Organized crime did however, come to this country in the form of the Mafia. In 1878 the Italian authorities cracked down on the Mafia on the Island of Sicily. Many of these men fled to the United States. These Italian immigrants set up shop in various cities within the United States. In Italy, the Mafia had offered shopkeepers protection against theft and damage of their merchandise, in return for a share of the profits. They continued this protection racket once on U.S. soil, in the ethnic neighborhoods. (Ryan, 1995)

In the form of the Mafia, organized crime flourished in the United States. After entering the United States, many of these criminals established new crime families throughout the land. As early as 1891 the Mafia was responsible for the killing of the police commissioner in New Orleans. (Ryan, 1995)

One reason for the obvious success of the Maf

All of the 24 bosses know one another personally, and their families are usually related by marriage. The Mafia boosts a membership of 5,000 with 2,000 of these members residing in New York.(Talese, 1971) Of the 24 bosses nine of them form a “commission.” Any time an important decision needs to be made, or there is a dispute between “Families,” the commission will convene to settle the matter. The commission is also responsible for appointing a new boss if it becomes necessary. (Cressey, 1969)

The Mafia has many unwritten codes, which its members are expected to adhere to. Some members who had served in the military found that Mafia principles were much like the United States military code, emphasizing honor, obedience, and silence if captured. (Talese, 1971) According to Joe Valachi, a Mafia member who testified before a Congressional committee, new members would pledge, “I swear to be loyal to my brothers, never to betray them, and if I fail, may I burn and be turned to ashes like the ashes of the image.” The image is that of a saint on a page that the member would hold while taking said oath. (Ryan, 1995)

ia is the traditional social system, which is organized by action and cultural values that are not based on corporate or bureaucratic principles. (Abadinsky, 1990) A complex hierarchy is maintained:

In November of 1957, a New York state trooper happened on a meeting of the “commission” of the Mafia. All the bosses met on a small farm in a little town called Apalachin, owned by Joseph Barbara. The trooper witnessed expensive cars going in with out-of-state license plates and tried to get a closer look. He was spotted and the commission members fled into the woods. Fifty-eight people were captured, and although the police found no contraband whatsoever, these people had a combined total of $300,000.00 cash. Again the Mafia was on the front page of every newspaper in the country. (Ryan, 1995)

Anoth

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