FREE ESSAY ON HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN MAFIA

HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN MAFIA

Imagine living in a world where crime ruled. A world where gangsters were more powerful
than politicians, owned the police, and ran the city in whatever way they felt. They
robbed whom they wanted and killed when they didn't get their way. Now stop imagining and
realize that this happened here in the United States of America in the 1920's. It was run
by an organization made up mainly of Italians called the Mafia. 
The word Mafia itself has many meanings. In Arabic it means "refuge", which refers to the
origins of the Mafia as a society that fled to the hills of Italy to avoid attack. Some
Italians hold it as a word of high respect implying strength, courage, agility,
quickness, endurance, and intelligence (Brief History 2). This is why being a member of
the Mafia is such an honor to its members. Another meaning of the word refers to the
Mafia's origins as an acronym in Italian, Morte Alla Franciese Italia Annela. This
translates to "Death to French is Italy's Cry" in reference to Italian's distaste for the
French during their invasions in the 1800's.
The Mafia originated in Sicily as a secret society to unite Sicilian natives against
invasions by France and Arabs in the late 1800's. These Mafia members led a revolt
against the French and Arabs and gained power over time. As time progressed, the Mafia
controlled the government, banks, and police activity and turned to crime for profit. A
Mafia-run Sicily prospered until the rise of Benito Mussolini. As an advocate of
socialism, he began to crack down on Mafia activity in Italy (Brief History 2). This
forced many of the prominent mob bosses to flee America where they would prosper for a
decade and a half.
As complicated as it might be, the Mafia revolves around one basic principle called
Omerta. Omerta is an oath in which every official member of the Mafia must be sworn in
under. This code states that all family-based activities are above all domestic family
matters in the home, it enforces silence, a strike upon another member is like a strike
on the boss himself. Violating any of these laws is punishable by death with no trial or
remorse (Whizkid01 3). This one value is what kept Mafia families powerful and
prosperous. 
As the Mafia grew in America, they prospered off illegal gambling and prostitution. It
wasn't until 1919 with the ratification of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution that
the Mafia really gained power. The 18th amendment banned the distribution and
manufacturing of alcoholic beverages in America (Prohibition 2). Although this amendment
meant nothing but good, it did the exact opposite to America. While politicians saw an
improved nation with this amendment, criminals saw green. Americans now thought drinking
as a thrill, it was something illegal that they can do but get away with. It was the rush
of getting away with it that made speakeasies so popular. Speakeasies were Mafia-run
entertainment clubs, consisting of an open bar of the finest bootlegged liquor along with
dining and entertainment (Prohibition 5). 
One of the most successful Mafia bosses involved in bootlegging and prostitution was
Charles "Lucky" Luciano. He was born in 1897 in Sicily, Italy. At the age of 9 he moved
to the Lower East Side of New York. In 1920 he began his own prostitution ring in New
York. By 1925 he had control of all the prostitution rackets in Manhattan. He moved into
bootlegging along with Meyer Lansky in 1931. That same year, he organized a meeting for
all the families in New York after the execution of his rival, Masseria in order to
maintain peace. The organization of the five families was based on Caesar's ruling of the
Roman Empire, enforcing organization and discipline and the code of Omerta. Although all
the money he made was illegal, Luciano still reported all taxes and kept his paper work
clean. However, he did not escape the wrath of the hungry Thomas E Dewey, a powerful
district attorney. The underworld mastermind was brought up on 90 charges of racketeering
but was released unscathed. Luciano and the US worked a deal where Luciano would expose
vital facts about Italy regarding a US invasion. "Lucky" was granted deportation to Italy
without prison time where he would perish in 1962 (Charles 3). 
Meyer Lansky was a man described by Luciano as "the toughest guy, pound for pound, I have
ever met". This was a lot to say about a Russian mob boss that stood only 5 feet tall.
Lanksy's intelligence, toughness, and organizational skills brought him to the top and
earned him respect from fellow New York crime bosses. Lansky began his criminal activity
in his teen years by studying gambling operations. Upon learning all the tricks, he would
hustle others out of their money using his wits. He became a blue-collar worker until the
Prohibition Era began. It was then that he turned to a full life of crime. Teaming up
with Bugsy Siegel, they formed a one-two combination of brains and brawn. Siegel and
Lansky were brought up under the wing of Anastasia Rothstein, the powerful New York boss
responsible for the fixing of the 1919 World Series (Meyer 3). Lanksy came up by forming
a liquor distribution business with Rothstein and Lucky Luciano. They would distribute
liquor to speakeasies and rival families and gain great profits and power. Upon the
repeal of prohibition with the ratification of the 21st Amendment, Lansky turned to
gambling. He helped develop gambling rackets in Saratoga, Arkansas, Las Vegas, New
Orleans, and Florida. He died at the age of 83, a rich man with assets in Cuba, Vegas,
and New York (Meyer 6).
