Mafia clans of italy names. Sicilian mafia
culture
The mafia appeared in the middle of the 19th century in Sicily. The American mafia is a branch of the Sicilian, which worked on the "waves" of Italian immigration at the end of the 19th century. Members and associates of the mafia group needed to commit murder in order to intimidate the prisoners and dissuade them from trying to cut the term.
Sometimes the killings were committed out of revenge or because of disagreements. Murder has become a profession in the mafia. Throughout history, the skill of assassination has been constantly honed. Planning, executing, and covering their tracks were all part of a "trading" deal with a skilled killer. However, most killers ended their lives with violent death or spending a large portion of it in prison.
10. Joseph "The Animal" Barboza
Barbosa is known as one of the worst killers in the 1960s, believed to have killed more than 26 people. He got his nickname during an incident that occurred in a nightclub, when, after a small disagreement, he "blew" the offender's whole face. Some time after that, he continued his career as a boxer, winning 8 out of 12 fights under the pseudonym "Baron".
Despite the fact that he nevertheless made several attempts to return to a legal life, "nature took its toll", because no matter how much you feed the wolf, he still looks into the forest, so he soon began to engage in crime again. In 1950, he served 5 years in the Massachusetts Penitentiary, while he repeatedly attacked the guards and other prisoners. After serving three years of the appointed term, he escaped, but he was soon caught.
After his release, he immediately connected with a gang of gangsters, and began his "own business" of burglary. At the same time, his career began to develop as a "hit man" within the Patricia Crime Family. Over the years, the number of his victims has grown, as well as his reputation as a hired killer. His weapon of choice was a silenced pistol, although he also enjoyed experimenting with car bombs.
Over time, Barbosa became a respected figure in the underworld, however, with his reputation, it was impossible not to make dangerous enemies. After being imprisoned on murder charges and learning that an assassination attempt was underway, he agreed to testify against mob boss Raymond Patriarca in exchange for FBI protection. For some time he was protected under the witness protection program, but the enemies still managed to get him. In 1976, near his house, he was ambushed and killed on the spot with a shotgun.
9. Joe "Crazy" Gallo ("Crazy" Joe Gallo)
Joseph Gallo was a prominent member of the Profasi crime group based in New York. He killed ruthlessly and was believed to be involved in many contract killings on the orders of the boss Joe Profaci (Joe Profaci). Ironically, his nickname has nothing to do with his "killer" reputation.
Many "colleagues" called him crazy because he liked to quote dialogue from gangster films and impersonate fictional characters. His reputation took a turn for the worse in 1957, when Joe was suspected (although never proven) of being among those who killed the highly influential mob boss Albert Anastasia.
A year later, Gallo assembled a team to overthrow Profasi family leader Joseph Profasi. The attempt was unsuccessful, after which many of his friends and relatives were killed. Things went very poorly for Gallo, and in 1961 he was convicted of robbery and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
During his time in prison, he attempted to kill several other prisoners by courteously inviting them into his cell and slipping strychnine into their food. Most of them became seriously ill, but none died. After serving 8 years of his sentence, he was released early.
Upon his release, Gallo was determined to take on the role of leader of the Colombo crime family. In 1971, then-leader Joe Colombo was shot three times in the head by an African-American mobster. However, Gallo will soon meet his own tragic end. In 1972, while dining at a fish restaurant with his family and a bodyguard, he was shot five times in the chest. The prime suspect in the murder was believed to be Carlo Gambino, who did it in retaliation for the murder of Joe Colombo's friend.
8. Giovanni Brusca
Giovanni Brusca is known as one of the most brutal and sadistic members of the Sicilian Mafia. He claims to have killed over 200 people, although this is actually unlikely, even officials did not accept this number. Brusca grew up in Palermo, and began to communicate with the underworld from the very early childhood. In the end, he became a member of the "death squad" who committed crimes on the orders of the boss Salvatore Riina (Salvatore Riina).
Brusca was involved in the assassination of anti-mafia prosecutor Giovanni Falcone in 1992. A huge bomb weighing almost half a ton was placed under the motorway in Palermo. As the car drove past the bomb site, the explosive device went off, killing many more besides Falcone ordinary people who at that fateful moment were nearby. The explosion was so powerful that it tore a hole in the road, and locals thought it was an earthquake.
Shortly thereafter, Brusca began to face numerous problems. His former friend Giuseppe di Matteo (Giuseppe di Matteo) became an informant and spoke about the involvement of Brusca in the murder of Falcone. In order to silence Matteo, Brusca kidnapped his 11-year-old son and tortured him for two years. He also regularly sent horrifying photos of the boy to his father, demanding that he retract his testimony. In the end, the boy was strangled and his body was dissolved in acid to destroy the evidence.
Brusca was sentenced to life imprisonment, however, he was able to escape and became active in organized crime. However, the authorities still managed to get to him, and he was arrested in a small house in the Sicilian village.
The officers who took part in the arrest were wearing ski masks in order to hide their faces from the criminals, because otherwise they would have faced imminent reprisals. He was convicted on charges of numerous murders, he is currently in prison, where he will remain until the end of his days.
