...The New York Italian Mafia first began it business ventures in the late 1890’s extorting businesses running theft rings and murdering people for money. From the later 1890’s to the early 1900’s most of these gangs thrived in poor Italian ghettoes. At this time these gangs where given the name the Black Hand for their part in extortion rackets that plagued the Italian neighborhoods. Through the early 1900’s these gangs expanded from Italian neighborhoods to city wide in New York ("Mafia in the United States", 2013). In January of 1920 prohibition began in the United States making it illegal to buy sale, manufacture, or transport alcohol. At this time there started to be a high demand for alcohol from the public. The New York Italian Mafia then morphed into a big time enterprises since the illegal sale of alcohol was tolerated by the public and many law enforcement officials were paid to look the other way. Most of the alcohol brought into the country at this time came from Canada, Caribbean, and stills that operated in the Midwest. During the 1920’s there began to be a power struggle within the Mafia gangs for control of territory and liquor sales. Gangs soon began to hijack each other’s shipments to force rivals to pay them for protection. It wasn’t until 1933 when prohibition ended that the Mafia moved to other business ventures ("Mafia in the United States", 2013). After prohibition the Italian crime families in New York had become criminal empires for their success in the...
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...The Italian Mafia was a large part of the 1920s; it went against Prohibition, was the first major organized crime network, and showcased some of the most infamous gangsters in the U.S. Organized crime and the Italian Mafia is a symbolic part of the 1920s. Immigrants, often in poverty turned into criminals because it offered a way for them to improve their lives. The mob went against Prohibition to make a profit, which in turn helped immigrants rise above the poverty line. The Mafia turned into a complex crime organization that bloomed in the booming cities across the country. New York City, and Chicago were both major hubs for crime families. Immigrants, or children of immigrant families often bonded together for protection, or to make...
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...Europe. Our society is convinced that the so-called Mafia is a family of pure criminals, pimps, and murderers. Whatever the opinion, there is no doubt that the Mafia played a big part in the history of America and the way Americans view crime today. “The origins of the secret society known as the Mafia are believed to be as old as the 9th century” (Mafia History). During the 9th century, the Mafia’s main purpose was to strengthen themselves against enemies, which invaded their homeland in Sicily. It was supposed to create a strong feeling of togetherness between all Sicilians. “This idea of family was carried through in the structure of the organization, which had a strong hierarchical layout” (Mafia History). The Mafia is said by many to have perhaps the best system of power, than any other group or government known today. One can compare a physical representation of the family almost to a family tree dated all the way back through many generations. Certain people operated the system, but without the help of the people with the less power, the Mafia would be very weak. To put it another way, a leader cannot lead without followers, and the followers cannot follow without leaders. This is why the Mafia was hard to overcome. Although when many think of the location of the Mafia, Chicago and New York often come to mind, but actually the Mafia has been traced back through 26 major cites in America. Within every city were many Mafia families each with it’s own government. “At the...
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...Mafia What is the Mafia? Some believe the word Mafia was the battle cry of an Italian rebellious group- this battle of cry was the following: "Morte all Francia Italia anelia!" (Italian for "death to the French is Italy's cry!"). Others defined the Mafia as, name for loose association of criminal groups, sometimes bound by blood oath and sworn to secrecy. Despite both of these definitions the Mafia has evolved into a very complex and organized society of crime. Present time it doesn't represent Italian gangs, it also includes Russian, Japanese and Chinese gangs just to mention a few. The purpose of this work is to describe some of the aspects of the Mafia. the reason of naming Mafia in this way was that a member of this group who was riding a motorcyle snatched a carried daughter from a woman kidnapping her; however, such a woman hurried following him crying “Ma figlia! Ma figlia! “ which means in English "My daughter! My daughter!" many believe that the Mafia was born in order to protect and help the less fortunate. The methods used to help and protect were, and still remain illegal. Today, the organization still continues to practice these acts or "rituals." The difference between early Mafia and modern Mafia, is that during late 1800's to early 1900's, the Mafia used these illicit crimes to help their families and the noble good less fortunate, now they abuse their power and distribute the "dirty money" in abundance amongst themselves. In order for an individual...
