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Mafia And The Mafia

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Throughout history, crime has existed in many different forms and has been committed by not only individuals, but by groups as well. Crime is something that knows no boundaries; it exists in all cultures, is committed by all races, and has existed since the beginning of time. Crime exists as a part of the economic and cultural structure of the world. Yet, few people realize that crime exists in both organized and unorganized forms. Particularly, "organized" crime has existed in the United States since the early 1900’s, this is what we now refer to as the “mafia”. What exactly is the Mafia? Many people ponder the true definition of the word. The Mafia is an Italian derived organization that established itself in The United States of America …show more content…

The strength of the organization only grew after the Volstead Act was passed. The Volstead act, was passed under leadership of president Woodrow Wilson, on October 28th, 1919. This was pivotal for the Italian-American Mafia, for this act is what brought about the Prohibition Era. The Prohibition implemented a legal ban on the production, distribution, and transportation of all intoxicating drinks. This went on from 1919 until 1933, when the 21st amendment was published which repealed the Prohibition.
The Prohibition was originally established with good intentions – to reduce crime, solve social chaos and improve health and hygiene in the United States. However, the passing of this act is said to be one of the main reasons for the root of all evil that came to be known as the mafia. Rather than putting an end to alcohol consumption, it merely made the act illegal and forced people to find other means. Now, those “other means” led to the creation of the under ground market where producers and consumers were not only breaking the law but having a good time while doing

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