Write An Essay On The Mafia Family

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Not all families are determined by blood. In the Mafia, families are made up of both relatives and friends close enough to be considered family. The Mafia originated in Sicily, Italy with somewhat similar goals to those members have today. The Mafia eventually moved to the United States and is now also known as La Cosa Nostra. It has been greatly affected by various social and economic situations throughout history and has developed over time. The Mafia has ties from hundreds of years ago, it’s roots are in Sicily, it moved to the United States, and there are many different roles within a Mafia family (History.com Staff 1).

Some of the most important ideals held by Mafia members originated thousands of years ago. For example, in the first Punic War between Rome and Carthage in 241 B.C., Sicily was fought over. They made a treaty where Rome gained control of Sicily and Rome set up a system called Latifundia where different areas of land were placed under the jurisdiction of various gangs. The social structure of the …show more content…

Along with upholding their own system of law, groups would now focus on earning money as well. Several of these members got involved in bootlegging during the time of Prohibition and would illegally sell alcohol. Other various crimes Mafia families were involved in included loan-sharking, prostitution, and bribery. Members would bribe jurors, politicians, and officials. They attempted to infiltrate and even control various labor unions. These activities allowed their influence to spread greatly throughout various organizations. Families were very successful in their crimes due to bribery and the code of secrecy put in place once members joined which helped them stay out of the grasp of law-enforcement agencies. There were many different Mafia families, but each had a similar setup (History.com Staff

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