The
rom baro are chosen by their communities; the main criteria for choosing a
rom baro is their intelligence and a sense of fairness. They act as advisors for the
king of their respective tribe or company and are usually fairly wealthy. A
rom baro is elected for life and the position is not inheritable. The
rom baro is the head of their patriarchal groups known as
familias but, their authority extends far beyond their own familias, encompassing their respective tribes or companies (). The role of the
rom baro is to handle all the internal problems in their tribe or company such as disagreements in work, marriage, family relations, trials, funerals, etc., while also, dealing with Gadjo (non-Roma) authorities in making sure their tribe is in good standing with the American law, arranging work, and handling outside pressures to assimilate. While the
rom baro has a considerable amount of power and influence among their Roma tribe (), they are still subject to the Roma law and the
Kris (Romani court). A
rom baro who fails to provide for his community or breaks the Roma law will be removed from his position by Kris. This includes getting in trouble with gadje authorities and revealing Roma secrets which will make them not only lose their position, but also be outcasts from the tribe and considered impure. == Notable
rom baros ==