mafia Essay -- essays research papers

Their guns terrorized the streets of New York. They were murderous, brutal thugs that killed with no feelings of remorse. They were bank-robbers, drug cut acrossers, casino owners, hit men and pimps. They were the Mafia of the 1920s and 1930s. These degenerates played an important authority in American history, they were more than just bank-robbers and gunslingers, and they were men that affected all facets of society. They were celebrities, some of the most recognized men in America. Their evil deeds run into the front page of every newspaper. They were some of the richest men in America, but most of all they were the scapegoats for Americas problems. They were hated by many, respected by few and feared by all. In times of poverty and despair, they were looked upon as the "problem", which collected to be "fixed". The fear they imposed on America gave Americans something to unite over and stir up against together. Sometimes, a person is most courageous when they are most fearful. They made America "roar" in the twenties and they took "the wrath" of thirties. They were some of Americas most touch-and-go men and some of its most famous as well. In order to obtain an objective view towards the Mafia, one must know a low about its history. The Mafia was first started in the ninth century, in Sicily. At this time, Arab forces were occupying Sicily. The natives were being oppressed, so they took refuge in the surrounding hills and formed a closed book society to protect against the foreign invaders. This secret society was named Mafia, after the Arabic word for refuge. The societys intentions were to create a sense of family, based on ancestry and Sicilian heritage. During the 1700s, Mafia leaders began to force their way to the head positions in the Sicilian government and used government funds for their own private endeavours. In the ahead of time 1900s, when Mussolini and the Fascists came to power, he vowed to rid the cou ntry of all the Mafia. Keeping this in mind, and the fact that there was money to be made through extortion, prostitution, gambling and bootlegging in the United States, many Mafiosos decided to come west to America. Charles "Lucky" Luciano, the eventual organizer of the New York Mafia, was born in Sicily in 1897, and came to New York. Luciano climbed the "criminal foot race" and by 1935, he was known ... ...titution was so profitable, because it offered the most easily marketable and vendible product in the world sex. The Mafia used the prostitutes as tools to make more business. They placed their "girls" throughout their clubs, so they could lure some high roller in the back for a drink or two. They worked the bars, and listened to lonely affectionateness class men who needed a shoulder to cry on. They were on the streets mingling with the crowd, looking for their next perverted customer. The bosses often used prostitutes to "sweeten" deal betwee n rival leaders or crooked politicians. They were as dangerous as the trained killers were, because they possessed something more powerful than guns. They were just as ruthless as the men that put holes in peoples heads they only came in a nicer package. The Mafia men of the 1920s and 1930s were some of the most influential men in American history. They robbed banks, killed people, stole, cheated, lied and corrupted an already corrupt country. They were not role models, and they did not aspire to be. They were businessmen, men who had only two objectives, money and power. They saw a need for something and they produced it.