injury.

Answer: Piracy

Piracy is robbery or violence committed by a private party in international waters against another vessel or the persons thereon. The majority of pirate attacks nowadays occur off the east coast of Africa and around Malaysia and Indonesia. Being a pirate is bad--very, very bad.
According to Title 18, Part 1, Chapter 81.1651 of the US Civil Code, "Whoever, on the high seas, commits the crime of piracy as defined by the law of nations, and is afterwards brought into or found in the United States, shall be imprisoned for life."

Answer: Arson

Arson is the malicious burning of a building or property with criminal intent. In the US intentionally burning a building as described is a felony and generally carries a sentence of two to ten years although individual state laws vary.

Answer: battery

Assault is the threat of hitting someone. Actually hitting someone would be called battery. Assault is an attempt to commit battery. If Guido took a swing at the Chef but missed, it would be assault rather than battery because he did not make contact even though he intended to.
State ordinances vary as to punishment, but typically a simple battery can be punished by fine and up to a year in jail although shorter terms, such as six months, are prevalent. Battery is also a tort which means the assailant may be sued by the victim for medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, etc.

Answer: Larceny

Larceny involves the taking and removing of someone else's property. In some US states larceny has been merged into the catch-all category of theft. Larceny can generally result in a prison term of up to one year for petty theft, or theft of goods under a certain state-defined limit. Grand theft can generally result in a prison term of up to five years.

Answer: Perjury

Persons testifying in court in the US are required to swear, under oath, that they will tell the truth. Making false testimony, such as falsely reporting that one found fish heads in a can of spaghetti, is perjury, or lying under oath and can result in a fine and/or a prison sentence of up to five years.

Answer: Aiding and abetting

A person who helps others commit a crime, even if that person was not directly involved in carrying out the crime, can be charged with aiding and abetting in the commission of the crime. The prosecution would have to prove that Guido knew of the crime beforehand and willfully aided in some aspect of it. Legally speaking, aiding and abetting is the same as accessory to a crime in the US.
Aiding and abetting differs from an accomplice in that an accomplice is actually present while the crime is being committed. Examples of accomplices include getaway drivers and look-outs.
The penalty for aiding and abetting may be the same as the penalty for actually committing the crime.

Answer: Lighting violation

Lighting violations carry a potential for a fine, up to five years imprisonment, or both. Lighting violations are defined in Title 49 of the US Civil Code, Section 46315.

Answer: Sedition

Sedition involves inciting other people to rise up against a government. Treason involves actively trying to overthrow a government. Treason is the more serious crime. In the US sedition could be punished by up to 20 years in prison.

Answer: Loitering

Most loitering ordinances in the US are designed to curb gang activity. They give police the right to remove someone who stands in a public or private place in such a way as to impede others from entering, interfere with the conduct of business, or just to claim territory.

They also allow police to disperse persons who linger in an area with no apparent purpose--e.g. someone hanging around a children's playground. The penalty for loitering is generally a fine but in some cases imprisonment for up to six months can result.

The comedian Brian Regan has a routine about loitering. A person who really just has no place to go could be arrested for loitering and thrown in jail where they have no place to go.