Not only did Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky have a large influence on organized crime,
but the nation felt the wrath of Dutch Schultz as well. The "Dutchman" as he was called
began by driving beer trucks and bartending at speakeasies. He later became a beer
wholesaler, selling to his rivals. He gained a ruthless reputation by forcing his rivals
to buy from him. He set an example once by hanging a man by his thumbs and placing a
bandage dipped in ghonerrea discharge, later blinding the man (Dutch 2). Schultz would
then expand into shaking down each restaurant and taxing them. If they did not pay the
tax, the restaurant would be sabotaged or the owner would meet death. Schultz came under
serious heat from FBI for 4 years but they were unsuccessful in 2 tries of tax evasion.
The Dutchman met his downfall on October 23, 1935 when he was shot dead in his favorite
restaurant (
Perhaps the most infamous of all gangsters that operated during the Prohibition Era was
Alphonse "Scarface" Capone. He was born in 1899 to immigrant Italian parents in Brooklyn,
New York where he would reside until 1919. In that time he had joined the James Street
Gang, led by Jonny Torrio. Torrio would later move away but call Al in 1919 when Capone
was in trouble with the law (Alphonse 3). After that phone call Alphonse as his mother
called him would then move to Chicago to work as a bouncer at one of Torrio's night
clubs. Through the years Capone would become closer and closer to Torrio while gaining
power in the Chicago mob syndicate. When Torrio was hospitalized and retired he gave the
family business to Capone, took 30 million dollars with him and moved back to New York
(Alphonse 4). "Scarface" as he was called due to 3 large scars on the side of his face
aquired in a bar fight was now the most powerful mobster in Chicago. He gave the people
what they wanted, booze, prostitution and gambling and became a star and a millionaire. 
Although it seemed like it was impossible for Al Capone to be hated by the public, he
quickly lost his popularity after one of the bloodiest recorded days of February. This
day is now called "The St. Valentine's Day Massacre". Capone felt that his enemy, Bugs
Moran needed to be eliminated. The plan was to negotiate a false liquor deal and take him
out. The gunmen dressed up as police to raid the deal, stood 7 of Moran's men on the wall
and opened fire. Lucky for Bugs he was a block away running late. Reports of this
massacre ran rampant through Chicago but no connection could be made to Capone as he sat
in his Miami home, thousands of miles away from any massacre. This brought bad publicity
to Capone and all mobsters, as murder was not something the public loved about him.
Capone died in 1947 in Miami after suffering a brain hemorrhage (Alponse 7). 
Even past the mob's height of success, there are alleged ties between the Mafia and the
35th president of the United States, John F Kennedy. Chicago mob boss "Momo" Johnson did
Kennedy a favor by "raising the dead" and stuffing the ballots in the 1960 presidential
election where JFK won by 1/10th of a point. Kennedy then made the mistake of
disassociating himself from his Mafia associates and refused to return the favor. These
alleged acts form an assassination theory pointing the finger at the Mafia for the hit.
It was not only because of the un-returned favors, but JFK and his brother Bobby who was
attorney general led a crackdown on organized crime. Convictions involving the mob soared
from 35 to 288 in 2 years. This did not make Mafia leaders happy, which is an acceptable
motive for Kennedy's assassination (Fox 308). 
The speculation surrounding Kennedy's assassination is visible in the film. JFK is first
hit in the throat and bounces forward. The fatal shot came from the front making it
obvious that there must have been two shooters, going against the Warren Commission's
reports blaming Lee Harvey Oswald for the killing. With hundreds of investigations and
dozens of theories, perhaps no one will ever know the truth. 
In conclusion, the Mafia made a great impact on society in its more prosperous days.
During prohibition, the Mafia forced the development of the ATF as well as Hoover's
development of the FBI. They had ties with a president and could be responsible for his
assassination. Their impact stretched amongst the decades and will continue as long as
they have power.
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