The arbitration role of the commissione has proved far from infallible, and families, especially the larger ones, have retained their independence. I shall not go into the details of the two internecine wars (1961-1963 and 1981-1985), themselves the subject of another study. Suffice it to say that the ability of the commissione to enforce its own rules relied on a coalition of the powerful families to which the capi mandamento belonged. Hence, it was bound to be subject to internal tension. A rule requiring members to attend the meetings unarmed was itself a sign that there was a risk of violence (TB: 1, 90), and an indication of the commissione's power, as Buscetta pointed out, to impose the will of its members on other families (TB: I, 5).

Diego Gambetta, The Sicilian Mafia The Busi…, loc. 296