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Mafia Surprise -40yr- Godfather Costume Party

May 2006

Liz in Norwalk, CT  U.S.A

Special Mention

SURPRISE MAFIA 40TH COSTUME BIRTHDAY PARTY:  I had a hard time finding info for a theme like this.  Many were "Soprano parties" etc.  But none were flat out "Mafia parties".  So here's what I came up with:  My Husbands birthday is Chirstmas Eve so he always gets jilted on his birthday.  So, I threw him a surprise Mafia Birthday party for his 40th birthday IN OCTOBER. 

Invites: Printed on regualr 8 1/2 X 11 paper with an Italian design. I printed the first one at home and brought the rest to Staples Office Supply and they made enough color copies for the rest (cost was at most $15).  I folded them letter style and mailed them out.  They had the following "message":  "DIS IS A SURPRISE SO STATAZIETA MANGIA MANGIA THERE'LL BE PLENTY TO EAT JOHN'S REAL BIRTHDAY IS CHRISTMAS EVE BUT OF MY SENSES, I'VE TAKEN LEAVE SINCE HE'S 39, SOON TO BE FORTY I'M THROWING HIM A MAFIA BIRTHDAY PARTY DRESS AS A BOSS OR CONSIGLIERE WHOMEVER YOU WANT AS LONG AS YOUR THERE DON CORLIONE OR WHOMEVER YOU CHOOSE DIS IS AN OFFER YOU CAN'T REFUSE OH AND THE DAMES? DON' WORRY ABOUDIT DO WE TAKE CARE O' YOU? FUGHEDDABOUDIT EVEN COME AS OH WHO WAS DAT GUY? YOU KNOW - THE COO-GOOTZ - FROM THE FBI? BE SIMPLE OR CRAZY, WHATEVER YOU'R WISHES RUIN THE SURPRISE - AND YOU SLEEP WITH THE FISHES"  Date: Time (sharp):  Location:  R.S.v.P. By:  Phone:  \*\*\*I HAD EACH PERSON RETURN THEIR INVITES WITH A FUNNY STORY/MEMORY ABOUT JOHN TO BE USED FOR A ROAST (INSTEAD OF A TOAST)\*\*\* 

Costume Ideas: -I got almost all I needed at the local goodwill for both John and I (His costume was waiting there for him to dress into after he arrived).  I purchased wigs from Party City (as it was around Halloween)(A D.A. Mullett for him, a blond "boufont" for me)

I had everyone come dressed in Mafia or Itlian Garb and they all had great fun coming up with a character.

My sister even came barefoot and "pregnant" in an old black dress, stockings rolled down to ankles, hair in a bunand galrix around her neck. To match her, my brother in law had on a sleaveless tshirt, sauce down the front, cigar in mouth - it was hilarious. -Others did the more traditional "zoot suit" -some women dressed like victoria gotti -others like the FBI. -I ordered "blues brothers sunglasses and black mafia hats for the men and jackie O sunglasses with mardi gra beads for the women from Oriental Trading (about 40$?)

Lastly I made up phony funny Itlian names and wrote them on name tags for each person.  Their names were mostly centered around Italian food.  For example Cathy Calamari, Anthony Antipasta.  I used Italian recipe web sites (i.e. Italianfoodforever.com) and improvised with other Italian words where needed. 

I rented a local church hall (50$ for the night)and decorated it like an Italian restaurant: -red check (plastic) tableclothes -tapered candles in the wine bottles (the ones with the wicker around the bottom) -icicle lights around the perimeter -red white and green streamers -Italian flags and Itlian music playing in the background. -we also made a "chalk" outline (only we did it with masking tape) of a dead body.  JUST BEFORE JOHN CAME IN I HAD SOMEONE LAY DOWN IN THE CHALK OUTLINE, ANOTHER PERSON ABOVE THE "BODY" WITH A FAKE MACHINE GUN IN HAND, AND AN FBI AGENT WITH HANDCUFFS NEXT TO THE PERSON WITH THE GUN.  That was also very funny.  

Menu (I did all the cooking but you could always have it Catered): Appies: -Large Antipasta -fried Calamari  Main Course: -Ziti with meatbals, ssg and ribs -garlic bread -salad  Dessert: Various Italian pastries (cannoli's, zeppoli etc.)  Beverages: Wine and beer were served along with other non alcoholic beverages - no glass was alowed at the "hall" so I used red a green plastic cups. -Coffee -Espresso 

PARTY GAME: I secretly told some of the people coming that they were FBI wiseguys.  Others I told secretly they were Mafia.  The "Mafia" had to figure out who the wiseguys were without it "leaking" out that they were Mafia and the Wiseguys had to figure out who the Mafia was without blowing their cover. All this was done by asking certain questions etc.  Sort of like "uncharades".  My father was "The Godfather" but no one could know this.  If you found the "Godfather" you automatically win the prize.  If the Godfather was not found by the end of the party, the FBI agent with the most "arrests" won, and the Mafia member(s) that had not been found out also won.  My father graciously offered to by the Godfather as he would be the only one without a prize. 

Prizes were small for example: Gift Cert. for Blockbuster, the local Itlian Bakery etc.  Some guests even offered their services (oil change, house cleaning, etc.) as prizes.  I had Johns best friend (from Brooklyn) roast him, using not only his own stories but the "favorite memories" written on the returned invites. 

Thank you notes: I took a group photo of everyone at the party (with their best "Mafia face" look) and sent out photo cards as thank you notes. 

Seeing as I did most of the work, cooking, decorating myself (with the help of good family and friends) the whole thing from beginning to end cost me about $300.

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