Class and Social Mobility

Rico's rise from a poor yegg to a gang leader who dines with the 'Big Boy' illustrates the pursuit of wealth and status, yet his fall shows the limits of upward mobility outside legitimate society.

Rico's awe at the Big Boy's apartment and his rapid rise from a lonely yegg to dining with a crime boss highlight the theme of social climbing through criminal means.

Joe's status as a 'dago' and his treatment by police and the Crime Commission highlight class and ethnic prejudices.

Rico's envy of Pavlovsky's success in the beer racket highlights the theme of social mobility through crime, contrasting Rico's current low status with his past prominence.