Organized Crime From Sicily To The United States
Organized Crime From Sicily To The United States
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 boundaries; 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 unorganized forms. Since the early 1900's, "organized" crime has existed in the United States. The following literature review 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 Sicilian mafia.
We all know that groups or organizations had to have started in some form, so the following will describe the process of how the mafia was started in Sicily, which will furthermore make its debut in the United States. In the ninth century, Arab forces occupied Sicily. 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 termed 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 the ‘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 (boss of the mafia family) 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 funneled government funds to the society known as the Mafia.
Don 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...