What is the mafia? The mafia is a network of organized crime groups based in Italy and America evolved over centuries in Sicily. In the 19th century Sicilians came together to protect themselves, and carry out justice calling themselves “mafioso.” Some groups emerged as private armies or “mafie,” who extorted protection money from landowners, eventually becoming a violent criminal organization known today as the Sicilian Mafia.
In the 1920’s the American mafia rose to power. They are a separate entity from the mafia in Italy, although they share such traditions as a code of conduct and loyalty. The influence of the mafia grew in Sicily until the 1920’s, when Prime minister Benito Mussolini came to power. He lead a brutal crackdown on mobsters who he viewed as a threat to his fascist regime.
By the 1950’s, the mafia had
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Siegel was a jewish mobster, who made an attempt to reinvent and legitimize himself, moved to Las Vegas to oversee the construction of the flamingo resort. His attempt failed miserably and he was gruesomely murdered only months after the casino went nearly bankrupt.
Another major murder of the mafia was of Albert “The Mad Hatter” Anastasia, an Italian Cosa Nostra mobster. Anastasia was getting a haircut and while he was in his barbers chair his body guard conveniently took a walk. While Anastasia’s body guard was absent two masked gunman of the mafia burst into the shop and opened fire on Anastasia.
An additional major murder of the mafia was that of Paul Castellano also known as “Big Paul and The Howard Hughes of the Mob”. Big Paul had become jealous of John Gotti’s, the most famous and dangerous mobster ever, drug dealing and threatened to kill anyone who was involved with narcotics. Big Paul was 70 years old when he step out of his car and four mobsters in long trench coats eased upon him. All four men pulled out semi-automatic weapons and shot Castellano six times in the head and