The Birth of Organized Crime

Immigration and Prohibition: 1920’s 18 th Amendment gave organized crime an opportunity to make a name for themselves by making, selling and transporting liquor Sicilian Mafia in Italy was under attack by Benito Mussolini – Some escaped to the U.S. Sicilian Mafia / U.S. Mafia: 2 separate entities – U.S. mob families did adopt old-country practices: Omerta

American Mafia Gets Organized Late 1920’s: Castellammarse War, NY – Won by Sicilian born Salvatore Maranzano: “capo di tutti capi” (boss of all bosses) – Murdered by Lucky Luciano Established the Commission

Hierarchy At the top of “family” was The Boss 2 nd in command: Underboss Capos or Captains –E–Each controlled a crew of 10 or more soldiers –E–Each soldier had to be a “made” man Inducted into the family Bottom were Associates – Not full members

Rituals Becoming a “made man:” – Ritual of cutting the hand and holding it over a burning picture of a Saint Must be Italian – Some crime families only required lineage from the father’s side. Lifetime commitment Obey Omerta

Mafia’s 20 th Century Dominance Prohibition repealed in 1933 –M–Mafia moved beyond bootlegging to illegal gambling, loan-sharking, prostitution rings, and drug trafficking Mid 20 th Century: 24 crime families w/5,000 members FBI was naive to the Mob: very little government intrusion

Taking Down the Mafia 1970 Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act – Allowed prosecutors to go after crime families and their sources of revenue 80’s & 90’s: Mafiosi who faced life prison sentences broke Omerta and testified against fellow mobsters in exchange for placement in the FBI Witness Protection Program Italian neighborhoods shifted demographically.