The Muskegon Ottawa Brewers (The MOB) is a homebrew club, based in Spring Lake, Grand Haven & Muskegon in West Michigan.
We are passionate brewers, dedicated to the craft, art and science of making the best beer we can.
Our main goals are to promote homebrewing and brewing better beer and to have fun while doing it. Many of our members are all-grain brewers, but we welcome all brewers wanting to learn.
We are an American Homebrewers Association sanctioned club and we meet monthly. We participate in AHA functions, such as Big Brew Day and AHA Club Only Competitions.
Date Established: March 1, 2011
Boss of All Bosses: Steve Siciliano
There is one more position above The MOB boss known as the “boss of all bosses” or the capo di tutti capi, although this role has not been filled in the American brewing mob since the 1930s (by Salvatore Maranzano). He was the man who introduced the structure of the five main Brewing families who would control the brewing underground, with himself, of course, placed at the top. This position of ultimate brewing power now belongs to Steve.
Boss: Jimmy Hegedus (Jimmy Craic Corn) muskegonottawabrewers@gmail.com
The boss, or capo famiglia, makes all the important decisions, much like a CEO of a company would. Although each brewing mob boss may run his outfit in a different way, they have one thing in common: they are greatly respected and widely feared by their subordinates, but there's no need to be afraid of Jimmy. All of the men in his outfit pay him a tribute, so he is also usually an extremely wealthy man, ha ha.
Underboss: James Robbins (Nitro) muskegonottawabrewers@gmail.com
The underboss, or capo bastone, is second-in-command in the hierarchy of The MOB family. His level of authority varies from family to family, but he is ready to stand in for the boss at any given moment. In the violent and volatile world of The MOB, the underboss can easily find himself at the helm of the family so, for the most part, they are usually groomed for an eventual takeover, particularly if the boss’s health is failing or if it looks like he’s headed for a stay in the joint.
Consigliere: Aaron Jaworowski muskegonottawabrewers@gmail.com
The consigliere, or chief advisor, is not officially part of the hierarchy of The MOB, but he plays one of the most important roles in a brewing family. He is the close trusted friend and confidant of the family boss. The function of the consigliere is a throwback to medieval times, when a monarch placed his trust in an advisor whom he could summon for strategic information and sound advice. The consigliere is meant to offer unbiased information based on what he sees as best for the family. He’s not supposed to factor emotional concerns, such as retaliation and hop feuds, into his decisions. Unlike the underboss (see above), the consigliere is not required to be a direct relative of the boss. Instead, he is chosen solely for his abilities and the amount of knowledge he possesses. Generally, only the boss and underboss have more authority than the consigliere in an organized brewing family.
Capo: Russ Smith ( The Masher ) * muskegonottawabrewers@gmail.com
The capo, or caporegime, is the captain or lieutenant of a division within The MOB. He heads a crew of soldiers and reports directly to a boss or underboss, who hands down the instructions. He ranks much higher in the hierarchy of The MOB. In our case, he handles the money, the memberships and the web site.
* Founding member
