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Organized Crime Essay, Research Paper

Organized

Crime

History of Organized Crime

For my report I choose the topic organized crime. I thing organized crime is

a big part of this worlds life and economy. The world can not live with it and

cannot live with out it. For my report I am going to write about the history of the

mafia, and name some of the major crime families.

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 boundries; it exists in all cultures, is committed by all races, and has

existed in all time periods. Crime exists as a part of the economic institution and is

a lifestyle for many people. Crime also exists in both organized and un organized

forms. Since the early 1900’s, “organized” crime has existed in the United States.

The following will show where, when, and why the mafia came to the United

States, who organized it in the United States, and how it differed from its origins in

the European mafia.

In the ninth century, Sicily was occupied by Arab forces. The native

Sicilians were oppressed and took refuge in the surrounding hills. The Sicilians

formed a secret society to unite the natives against the Arab and Norman invaders.

This secret society was called Mafia after the Arabic word for refuge. The society’s

intentions were to create a sense of family based on ancestry and Sicilian heritage.

In the 1700’s, pictures of a black hand were distributed to the wealthy. This was an

unspoken request for an amount of money in return for protection. If the money

wasn’t paid, the recipients could expect violence such as kidnappings, bombings,

and murder. By the nineteenth century, this society grew larger and more

criminally oriented. In 1876, Mafia Don Rafael Palizzolo, ran for political office in

Sicily. He forced the voters to vote for him under gunpoint. After being elected

into office, he promoted Mafia Don Crispi as Prime Minister. Together the two put

Sicily under government control and funnelled government funds to the society

known as the Mafia.

In the 1800’s, New Orleans was the largest Mafia site in the United States. It

was while investigating the murder of an Italian immigrant that the current Police

Chief, David Hennessey discovered the existence of this secret society. Police

Chief Hennessey was assassinated before this murder case could go to trial.

Twelve men were charged with this assassination but were lynched by a newly

formed vigilante group. The Italian Ambassador demanded that the vigilantes be

tried. President Harrison who disproved of the vigilantes and gave a large cash

settlement to the families of the lynched men. This was a widely publicized case

because of its’ foreign ramifications and the involvement of the President of the

United States. Don Vito, Vito Cascio Ferro, was the first Sicilian Capo de Tutti

Capi. He fled to the United States in 1901 to escape arrest and formed a group of

the Black Hand. Its’ members were hardened criminals currently fugitives from

Sicily. He is known as the Father of the American Mafia. In 1924, Mussolini was

determined to rid Italy of the Mafia so many members fled to the United States to

avoid persecution . This increased the numbers of members in the organization.

These fleeing Italians were well aware there was money to be made in the

United States through extortion, prostitution, gambling and bootlegging. Every

large city soon had its own Mafia chapter. Prohibition which was a legal ban on

the manufacturer and sale of intoxicating drinks generated a wave of illegal

activity since there was big money to be made. During this time, gangsters openly

flaunted their wealth and power. This period established many young men as

leaders in the New Age American Mafia.

Charles Luciano, born in 1897 in Sicily, came to New York in 1906. He

trained in the Five Points Gang, a Mafia crew, under John Torrio. In this gang, he

became friends with Al Capone and other prominent gangsters. Luciano started his

own prostitution racket in the early 1920’s and was in total control of prostitution

in Manhattan by 1925. In 1929 he was kidnapped, beaten and stabbed severally

with an icepick. He miraculously survived but maintained “omerta”, which is a

vow never to reveal any Mafia secrets or members under penalty of death or

torture. By 1935, Luciano was known as The Boss of Bosses. He had previously

established Murder Inc. with Bugsy Siegel and Myer Lansky, two other well

known gangsters. Luciano’s wide spread criminal activities led to his being

investigated by District Attorney Thomas E. Dewey. He was eventually sentenced

to thirty to fifty years for extortion and prostitution. Luciano was considered to be

a powerful Mafia member with strong ties to Sicily. After his conviction, the

United States government approached him with a deal. In exchange for his

assistance in the Allied invasion of Sicily, he was offered deportation to Rome.

Luciano contacted his Mafia associates in Italy and the deal was made. Luciano

died of a heart attack in 1962 while meeting an American movie producer to do his

life story.

Myer Lansky was never an initiated member of the Mafia since he was not

Italian. Lansky became a close associate of Luciano after his rise to power and

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