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...John Joseph Gotti, whom would be later nicknamed “Teflon Don” and “Dapper Don,” was born on October 27, 1940 in the Bronx, New York. Who would have thought on that cold and blustery day that the baby boy, son of a construction worker and one of six boys, would someday be considered by both the Mafia and prosecutors alike, to be the most important “godfather” in American crime through the 1990s? The “boss of bosses” so to speak. John Gotti’s parents were both poor Italian immigrants, whose only income was from his father’s laborious and unpredictable position as a construction worker. They had 13 children, of which John was the fifth. The whole family moved often and finally settled in East New York. At that time (late 40s) East New York was known for its youth gang activity. The area supported thriving Mafia activities and was a breeding ground for Mob hit squads. It was also the former stomping grounds of gangster’s such as Bugsy Siegell. At about age 12, Gotti became an errand boy for a sketchy neighborhood club ran by Carmina Fatico, who was a captain in the Gambino family. The Gambino family was the biggest of the five Mafia families in New York City. During Gotti’s activities running errands for the club, he met his life-long mentor, Aniello Dellacroce. At this same time he joined a gang called the Fulton-Rockaway Boys. This youth gang was infamous for their carjacking’s and robberies. Once, when Gotti, age 14, was trying to steal a cement mixer for the gang, his toes...
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...meaning it has no particular designation it sits anywhere it can make the most profit, majority of the time it's happening right under your nose and you don't even notice it. Although it is national and may appear in different forms, it was the high profiled Mafia's collusion with law enforcement that helped shape up various acts of Congress. The Mafia worked to become imitations of police organization in the Italian ghetto areas of the burgeoning American cities of the industrial era (book,crim today). Members of the Mafia fled to the U.S and began forming criminal organizations here. Many meetings held in the U.S during the 1920s and 1930s helped settle the differences between Sicilians and Italians, define ways to prevent gang wars without violence and maximize profits(interview). The illegitimate manufacture and allocation of alcohol during temperance enhanced the wealth of innumerable criminals, setting the stage of criminal influence all over America. Bootleg alcohol fueled the work of organized crime the businesses were highly profitable for whomever was involved (young immigrants) which often was the stirred up the gang and mafia wars. Organized crime today is far beyond just alcohol and drugs, it has become an awful case of murder, fraud, theft, gambling, fencing, and various types of trafficking such as large-scale drug trafficking and human trafficking. Over time it has grown and changed the entire nature of criminal activity to not only becoming organized but also...
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...The mafia has been participating in a love/hate relationship with the world of illegal drugs for many years. For a number of years the moneymaking entity has been narcotics and earning the gross domestic product of most countries. However, right in the center of it all was the mafia. The Sicily Cosa Nostra has one of the most successful businesses that are drug related of course. The Sicily mafia earns approximately 130 billion Euros, nearly 165 billion, and profit approximately 70 billion euro in which adds up to 90 billion in American dollars (Wise, 2008). The earning is after all investments and expenses are deducted. The Sicily mafia is indeed one of the prevalent companies in Italy. Drug trafficking alone earning nearly 59 billion Euros year, which is considered to be one of the main sources of income for Sicily mafia as well as for other organized crime in general (Wise, 2008). The Sicily involvement in the illegal drug industry is so big that other methods have evolved. For instance, loan sharking. Loan sharking is one of the most recent activities that has been invented and up scaling to greater height as a source of income from the business sector (Wise, 2008). The mafia organization has stretch beyond your typical contraband, extortion, and drug dealing, but has gained access into different sectors of the legitimate economy (Wise, 2008). For instance, tourism, restaurants and food production (Wise, 2008). According to Confesercenti, the Sicily mafia alone is worth nearly...
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...in the United States: an alien conspiracy theory. It depicts organized crime as an underworld corporate enterprise comprised of ethnically or culturally distinct alien groups that corrupt fundamentally sound political and economic institutions (Mastrofski, 2010). Problems presented and the various relationships Organized crime presents a number of problems. Many organized crime families do operate within the family structure and this to an extent creates a less than desirable environment to raise children, organized criminals tend to gear their children into a negative lifestyle. Today's organized crime families are different than those that came about in the past. In the past, criminologists would examine La Cosa Nostra or the Italian Mafia, but criminal activity goes well beyond such crime families. Asian and Russian organizations enter the picture in the United States today. Asian gangs have become quite apparent in modern America. They seem to traffic in illegal goods and practices such as heroin, prostitution, and gambling (Bolz, 1995). They also engage in money laundering schemes (Bolz, 1995). This latter focus is at the heart of many crime organizations because they have to cover their tracks and make it appear as if everything they are doing is legal. Therefore, money laundering appears to be universal. Money laundering is also considered to be the key to the Russian Mafia's operations (Paddock, 1998). It is easy to see why problems are created in respect...
