As the second season of Amish Mafia begins, one of the show’s season subplots will likely revolve around young John Schmucker’s effort to regain his supposed “birthright” to head the Lancaster Amish Mafia, a birthright. he believes Lebanon Levi has scammed him. Anyone who has seen even an episode could rightly have the loudest of doubts as to whether some leadership ability could reside in the person of John Schmucker. Last season, John had to sell as fast as he could to maintain his lackey status to the current godfather of the Amish mob, the aforementioned Lebanon Levi. However, according to what was “revealed” last season by John’s sister Esther, his father was supposedly an elite member of the Amish mob and that “power” should have legitimately passed to his son after his death. death, but it wasn’t. Therefore, John is described as determined to regain his rightful position.
The story, as Esther tells it, is that “I was born and raised in the Amish community. My father was a member of the Amish elite. He died when I was very, very young. His position passed to the boy below him, who was the father. of Levi of Lebanon “. This was revealed in episode one. In episode two, he adds more “information” on the topic: “Power is usually passed down from father to son, but when my dad passed away, the kids were too young, so Levi’s dad was next in line. But instead of passing it on to my brothers like he was supposed to, he passed it on to Levi. ” Viewers are not told why John Schmucker, the youngest of the brothers, should have the right to be the boss of the Amish mob, but the scenes in these episodes leave no doubt that Esther and John supposedly believe that John is the “rightful heir to the throne,” so to speak.
This would make an interesting plot, no doubt, for a fictional drama (or comedy, however you choose to watch the show). Unfortunately, the Amish Mafia is presented as “reality” and this is where their story lines often fall apart.
That is certainly true in this case. Archangel Investigations investigation has revealed that John and Esther’s real father (they are actually brother and sister in real life) died in 1986. In fact, the co-star siblings were extremely young at the time. However, even if, for the sake of argument, we accept as true that John and Esther’s father was actually the boss of the Amish mob when he died, we are faced with a fact that deals a fatal blow (no pun intended) to the entire premise of this plot. Archangel’s investigation has further revealed that Lebanon Levi’s father died in 1981. That’s correct! According to Esther Schmucker’s account, as shown in Amish Mafia, her father’s legacy, after his death, was passed on to a man who had been dead for five years. Whoops … awkward!
Further demolishing any “reality” foundation for this particular subplot premise is the reliable information Archangel Investigations received from a source close to the show that John Schmucker was not even a member of the original Amish Mafia cast. His character part became necessary, to play the role of Lebanon Levi’s subordinate, when original cast member Alan Beiler (who is still part of the cast) was arrested and temporarily unavailable while the show went on. production. for the episodes of the first season. By the way, it shouldn’t be considered too surprising that John Schmucker was found and cast to play the role. Her sister, Esther, who was already a cast member on the show, had previously worked as a casting director for “Breaking Amish” and was the current casting director / consultant for “Amish Mafia,” she suggested her brother John would be suitable. for a role.
Of course, grab your popcorn and get ready for another season of fun watching the irresistible goof that is Amish Mafia. Seventy or eighty years ago, people wildly entertained themselves with the antics of the “Three Stooges.” Likewise, there is no shame in being entertained by Amish Mafia in 2013. Remember, though, if you are looking for “reality,” you are no more likely to find it in Amish Mafia than in an old Three Stooges Movie.