Italian Mafia
ITCS101
Research Paper
The definition of Mafia is "a group of people of similar interests or backgrounds prominent in a particular field or enterprise" (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Mafia). The Mafia began as "a secret criminal society of Sicily or Italy" and eventually there was a "similarly conceived criminal organization in the United States" (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Mafia). There is no denying that the face of organized crime has changed throughout history. In spite of these changes, ideas about family and loyalty have remained a relentless aspect of the culture of organized crime. By illustrating American derivations of the Italian Mafia, such as The Sopranos and The Godfather, we will explore the ways in which customary perspectives of the family have molded the Mafia and other criminal organizations. The Mafia evolved over hundreds of years in Sicily. In the mid-nineteenth century, Sicilians joined together in groups and began to rely on "family ties" to protect themselves, keep themselves safe, and carry out their own justice in a place where the Italian government was just recently trying to establish itself. In Sicily, the expression "mafioso," at first had no criminal implications and was utilized to refer to an individual who was suspicious of those in a position of power. Eventually the group turned into the brutal criminal organization referred to today as the Sicilian Mafia. (Ott 291-294) The American Mafia, or Cosa Nostra, which translates to "this thing of ours", came of power in the 1920s. The American Mafia originated as a result of the Prohibition Era, when the Eighteenth Amendment of the US Constitution banned the sale, production, importation and transportation of alcohol and an enormous opportunity arose for organized crime. The American Mafia is a separate entity from the Mafia in Italy. However, they share the same traditions as the Italian Mafia such as omerta, the code of silence (Lunde 118-119). The
Research Paper
The definition of Mafia is "a group of people of similar interests or backgrounds prominent in a particular field or enterprise" (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Mafia). The Mafia began as "a secret criminal society of Sicily or Italy" and eventually there was a "similarly conceived criminal organization in the United States" (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Mafia). There is no denying that the face of organized crime has changed throughout history. In spite of these changes, ideas about family and loyalty have remained a relentless aspect of the culture of organized crime. By illustrating American derivations of the Italian Mafia, such as The Sopranos and The Godfather, we will explore the ways in which customary perspectives of the family have molded the Mafia and other criminal organizations. The Mafia evolved over hundreds of years in Sicily. In the mid-nineteenth century, Sicilians joined together in groups and began to rely on "family ties" to protect themselves, keep themselves safe, and carry out their own justice in a place where the Italian government was just recently trying to establish itself. In Sicily, the expression "mafioso," at first had no criminal implications and was utilized to refer to an individual who was suspicious of those in a position of power. Eventually the group turned into the brutal criminal organization referred to today as the Sicilian Mafia. (Ott 291-294) The American Mafia, or Cosa Nostra, which translates to "this thing of ours", came of power in the 1920s. The American Mafia originated as a result of the Prohibition Era, when the Eighteenth Amendment of the US Constitution banned the sale, production, importation and transportation of alcohol and an enormous opportunity arose for organized crime. The American Mafia is a separate entity from the Mafia in Italy. However, they share the same traditions as the Italian Mafia such as omerta, the code of silence (Lunde 118-119). The
Cited: 1. Ott, Serena, ed. Italian Culture and Society: Coursepack. Buford, GA: LAD Custom Publishing, 2012. 2. Lunde, Paul. Organized Crime. New York: DK Publishing Inc, 2004. Print. First American Edition. 3. Gardner, Gerald, and Harriet Modell. Gardner. The Godfather Movies: A Pictorial History. New York: Wings, 1993. Print. 4. Chase, David. "College." The Sopranos. HBO. 7 Feb. 1999. Television. 5. Jones, Cassandra. "From The Nanny to The Sopranos: Stereotypes, Ethnicity, and American Television." - Inside Chico State. Public Affairs and Publications, 25 Oct. 2012. Web. 06 July 2014. <http://www.csuchico.edu/inside/2012-10-25/chiara-ferrari.shtml>. 6. "Mafia." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 6 July 2014. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Mafia>.