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Emergence and the strengthening of the Mafia families in Sicily

January 22, 2016 by admin in

The Mafia is known to have originated from Sicily and hence, it is termed to be their motherland. The beautiful land of Sicily located within the Mediterranean Sea is said to be infested with limitless series of assassinations, crime and vendetta. Sicilian Mafia is considered to be around 100 Mafia Family’s loose confederation, with every family claiming sovereignty over a specific territory, generally a bigger city’s neighborhood, town or village. The single Mafia families had been the only rule bodies in the region for several years and remained actual centers of powers, although subordinate bodies had been created in 1950’s such as Sicilian Mafia Commission.

Role models or criminals!

Majority of the Sicilian population had regarded the Mafia to  be role models for everyone and not as mere criminals, someone who can be imitated and followed, since the weak, poor and oppressed were not offered any protection from the ruling government. Even during the 1950s, the Mafioso was regarded by the common people with high respect, someone who stood for greatness of characters, defense of rights and respect of law. The Mafia in Sicily once had stood for something such as honor, pride and also social responsibility. At the same time, being a Mafioso did mean, being generous, noble and honorable.

Re-emergence of the Mafia in Sicily

It was the aftermath of the 1848 and 1860 revolution that Sicily had was into complete anarchy and disorder. During the revolt, the early Mafia families, being small outlaw bands had offered their services to fight to curb the revolt. The reason behind it was to avail the opportunity to have their police records and other evidences to be burnt up and to kill those witnesses and police in the ensuing chaos. But then a new government had been established, thereby making it impossible for the group to carry out their intended plans without state retaliation and prosecution. Hence, during the 19th century’s latter half, they started to have their techniques and methods to be refined. They found protecting local nobility’s large estates and lemon groves to be lucrative business. Their core area of operation then was Palermo, Sicily’s capital, however, their dominance due to patronization from the nobles got them to spread across Sicily. It was in the mid 19th century that the Mafia Families started to strengthen their bond between one another and formed organizations, so as to enhance greater profits and derive safer working condition for everyone.

American Mafia Story

August 29, 2013 by Reporter in

I grew up in a poor family. We had just come over to the United States from Sicily. Not a dime in our pocket; just another foreigner looking for Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. My family made it to New York in 1922. My father had taken a loan from a local Loan Shark and put us all in a massive debt. Every few days some guys would rough up my father in the alleyway for the money he owed the loan shark… One day, around the normal time, the men showed up again. They asked for my father and he stepped outside. They began beating him right there in front of me. I watched as multiple haymakers landed on my fathers face. One of the two men was swinging so wildly his gun fell out of his coat and onto the pavement at my feet… I reached down and shot the man right in his chest… As he fell to the ground, the other man looked up and ran around the corner and disappeared… My father lay there… Not moving. No breathing. Lifeless. He was gone.

 

The pressure of making money for the family fell onto my shoulders… An eighteen-year-old boy… I kept the gun that I used to kill the Shark with. For protection from any further attempts made on my family by the loan shark…

 

The next day, I went to the church. It was a Sunday morning. Confession time. I prayed for the strength to help my family and told the priest what I had done the day before… I told him about the anger I felt seeing my fathers lifeless corpse laid on the ground… The loneliness I felt when I saw a drop of blood spill from his mouth after taking several blows to the head… As I left the church and headed home, I noticed about ten men standing outside of our apartment block. All dressed in nice suits… As I approached the men, one of them yelled, “There he is. That’s the boy who killed Johnny!” All of the men pulled weapons and pointed them at me, all except for one. He stepped forward and asked for my name. He explained that he is a very powerful man in this city… He is called Don Leonardo… One of the Mafia bosses in New York. I had shot one of his men… He calmly explained that, since I was the one who killed one of his associates that I was going to take his place…

 

He said there would be great pay into it. And as soon as I paid the debt off that my father owed, the rest would be pure profit… I had no choice but to agree with nine gunmen staring at me down the sights of their guns. I was told to come to an abandoned warehouse on the harbor as soon as possible. I had no transportation to get there, and no money for a taxi… I had to walk. The men jumped into their cars and sped away… I began the long walk across town to get to the designated warehouse… Thirty minutes later, I was walking down the street. I could see the warehouse. It wasn’t but thirty feet away from me when a young boy bumped into me. I felt his hand reach into my pocket simultaneously. He snatched for my wallet and began running with it… Just as this happened, an older man about thirty-five years old also bumped into my shoulder. I fell down with by the force from him hitting me. I looked over where the boy was running and the man was in hot pursuit. He leaped and fell on top of the young boy. I heard him yelling and the boy gave up my wallet.

 

As the man walked back towards me, he brandished the wallet in front of my face. He explained that it wouldn’t happen again. The man said that the boy didn’t know I was working for Mr. Leonardo.

 

I walked into the warehouse and was met by a smiling Don Leonardo. He walked towards me and said he was glad I showed up. He didn’t want to hunt me down and put two in my eyes for not being here. Leonardo wanted me to prove my loyalty. I had to go mug a citizen on the streets… It didn’t matter who it was, he just wanted to wet my toes in this business.

I left the warehouse looking for a victim… I sat in a nearby alley and waited for someone to walk down unsuspecting… Twenty minutes passed and I was growing impatient. I was about to change locations when a man turned down the alleyway. I hid behind a wall and waited for him to pass me. As he took a step by me, I hit him on the back of his head. He fell to the floor and I began searching for his wallet. I found it and searched it, only to find $20 in it… I turned and started jogging off… I heard him call “Hey Boy…” Out of curiosity, I turned and looked over my shoulder. He had stood to his feet and pulled a pistol out on me. He began shooting at me and I heard bullets whiz passed my head. I turned back around and sprinted to get out of the alleyway. Bullets were hitting gutters as I ran passed them.

I made it out safely. I ran to the warehouse and told Leonardo that the man only had $20 and that I just survived an attempted murder. Leonardo said that there would be plenty more attempted murders on my head in the future. “Get used to it.” He said…

 

I was just a lowly thug for now, but if I put hard work in, donate to my new family, and remain respectful and loyal all the same, I will reach high lengths in this business. No matter how many prostitution rings I have to run, or banks I have to heist. No matter how many murders I have to perform, or muggings I need to make. No matter how many friends I have, or how many enemies I create. I am going make It in this business by Crimes, Murder, and by selling Drugs… Eventually I’ll have my own family once my boss thinks I am ready. It must be earned; I can’t just expect one given to me… I will work for it.