The kiss of death (
Italian: Il bacio della morte) is the sign given by a
mafiosoboss or caporegime that signifies that a member of the crime family has been marked for death, usually as a result of some perceived betrayal.[1] It is unclear how much is based on fact and how much on the imagination of authors, but it remains a
cultural meme[2][3] and appears in literature and films. Illustrative is the scene in the film The Valachi Papers when
Vito Genovese (
Lino Ventura) gives the kiss of death to
Joe Valachi (
Charles Bronson) to inform him that his betrayal of "the family" is known, and that he will be executed.
The "kiss" has also been used as a
terror tactic to aid in extortion or debt collection by reducing victims to a state of panic where they will commit to anything to save their lives.[1]
Origin
The exact origin is unknown, but an Italian source identifies the bacio della morte as the kiss given to the assassin delegated to "execute" a death sentence, as if to seal the solemn judgment and to wish success on the assignment. Some believe it refers to the
kiss of Judas which was given to Jesus to betray him to the soldiers seeking him out.[4] Its use goes back to at least the early 19th century in
Sicily.[5]
In real life
While in prison,
Vito Genovese gave
Joe Valachi a kiss on the cheek,[6] which, Valachi later testified, he believed was the "kiss of death".[7][8]
1986 Il camorrista directed by
Giuseppe Tornatore, Raffaele Cutolo plants one on Alfredo Canale for his apparent betrayal in telling the police where they could arrest him.
In "
Bart the Murderer", an episode of The Simpsons, the Big Cheese gives
Fat Tony the "kiss of death" after being served poorly-made
Manhattans.[9] Tony responds by saying, "The kiss of death, that's all I need!".
In a later Simpsons episode, "
Mayored to the Mob", Fat Tony asks
Homer Simpson to give
Mayor Quimby a gift for him, being that Homer recently became the Mayor's bodyguard. The gift is a kiss; Homer believes it is a gesture of goodwill, but Mayor Quimby, upon receiving it, recognizes it as the Mob's infamous kiss of death.[10]
In the Futurama episode "
Hell Is Other Robots,"
Philip J. Fry receives the kiss of death from Big Vinny while delivering a package of
subpoena orders on the Mob Planet. Fry expresses his naive belief that Big Vinny was actually
homosexual.
In the Sons of Anarchy episode "A Mother's Work,"
Jax Teller embraces Juice (before he turns himself into the police) and kisses him on the cheek and whispers "you betrayed me."
In the "
Teen Titans Go!" episode "
A Holiday Story", Baby New Year gives Santa Claus the "kiss of death" after Santa betrays him.
Notes
^
abSifakis, Carl (2005). "Kiss of death: Mafia murder signal". The Mafia Encyclopedia. New York: Facts On File. pp.
245–246.
ISBN978-0-8160-5694-1.
^McNeill, Daniel (2000). The Face: A Natural History. Boston, Massachusetts:
Little Brown. p.
46.
ISBN978-0-316-58812-6., originally published in 1998.
^L'espresso (1979), in Italian, Volume 25, Issues 26-34, page 86
^Dietche, Scott M. (2009). The Everything Mafia Book: True-life accounts of legendary figures, infamous crime families, and nefarious deeds. Avon, Massachusetts: Adams Media. pp.
188–189.
ISBN978-1-59869-779-7.
^Rudolf, Robert (1993). Mafia Wiseguys: The Mob That Took on the Feds. New York: SPI Books. p.
41.
ISBN978-1-56171-195-6.