Gang Violence In The Godfather

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The American crime film “The Godfather,” created in 1972, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and produced by Albert S. Ruddy, greatly depicts the formation of gangs and gang violence as well as the American immigration experience. Don Vito Corleone plays an integral part in the movie as the mafia boss. He is well respected in the community, always dressed in his fine suits as he handles many favors on behalf of his friends. Though before he immigrated to America and gained his title as the mafia boss he was a poor young boy in Sicily. The reason in which many foreigners wish to immigrate to America is simple. Individuals foresee a better life in the United States; granting more opportunities, a future for their children and families, also most importantly for safety. Although Vito Corleone may have risen to the top he subjected himself and his family to danger as he led the Italian Mafia. There are five families in this movie that can be described as gangs, because they follow the criteria which make-up a gang as according to Thrasher. He states in “Gangland,” that a gang “is characterized by the following types of behavior: meeting face to face, milling, movement through space as a unit, conflict and planning” (57.)