That’s How Mafia Works

The character and the caption

The image shows a three-dimensional character: a man in a dark blue suit, white shirt, and gray tie with a small pattern. His graying hair is combed back, and he has a mustache and a short beard. He stands in dim light, one arm extended to the side with the palm up, as if demonstrating something offscreen, and the other arm lowered. Behind him other figures are blurred, and a dim lamp is visible under the ceiling.

At the bottom of the frame, in large white bold letters, it says: “That’s how mafia works.” This is not a real person but an animated hero, and the serious look is half the joke.

Where the phrase came from

The phrase is linked to the ad for Mafia City, a mobile strategy game released in 2017 on Android, iOS, and Windows. The developer and publisher is listed as Phantix Games. In 2018 the game was actively promoted with short videos, and the slogan in them sounded like the conclusion of the scene shown.

In August 2018, one of the ad videos was removed from YouTube because of disputed content: it suggested making a choice in a scene with a fictional victim. It was also reported that such an ad did not reflect the real gameplay. After that the phrase separated from the game. In January 2019 the press called “That’s how mafia works” one of the most noticeable memes of the month.

Who made the template

Who first used this exact frame with the caption as a template is not reliably established. It is only known that the phrase quickly caught on as a line suitable for any situation where someone performs a silly but very confident action.

Interestingly, the caption on its own sounds neutral: its meaning changes depending on what is described above it. That is why the picture almost always goes with a description of the situation, and the caption becomes the “conclusion.”

Why the gesture works

An open palm and a calm face create the impression that the person is showing the result of an experiment or presenting a lesson. The phrase is not funny by itself, but paired with the gesture a gap appears: the serious tone contrasts with the silly cause.

The mechanism resembles an explanation in class. The hero takes an obvious fact, presents it solemnly, and offers it as a rule of life. The viewer recognizes a familiar situation and laughs at how out of place the serious tone is.

Caption examples and how they are built

Below are invented captions. The first part describes the situation, the second is the slogan.

“You decided to check whether the door was locked, and opened it with your shoulder. That’s how mafia works.” The example takes a simple action to absurdity and shows that confidence does not make a decision smart.

“I hit ‘send’ before I finished the email. That’s how mafia works.” The caption describes a typical mistake and presents it as a business technique.

“Bought a birthday cake and forgot the candles. That’s how mafia works.” An everyday situation turns into a “lesson”: the tone stays serious while the content stays small and homey.

“Promised myself I'd go to bed at ten, and I'm standing by the fridge at midnight. That’s how mafia works.” It also suits self-irony: the pause on the word “works” creates the needed intonation.

How to use the template

The image suits situations where an action looks absurd and the author is confident they are right. The caption works best when it describes a specific action in one line, without a long introduction. The slogan is best left for the end, so it sounds like the final line of a lesson.

Do not link the template to real criminal groups, crimes, or specific people. The phrase and the frame are meant as an ironic device, and the flavor of the joke rests on a domestic scale, not on stories about real events.