The Rise and Fall of the Italian Mafia
La Cosa Nostra and the "Five Families" of which the surrounding area of New York City is comprised has drastically altered the culture in the region; transforming industries with brute force and attracting much public attention. Hollywood focuses on glamorizing the Mafioso lifestyle, distracting from the true nature of organized crime. Over the past decade, the key opportunities have been utilized by the Italian Mafia, resulting in a powerful behind-the-scenes dominance over many aspects we may not expect. "It's gonna be a Cosa Nostra."
"The Honored Society, or Mafia, as it was less often called, was a vast criminal brotherhood that had developed in Palermo and western Sicily independently of the Camorra of Naples." They developed on the East Coast, mainly in Manhattan, but weren't a force to be reckoned with until the 1920s. Prohibition in the U.S. intensified the public's thirst for liquor, and Mafioso Carlo Gambino, Joe Bonanno, Lucky Lusiano, and Tommy Lucchese immediately took advantage of this by quickly building stills, warehouses distribution centers, and trucking companies. These bosses made millions on the outcry for booze, and society as a whole began to rely on them for basic needs such as this. Such an operation also needed many laborers, and the crime families recruited as many immigrant workers and strong men as they could possibly hire. When prohibition ended, however, almost all gave up the liquor business and set their sights on other business.
The illegal businesses that the Mafia is especially invested in are: bootlegging, the distribution of moon-shine, narcotics distribution, extortion (focused on a range from domestic ocean ports to privately owned garbage-trucking companies), gambling, hijacking automobiles and goods from trucks, ghost-labor, and many more. To cover themselves incase of a Federal Investigation built up into a RICO trial, La Cosa Nostra also delved into many legitimate businesses. Global "organized crime is a
"The Honored Society, or Mafia, as it was less often called, was a vast criminal brotherhood that had developed in Palermo and western Sicily independently of the Camorra of Naples." They developed on the East Coast, mainly in Manhattan, but weren't a force to be reckoned with until the 1920s. Prohibition in the U.S. intensified the public's thirst for liquor, and Mafioso Carlo Gambino, Joe Bonanno, Lucky Lusiano, and Tommy Lucchese immediately took advantage of this by quickly building stills, warehouses distribution centers, and trucking companies. These bosses made millions on the outcry for booze, and society as a whole began to rely on them for basic needs such as this. Such an operation also needed many laborers, and the crime families recruited as many immigrant workers and strong men as they could possibly hire. When prohibition ended, however, almost all gave up the liquor business and set their sights on other business.
The illegal businesses that the Mafia is especially invested in are: bootlegging, the distribution of moon-shine, narcotics distribution, extortion (focused on a range from domestic ocean ports to privately owned garbage-trucking companies), gambling, hijacking automobiles and goods from trucks, ghost-labor, and many more. To cover themselves incase of a Federal Investigation built up into a RICO trial, La Cosa Nostra also delved into many legitimate businesses. Global "organized crime is a
Bibliography: Davis, John H.. Mafia Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the Gambino Crime Family. 1st ed. New York: HarperCollins, 1993. Maas, Peter. Underboss: Sammy The Bull Gravano 's Story of Life in the Mafia. 1st ed. New York: HarperCollins, 1997. Talese, Gay. Honor Thy Father. 1st ed. New York: World Publishing, 1971. Newsweek. "Sammy vs. Son of Sam." (July 28, 1997) 66-68 Time ------. "A Godfather goes to jail." (Sept. 16th, 1985) 41-42 ------ ------. "The Underworld is their Oyster " (Sept 3, 1990) 54-58 ------. "Wanted: a new godfather." (April 13th, 1992) 30-32 ------ ------. "Still the Teflon Don?..." (Dec. 24th, 1990" 19-21 The Economist (US) ------. "The Mafia and Garbage: Refuse you Cannot Offer." (Feb. 23rd, 1991) A27-30 The Rise and Fall of the Italian Mafia in New York City in the 20th Century