What Is The Mafia And Is It

What Is The Mafia, And Is It A Major Part Of American Society. Essay, Research Paper

What is the Mafia. Many people ponder the true definition of .Mafia.. The literal translation of the word .Mafia. means .my daughter.. According to Rick Porello of American Mafia.com, the 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 “commission,” composed of bosses of numerous families, mostly New York, was the overseeing authority for all of the other La Cosa Nostra families. The Mafia has its roots in Sicily, and South Italy where the larger and more powerful Sicilian Mafia operates. .With Prohibition came the birth and growth spurt of nationally organized crime. Newly conceived Mafia families jockeying for power were waging battles that killed scores, frightened citizens, and gave birth to screaming headlines and grand funeral processions never before experienced in the New World. But it all began years ago and miles away..(Porello, AmericanMafia.com) Vito Cascio Ferro is adhered to be the one man essentially responsible for establishing the communication between the Sicilian and U.S. Mafia (or the “Black Hand” as it was known in the early 1900’s). In 1900, Cascio Ferro came to New York with security from the Inglese family after having ascertained himself in the honored society in Sicily where he was accused of kidnapping, extortion, arson, and threatening officials. (Murderinc.com)

Basic operations of most Mafia families include extortion, labor rackets, hijacking, high-class robberies, gambling, narcotics trafficking, racketeering, contractual murder, and more recently, stock market frauds. In the stock market frauds, Mafiosi find out ahead of time what the fate of the stock is, whether it will decrease, increase, or split (when the stock, becomes double).

The five principal Mafia families are the New York families. The names of these families are The Bonanno Family, The Colombo Family, The Gambino Family, The Lucchese Family, and The Genovese Family. Out of all of these, the Genovese family is the omnipotent family, the Gambino being the second, Lucchese being the third, Colombo being the fourth, and Bonanno being the fifth. Other New York families are the Buffalo Faction. Other main families are, the Bruno family located in Philadelphia, Dragna Family located in Los Angeles, Balistrieri family in Milwaukee, Trafficante family of Florida. Another major faction is the Chicago faction. They also are one of the most dangerous Mafiosi in the United States. Al Capone, probably the most notable Mafia boss in U.S. history, once controlled this faction. .There are forty to fifty .made men. in the outfit. They are said to be forging new alliances with the other ethnic criminals, like the Russian mobs and the Chinese triads..(Porello, Americanmafia.com) There are many other factions and families, but most of them do not have a family name like the others. Some of the other families with names are so inconsequential, that the FBI has not posted their name.

When some people think of the Mafia, they think of New York City, or maybe Chicago. However, for a long time, there were roughly twenty-six American Mafia “families” going strong across the United States and in Canada. The .Mafia Cities. are New York NY, Buffalo NY, Rochester NY, Chicago IL, Rockford IL, Cleveland OH, Dallas TX, Milwaukee WI, Boston MA, New Orleans LA, St Louis MO, Kansas City MO, Denver CO, Tampa FL, San Jose CA, Los Angeles CA, San Francisco CA, Pittsburgh PA, Philadelphia PA, Scranton PA, Wilkes-Barre PA, Pittston PA, and Detroit MI. There are also families in Miami FL, and unessential groups in Las Vegas NA.

The current bosses are Joseph Massino of the Bonanno Family. The boss of the Gambino Family is in dispute at this point to due to the fact that John Gotti Jr., (son of famous John Gotti Sr.), has been indicted on charges of racketeering, and conspiracy. The boss of the Genovese Family is Dominick .Quiet Dom. Cirillo. The boss of the Colombo family is Andrew Russo. The boss of the Lucchese Family is Steve DeFede. John .No Nose. DiFronzo is postulated to be the new boss of the infamous Chicago faction.

Some of the bosses are under investigation except for Cirillo, and Massino. .Steve DeFede has been indicted on charges of racketeering. John Gotti Jr. has been indicted on racketeering and conspiracy. Andrew Russo was leveled with a racketeering, obstruction of justice, and jury tampering charge against him.. (AmericanMafia.com)

There are also numerous famous mob bosses throughout history. Carlo Gambino was the boss of the Gambino family who silently led his family to the top of the rest of the families. Charles .Lucky. Luciano was Genovese family boss who integrated the Sicilian and Italian mobs after a major Mafia war in New York. Luciano was the man who devised the National Mafia Syndicate. Santo Trafficante was boss of the Tampa family who was heavily involved in the Havana casinos and in all likelihood in the JFK assassination. Alphonse .Scarface. Capone was the disreputable Chicago gangster who procured his notoriety during the time of Prohibition by use of his brutality. Albert Anastasia, Gambino boss who started Murder Inc., the organizat