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How Chicago Mafia Impacted The 1900s Culture And Society Of America

1246 Words5 Pages

Roman Colleton
Mrs. Manatos
English II
21 May 2023
How the Chicago Mafias Impacted the 1900s Culture and Society of America
"Mafia is a process, not a thing. Mafia is a form of clan - cooperation to which it's individual members pledge lifelong loyalty....Friendship, connections, family ties, trust, loyalty, obedience - this was the glue that held us together." ~ Joseph Bonanno, aka (Joe Bananas) , is a notorious mobster known for his hard-headed personality. The mafia is a prestigious organized crime group, that has close ties with political figures and “elites”. Chicago's mafias rose to power through bootlegging, corruption, and political arrangements. The Italian mafia negatively impacted American culture within Chicago during the 1920s …show more content…

About 40% of all Chicago policemen's death is from the 1900s era, as stated by the Chicago Police Department. Notably, men of the mafia had access to multiple assets to evade the law. According to Humbert in an article about the mafia, he states “The professional criminal knew, or had ready access to lawyers who knew, the nuances of the law and how to avoid retribution for antisocial actions. He had money and connections with politicians, as well as with corrupt policemen, who would delay or circumvent efforts to bring him to justice. He also could arrange intimidation of witnesses and victims so that they kept silent” (Humbert). Criminals could get away with crimes, by bribing officials, intimidating victims and witnesses, and having corrupt policemen on their side. The Chicago laws were no match for the mafia at that time, as a result, they failed in their mission to help and serve society. In short, the Chicago police force and lawmakers failed to tame the Mafia. This resulted in young Italian Americans not only in Chicago but, around the world, facing discrimination for being Italian. Again, like their Italian immigrant family before themselves, a new wave of racism/discrimination is started for more generations of Italian Americans caused by the …show more content…

Many crimes in the 90s were committed to send fear through people. The people of that time were scared of Italian Americans because of this the Italians of Chicago were stereotyped as more aggressive and hostile. Furthermore, McDonough states, “The prime example was the St. Valentine's Day Massacre of February 14, 1929. The killers were dressed as police officers, which led some to believe at first that policemen were actually responsible for the murders Police Commissioner William F. Russell immediately stated that the suspicion was a great challenge to the Police Department.” (McDonough) Through murders and deceiving the Chicago public both the people and authorities alike were fooled, by the Mafia. By highlighting the events that took place on February 14, 1929, the mafia's presence is undeniable. The mafia used criminal behavior to send a widespread message of their complete dominance of the Chicago

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