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...Organized Crime By Rita Goforth July 22, 2013 CJA/384 Criminal Organizations Instructor Jack Tandy When I think about organized crime and its very definition I immediately think of is the Italian Mafia, which has been portrayed in various articles, news casts, and historical culture and let’s not forget the many movies that have been made. This alone does not define what organized crime group are though I’m sure at one time it was the primary indicator for organized crime. Yet today this is not true at all and it would take multiple text books and research to explain it all because these groups have expanded so much. As defined by (Jay S. Albanese) organized crime functions as a continuing enterprise that rationally works to make a profit through illicit activities, and insures its existence through the use of threats or force and through corruption of law enforcement. Along with many other definitions that sometimes vary in small ways the consensus is generally the same. The way that I would define organized crime would be that it is any group that conducts illegal acts in order to gain a profit or personal gain. Simply put, organized crime groups are groups not only defined to the Mafia but other groups such as motorcycle clubs, gangs, terrorists and even some corporations, who act outside the law in order to gain, money property, status or anything else that benefits themselves but is done illegally. Take for example the motorcycle groups that traffic guns, drugs...
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...The traditional mafia, portrayed in movies like the Godfather and Goodfellas, has been broken down due to vicious Federal prosecution. It still exists, but its certainly not as powerful as it once was. However, different groups have formed that are much more ruthless. These groups are more willing to harm innocents rather than going after those who wronged them.The Italian mafia has been a prominent theme in the media for decades. Movies and shows that are usually the most talked about are The Godfather, Goodfellas, and the Sopranos. The media's portrayal of the mafia has created stereotypes for Italians that are socially accepted in American culture.Movies and shows like these create terrible stereotypes for Italian because these gangster lifestyles are glorified. Sadly, most Italians living in America today embrace these stereotypes instead of setting them right.These shows today often make a mockery about what the mafia actually stands for.These shows are often scripted so they can get more views. Some mafia tv portrayals are :Mob Wives, Amish Mafia, Mafia City, The Sopranos, and Boardwalk Empire. In todays American society stereotyping of most cultures is seen greatly in the media. Media such as: MTV's reality TV shows “Jersey Shore”, HBO series the “Sopranos”, VH1’s reality show “Mob Wives”, the movie “Goodfellas” and, “The Godfather” are some examples of when Americans began to misjudge Italians. Most of these movies and TV shows reflect badly on Italian culture. Going...
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...These two characters are Irish brothers that share a deep sense of their Catholic religion. Their names are Murphy and Connor McManus. Murphy and Connor are two ordinary men who are put in an extraordinary situation; Connor risks his own life to save the life of his brother. The situation starts from a bar fight with two Russian mafia soldiers. The Russians lose the fight with the two brothers; the next morning they come after the McManus brothers for revenge. Murphy and Connor kill the two men in self defense and go to the police station. While in the holding cell, they are given a message from a spiritual force to rid the world of evil men. From that moment they devote themselves to a battle between good and evil. Another important character is David Della Rocco, also known as the “Funny Man” or just Rocco. Rocco is a package boy for the Yakaveta family Italian mafia. The head of the Yakaveta family is “Papa” Joe Yakaveta. “Papa” Joe sets up Rocco in a situation to have him killed; Rocco finds out about “Papa” Joe’s plans and decides to join forces with Murphy and Connor in killing evil people. The killings are mainly focused towards men with mafia affiliations. Rocco tells the McManus brothers who to kill and where and to find them. Later in the movie, “Papa” Joe calls on “The Duke” to help him get rid of Rocco. Papa Joe captures the three men and kills Rocco. The Duke proceeds to attempt to kill Murphy and...
