Todays Mafia Essays

The Mafia was first developed in Sicily in feudal times to protect the estates of landlords who were out of town. The word Mafia, derived from the Sicilian word, Mafioso, means family. Today, Mafia is a name which describes a loose association of criminal groups. These groups can be bound together by blood, oath or sworn secrecy. Many people had considered the Sicilian Mafia as the most ruthless mobsters of the twentieth century.

“It was during the troubled years of the 1860s that the Italian kingdom’s ruling class ruling class first heard talk of the mafia in Siciliy” (Dickie, s38, 2004). In this quote we find a potential reason to why the idea that the mafia was born during the making of the modern Italian state has become leading with scholars. Most likely this event shaped the mafia into what it has become because of the political influence that the Italian state bestowed upon Sicily. However, it is not unlikely that the mafia wasn’t already existing in Sicily during this time, and most definitely that criminal gangs of Sicily before this time had traits that were transferred into the mafia as it evolved under the new Italian kingdom. While the mafia is largely

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.

     Exactly what is the Mafia? Mafia, more specifically the Italian-American Mafia, is a group of criminals organized into "families," and operating primarily in North America. Also known as La Cosa Nostra, at one time there were 26 families in the United States - roughly one for each major city. The Mafia composed of bosses of numerous families, mostly New York, was the overseeing authority for all of the other La Cosa Nostra families. New York City is the place of origin for organized crime in the United States. Currently, there are five families in the New York City outfit of the La Cosa Nostra. The five families are, the Gambinos, Genovese, Colombo,

The Five families operate mostly in the State of New York and little through New Jersey. Mainly within five areas like Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, Staten Island and in Northern New Jersey. Since 1960’s the mafia has increased its influence in areas like Long Island and counties like Westchester and Albany. The Five families also have some control in other states like: Las Vegas, Massachusetts, Connecticut and South Florida. The Genovese family operates mostly in Manhattan, The Bronx, Brooklyn and New Jersey and has many influence in other areas inside as well as outside the state. Each family has many crews, which manage every area that their family controls. The Gambino family operates mainly in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and New Jersey and has influence in some other areas around Manhattan and other states. The Bonanno family shares some of its areas with the Gambino family, mainly operates in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Long Island. The Lucchese family controls areas like the Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn and New Jersey. And finally the Colombo family operates only in Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island. Many of these families have the same areas of influence, but they have very distinct borders of operations on the areas they share control. Today five families do not have as many members as around 5,000 20-30 years ago, today’s count is around 500-600 people in all five families. Four out five big bosses are either jailed or sentenced to life imprisonment. But

Also, the article states “By the mid-20th century, there were 24 known crime families in America, comprised of an estimated 5,000 full-fledged members and thousands of associates across the country” (History.com Staff). On the FBI website, it states “Prior to the 1960s, some government leaders, including FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, were skeptical about the existence of a national Italian-American organized crime network and suggested instead that crime gangs operated strictly on a local level” (FBI). As a result, law enforcement agencies used a few methods on stopping the spread of the Mafia during this period. The Sicilians Mafia doesn't worry if the group gain money from its actions because it came at the cost of the oppressive authorities. They are some of the most infamous group in criminal societies.

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.

Carlo Gambino, the man who is the family namesake, never served a day of jailtime in his life. He liked to keep low key, but many things are attributed to this family. Murder Inc., an infamous group of talented, for-hire hitmen, was started by Albert Anastasia, member of the Gambino family. While this was well publicized and talked about, perhaps the most publicized and talked about Mafia happening recently was the John Gotti case. John Gotti, Don of the Gambino family, was “ratted out” but one of his underlings, Sammy “The Bull” Gravano. Sammy, in return for this favor to the police, served only five years in jail for twenty murders. However, this offense, breaking the “Omerta” is one of the worst possible things any member of the Mafia could ever do. As Michael Corleone says to his wife Kay, “Don’t ask me about my business, Kay.” (Godfather) Everyone in the Mafia must learn many, many rules and live by all of them. Of most importance is Omerta, as stated before, but many guidelines are set for way of life as well. Members cannot show signs of weaknesses. Crying and wearing glasses are two such things. Also, women are looked upon as inferior and a couple that is unable to produce sons is frowned upon. Since power is very influential in how this business is run, members must know their place because “someone always wants more, that’s how wars start.” (Anonymous) Making reference to the movie “The Godfather” is

 The next group of interest to us is outlaw motorcycle gangs. In the old days members of this type of organized crime group were used mainly as hit men by the more sophisticated groups. Over the years however these groups have begun to take part in the more sophisticated dealings of the groups they had previously worked for. It has gotten to the point where now these motorcycle gangs are the ones hiring people to do the work that the Mafia used to hire them to

The heaviest presence is in New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Chicago. The most well-known group though, is still the Italian Mafia.

This code states that all family-based activities are above all domestic family matters in the home, it enforces silence, a strike upon another member is like a strike on the boss himself. Violating any of these laws is punishable by death with no trial or remorse (Whizkid01 3). This one value is what kept Mafia families powerful and prosperous.

The American Mafia, an Italian-American sorted out wrongdoing system with operations in urban communities over the United States, especially New York and Chicago, rose to control through its accomplishment in the illegal alcohol exchange amid the 1920s Prohibition period. After Prohibition, the Mafia moved into other criminal endeavors, from medication trafficking to illicit betting, while additionally invading worker 's parties and honest to goodness organizations, for example, development and New York 's article of clothing industry. The

One of the largest Organized crime bust occurred in 2011. Close to 130 members of the New York City Mafia were arrested along with other East Coast cities. The Bonnanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese and Luchese were all part of the New York’s five families. Members of each of the five families were arrested to include some of the

Speaking about criminality, it is necessary to say about Italian mafia. Based on the report of 2009 year, commissioned by Italy's parliamentary anti-mafia commission, it is possible to say that now it is silently prospering, moving on from spectacular crimes and massacres to business and politics, with a prudent dose of intimidation and violence in a bid to take over the fundamental role of the state. The highest concentration of people living under the shadow of the mafia, 95.9%, was in the province of Agrigento in Sicily, followed by Naples, at 95%. (Tom Kington, guardian.co.uk, 2009).