The Origins of the American Mafia
The majority of the American Mafia originated in Sicily. Sicily, an island located between Africa and Italy, was ruled by foreign invaders for a very long time, including the Romans, Arabs, French and Spanish. Citizens in Sicily, unhappy with their rulers (who were often hostile), formed their own groups known as families or clans. These clans developed their own justice system, and took advantage of the many chaotic conditions in Sicily by extorting money from landowners.
The term 'Mafia' comes from a Sicilian-Arabic slang expression that means 'Acting as a protector against the arrogance of the powerful'.
The term 'Mafia' comes from a Sicilian-Arabic slang expression that means 'Acting as a protector against the arrogance of the powerful'.
The Mafia grew in Italy until the 1920's, when Benito Mussolini came into power. Mussolini launched a brutal crackdown on all mobsters as he viewed them as a threat to his fascist regime. So, many Sicilians and Italians started emigrating to America (The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave). Here The Mafia thrived and were called by many as 'La Cosa Nostra'. The Mafia's base of operations was particularly in New York and Chicago, and they rose to power through the success of liquor trade during the Prohibition. As more Sicilian gangsters emigrated to America, the Mafia expanded its criminal activities to loan-sharking, prostitution, drugs and alcohol, robbery, kidnapping, and murder
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