Sicilian Mafia Research Paper

The Sicilian mafia is an adult crime organization that started out on the island of Sicily and has evolved throughout its existence. The origins of the Sicilian mafia can be traced back to monetary opportunity, the Sicilian government structure, economic status and specific strategic geographic locations. The Sicilian mafia was originally comprised of several disorganized groups within the isolated and rugged terrain of western feudal Sicily during the nineteenth century (Buonanno, Durante, Prarolo, & Vanin, 2012). This part of the island was the primary source of the exports of citrus fruits and sulfur reserves, which were becoming increasingly more popular at the time (Buonanno, et al., 2012). Due to the nature of this terrain, it was

Once Mussolini was in power he tried to “purge” the mafia (Britz, et al., 2006, p.31). This purge by Mussolini lead to the breakdown of the Neopolitan camorra while the Sicilian mafia managed to survive (Britz, et al., 2006). The camorra never recovered and are “relatively powerless” today (Britz, et al., 2006, p.30). However, Mussolini’s purge failed in multiple ways. The first being that the mafia rose back into power after Mussolini left office due to the same reason they originally rose to power, lack of social order. While in office Mussolini failed to provide “government policy and social order” (Britz, et al., 2006, p. 31). The second failure of Mussolini’s purge was that the mafia once again adapted and became more organized. An additional failure of the purge is that mafia members fled Sicily to the United States (Britz, et al., 2006). Once in the United States there was a consistent reason for members joining La Cosa Nostra (LCN) in America, just as there was in Sicily. Generally people that joined LCN in America came from “an impoverished or working-class background” which was similar to the lower socio-economic class background of Sicilian LCN members (Britz, et al., 2006, p. 33). After the American faction of the Italian mafia was established, they proceeded to evolve just like the Sicilians did. The American mafia was more subtle than that of the

This act enabled the American mafia to grow in power by the mafia producing profits from bootlegging booze across America. Through these profits the American mafia produced an “economic foundation” that has helped them “flourish to this day” (Britz, et al., 2006, p. 29). The American mafia’s pursuit of power and money did not stop there. Several decades later the American mafia would team up with the Sicilian mafia in the drug trafficking of heroin. This occurrence would come to be known “the Pizza Connection” because the heroin was being smuggled through New York pizzerias (Britz, et al., 2006). This case struck a blow to both the Sicilian mafia and the American mafia when high ranking officials from both sides went to