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...and 1992, 23 bosses from around the country were convicted under the law while between 1981 and 1988, 13 underbosses and 43 captains were convicted.[22] While this significantly crippled many Mafia families around the country, the most powerful families continued to dominate crime in their territories, even if the new laws put more mobsters in jail and made it harder to operate. With Sammy Gravano agreeing to cooperate with the FBI and turn state's evidence in 1991, he helped the FBI convict top Mafia leaders in New York. Although not the first Mafia member to testify against his peers, such a powerful mobster agreeing to do so set a precedent for waves of mobsters thereafter to break the code of silence to do the same; giving up information and testifying in exchange for immunity from prosecution for their crimes.[12][26] Aside from avoiding long prison stretches, the FBI could put mobsters in the United States Federal Witness Protection Program, changing their identities and supporting them financially for life. This led to dozens of mobsters testifying and providing information during the 1990s, which led to the imprisonment of hundreds of mobsters. As a result, the Mafia has seen a major decline in its power and influence in organized crime since the 1990s. In the 21st century, the Mafia has continued to be involved in a broad...
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...What is the Mafia? Some believe the word Mafia was the battle cry of an Italian rebellious group- this battle of cry was the following: "Morte all Francia Italia anelia!" (Italian for "death to the French is Italy's cry!") (www. gambino.com). Others defined the Mafia as, name for loose association of criminal groups, sometimes bound by blood oath and sworn to secrecy. (Microsoft Encarta 97). Despite both of these definitions the Mafia has evolved into a very complex and organized society of crime. Present time it doesn't represent Italian gangs, (even though that's what most people picture) it also includes Russian, Japanese and Chinese gangs just to mention a few. The purpose of this work is to describe some of the aspects of the Mafia. Throughout the course of this work I will use the Italian Mafia as my subject in order to exhibit my views more clearly. The history of the Mafia is sketchy but many believe that the Mafia was born in order to protect and help the less fortunate. The methods used to help and protect were, and still remain illegal. Today, the organization still continues to practice these acts or "rituals." The difference between early Mafia and modern Mafia, is that during late 1800's to early 1900's, the Mafia used these illicit crimes to help their families and the noble good less fortunate, now they abuse their power and distribute the "dirty money" in abundance amongst themselves. (keep in mind that the Mafia was born in Sicily, in a time where authorities...
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...of organised crime? Case study- Sicilian Mafia ‘Organized crime can simply mean systematic and illegal activity for power or profit. Today, however, the term is usually used in a second sense, and has become virtually synonymous with gangsters in general or the 'Mafia' or mafia-type organisations, in particular.’ (Woodwiss 2000:1) The term ‘Mafia’ often refers to an organised criminal syndicate or association that originally developed in Sicily during the nineteenth century at the end of feudalism when institutional reforms caused the diffusion of private properties without matching state enforcement. This analysis builds on the work of Gambetta (1993) who argues that the Sicilian Mafia originally sold landowners protection from attacks when State enforcement was unavailable and in such circumstances Mafia were used as a supplement for state failure. These protectors were so successful in their role that they resort to extorting money, by making crime and forcing the wealthy to buy their protection services. As a result they became an international organised criminal network, yet while it may be that the Mafia are viewed as an organized criminal syndicate, their very provision of protection can be seen as a legitimate business service and not organised crime. It is also the case that legitimate businesses co-exist with illegal ones, so it is not always simple to characterise the Mafia as organised crime. Additionally, the term Mafia alone has been used interchangeably with...
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...The Departed and the Irish Mob While not as talked about as the Italian mafia, the Irish Mob is just as violent and proficient in their ways. Taking place in South Boston, the departed depicts a fictitious, but only just, account of the struggle between the Massachusetts State Police and the Irish Mob. Leonardo Dicaprio’s character Billy Costigan is a new member of the MSP and is chosen to become an undercover officer because of his background. Costigan’s father was from South Boston, and Costigan spent time there as a child. He infiltrates the Irish Mob, headed by Jack Nicholson’s character Frank Costello. Frank is the violent head of the Irish Mob that seems to never really be convicted of his crimes. We later come to find out that is in part because of his status as an FBI informant. Costello has an informant in the MSP by way of Matt Damon’s character Colin Sullivan. Sullivan grew up in Costello’s neighborhood and Costello was almost a father figure to him. With his loyalty to Costello, Sullivan was convinced to join the MSP and feed information to Costello. As the movie progresses, both Sullivan and Costigan find out about each other as “rats”, but not necessarily each other’s identities until towards the end. Sullivan upon finding out who Costigan is, erases his file after the death of Captain Queenan at the hands of the Irish Mob and the dismissal of Sargent Dignam. In the end Barrigan, another one if Costello’s men on the inside, shoots Costigan and Sullivan’s partner...
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