Evolution Of The Mafia Essay

The gangster genre within films in America has accomplished numerous positive criticisms and constant willing audiences due to containing outstanding spectacles and mind-blowing action. The Godfather, being second on the IMDb Top 250 Movies, has set a new popular concept to life within the Mafia from their point of view. Doing so, creating a positive association. Yet within Italy, the same topic contains a complete different view. Movies such as I Cento Passi demonstrate unenthusiastic view by those whom are outside yet negatively affected by those members. Unlike American films, the gangsters are not as often viewed at the protagonist and are the main causes for the problematic events. But how different is Italian Mafia and American

Once the organized crime families were established they were the main contributors to the illegal “Bootlegging” of alcohol. During the 20’s there was a great deal of violent crimes. Most of them could be connected back to the organized crime families. Alphonse Gabriel “Al” Capone was a gangster who led illegal activities such as the smuggling and the bootlegging of alcohol during the prohibition. Even though he had a tough exterior he was a caring man he was the first to open up a soup kitchen in Chicago (hammer). Capone’s estimated annual revenue was around 100 million dollars. He had many men working for him such as Frank Nitti, August Pisano and Louis Morganno. He supplied Chicago with most of its alcohol. (Capone: the man and his era).

There was also the Italian Mafia. They were recognized by the "Black Hand." The "Black Hand" was a letter with a black hand print on it. The letter would simply ask for money. Every Italian knew that if you refused to pay, it would cost you your life. The only way to be immune to the terrifying "Black Hand" was to be a part of the Mafia.

Another misconception I had was that gangsters/mobsters controlled only corrupt policemen and judges when in fact, they controlled people at all levels of the government, occasionally even the president. Important characters like president James K. Polk, the Kennedy’s, and several senators had a relationship with Irish American gangsters that contributed to the politician as well as the gangster’s success. Their strongest relationships though, were with the police force. Becoming a policeman was encouraged by the White Anglo-Saxon Protestants because “who better to take on the dangerous, low-paying job than a Paddy?” (61) And so, Irishmen who often had grown up with famous mobsters ended up as the majority of the police force; mobsters not only gained more power in the local area due to this, but the stage was now set for corruption at all levels as well.

During the 1920s in an effort to reduce crime and corruption the prohibition on alcohol was passed, little did these law makers know they were only worsening the situation. The streets started to run rampant with crime, and bootleggers rose to power as organized raised as well. As organized crime rose so did the Mafiosas. Throughout the 20th century the mafia has controlled the organized crime scene with an unwavering fist only for its rule to be challenged by other families. The mafia 's bosses give each family its own unique style whether they be a media persona like Al Capone, A brutal killer like Charles Luciano, or completely insane like George Moran.

We may not see this group but the mafia was big back in the day. The mafia was the leading group in criminal activity in the 1960’s(Darity). The mafia was a group that would make tons and tons of money off of drugs, robberies and murders. They would sometimes pay off cops to look the other way and if they didn’t get what they wanted they would use their firearms. With stronger and more enforced laws, many lives could have been saved.

By the late 20th century the Mafia's role in U.S. organized crime seemed to be diminishing. Convictions of top officials, defections by members who became government witnesses, and murderous internal disputes thinned the ranks. In addition, the gradual breakup of insulated

The criminal industry’s growth and fame was specifically due to its infamous members who’ve contributed. Mobsters like Al Capone, who is the most famous character to come out of the prohibition era, set destructive mafia activity under the public spotlight. His cult figure along with many others such as Dion O'Banion, Charles Luciano, Meyer Lansky, and Frank Nitti reveled in notoriety and danger. There overpowering ambition to dominate caused the fallout of several publicized criminal events known in history. One of which, is the signature bloodiest mob crime of the decade, the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre on February 14, 1929. Men dressed up as policeman lined up seven men against the wall of a warehouse in Chicago and shot them, leaving six

The careers of Al Capone, Dutch Schultz, Frank Nitti and Charles Luciano were based on breaking the law, risks and life changing experiences. They lived lives that created the strong empire of crime and hatred. Without the four major criminals, Americans would not be able to enjoy the rush of alcohol and breaking the law. The 1920’s was filled with gangsters that created America’s dangerous and hateful

This era sparked changed that has traveled into our time and shaped how organized crime is today. Now as we begin the journey to discuss this topic, we fall right in the era previously discussed: the nineteen-twenties, and how it’s crime shaped how crime is today, as well as why the bad guy has become a hero to many. With many things starting change in at the end of world war 1, we see many things change during the dawn of the nineteen- twenties. Among these prospects, we witness the rise of organized crime. Of course, organized crime, and crime, in general, are not something new to have occurred, but the difference that occurred within this change was that crime was not as profitable and actually pretty hard to do and not be caught, had morphed into a booming business that causes many to move up in the food chain and gain wealth.

After the near destruction of the mafia in the 70s, it took a while for them to bounce back. For many years, organized

Early 1900s and in to late 1930s a new group of people emerged that heavily influenced popular culture in America. It was time period where mobsters and organized crime was at its peak in the United States. These gangs were highly organized and committed numerous crimes especially during the prohibition laws, making them some of the most notorious gangsters in American history. These mobsters where feared across cities due to their audacity to enforce their power and do whatever it took to establish their authority. These mobsters would defy the law, at times even buying judges, cops, and even union delegates. The amount of money these individuals pushed was enough to have a whole city beneath their feet. These men where feared all around city, but

The Mafia way of life may seem like a romantic updated version of the western movie played out on the streets of the big cities where the good guys and the wise guys who share the same instincts and values do battle before an enthralled public but it is actually very different. The Mafia is really just a group of uneducated thugs making money by victimizing the public. Initially, the Mafia was setup as a prominent supplier of bootlegged liquor, but it has spread into many different areas of crime. During this research paper I will discuss three aspects of the Mafia which are crime, structure and decline in leadership.

Imagine living in a world where crime ruled. A world where gangsters were more powerful than politicians, owned the police, and ran the city in whatever way they felt. They robbed whom they wanted and killed when they didn't get their way. Now stop imagining and realize that this happened here in the United States of America in the 1920's. It was run by an organization made up mainly of Italians called the Mafia.

Human nature dictates that individuals will almost always seek to gain the most they can for themselves. Organized crime is just a natural progression of that because individuals are able to pull together their resources to gain more than they may have alone. Perhaps one of the most notorious of all organized criminal groups was the New York City Mafia. Although the Mafia did not originate in New York City, their most notable influence and lucrativeness came from New York. Alexander Hortis began his examination in The Mob and The City: The Hidden History of How the Mafia Captured New York, by breaking the book into three important distinctions. New York through prohibition, New York during the 30s and 40s, and New York post 50s.