Going To The Mattresses Edit Meaning

1.

Going to war with a rival clan or family. Used in the mafia. Its when a mafia family sends someone out to get someone apartments and some mattresses for the soldiers of the family to sleep on while they hide out in saftey, waiting for a call to do something.

Sonnys thinkin' about going to the mattresses already.

See gang war

2.

to prepare for a protracted fight

From the movie "The Godfather":

CLEMENZA: That Sonny's runnin' wild. He's thinkin'a going to the mattresses already. We gotta find a spot over on the West Side

See fight, mob, mafia, war, hideout