7 John Scalise
John Scalice was one of the Al Capone clan's top hitmen during Prohibition in the 1930s and 1940s. When he was twenty years old, he lost his right eye in a knife fight, which was later replaced with a glass eye. After that, to consolidate his reputation, he began to take orders for murder from the brothers Gennas (Gennas brothers). Later, he secretly began collaborating with Al Capone. John also spent 14 years in prison for manslaughter and was severely beaten by fellow inmates.
Perhaps he was most famous for participating in the St. Valentine's Day massacre, when seven people were lined up along a wall and brutally shot by gunmen dressed as police officers. Skalis was arrested and charged with the murders, however, he was soon released because his guilt was not proven.
Al Capone later learns that Scalice and two other assassins were involved in a plot to overthrow his leadership. He invited all three to a banquet, beat each one almost to death, and the final chord was bullets fired in the forehead of the traitors.
6. Tommy DeSimone
The family of this man is recognizable, since in 1990 the actor Joe Pesci played Tommy in the movie Goodfellas. However, despite the fact that in the film he is depicted as a small and short man, in life he was a large, broad-shouldered killer, almost 2 meters tall and weighing more than 100 kilograms. It has been proven that 6 people personally died at his hands, although according to some sources this number is more than 11. Informant Henry Hill (Henry Hill) described him as a "pure psychopath".
De Simone committed his first murder in 1968. While walking with Henry Hill through the park, he saw an unknown man walking towards them. He turned to Henry and said, "Hey, look!" Then he shouted a swear word to a stranger and shot him point-blank. It won't be his last impulsive kill.
In one of the bars, he flared up because, in his opinion, the bill for drinks was incorrect. Drawing his pistol, he demanded that the bartender dance for him. When the latter refused, he shot him in the leg. A week later, once again in the same bar, he began to taunt the bartender wounded in the leg, to which he unflatteringly sent him to hell. Tommy reacted very quickly: he took out a gun and killed the bartender by shooting him three times.
After his involvement in the famous Lufthansa robbery case, Tommy went to work hired killer on friend and mastermind of thieves Jimmy Burke. He eliminated possible informants and thereby increased his share of the loot. One of those killed was a very close friend of Tommy Stacks Edwards, whom he was reluctant to kill. Burke told Tommy that he could become a full-fledged member of the mafia group by killing Edwards, and De Simone agreed.
In the end, Tommy's temper led him to his death. In another fit of blind rage, he killed two close friends of boss John Gotti (John Gotti), who considered it his duty to personally get even with Tommy. According to Henry Hill, the murder process was a long one, as Gotti wanted De Simone to suffer greatly. He was killed in 1979 and his remains have never been found.
5 Salvatore Testa
Salvatore was a Philadelphia gangster who served as a hitman for the Scarfo crime ring from 1981 until his death in 1984. His father, a highly influential man in criminal circles, was shot in the head in 1981, leaving Salvatore with several of his legal and illegal businesses. As a result, at the age of 25, Testa was very rich.
Testa had an extremely aggressive personality and personally killed 15 people during his "active" period. One of his victims was the man who plotted to kill his father, gangster and bodyguard Rocco Marinucci. His body was found exactly one year after the death of Father Salvatore. He was completely covered in bullet wounds and had three unexploded bombs in his mouth.
A huge number of assassination attempts were made on Salvatore, however, he always managed to survive after them. The first assassination attempt took place on the terrace Italian restaurant, when the Ford sedan slowed down, passing by Testa's table, and the sawn-off shotgun that appeared in the window shot him through the stomach and left arm. However, he survived, and the assassins were forced to go underground after he found out who they were.
Testa met his death after being ambushed by his former friend. He was killed at close range by a shot to the back of the head. The motive for the murder was the fears of the boss of the criminal group Scarfo that Testa was preparing a conspiracy against him.
4. Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano (Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano)
Sammy the Bull was a member of the Gambino crime family. But he gained great popularity, most likely, after he became an informant against former boss John Gotti. His testimony helped put Gotti behind bars for the rest of his days. Throughout his criminal career, Gravano committed a huge number of murders and contract killings. He got the nickname "bull" because of his size, height, and also the habit of holding fisticuffs with other mafiosi.
He began his mafia activity in the late 1960s in the Colombo crime family. He was involved in armed robberies and other petty crimes, although he quickly moved into the rather lucrative field of loansharking. He committed his first murder in 1970, it helped the Bull to earn respect among the representatives of the underworld.
By the early 1970s, Gravano was a member of the Gambino crime group. He was arrested on suspicion of murder, however, he was soon released. After that, he began a series of serious robberies, which he did for a year and a half. After this period, he had significant weight in the Gambino group. He "signed" his first contract for contract killing in 1980.
A man named John Simon was the mastermind of a conspiracy to assassinate Philadelphia crime boss Angelo Bruno without permission from a special mafia commission, for which he was sentenced to death. Simon was killed in a wooded area, and his body was disposed of.
Bull committed his third murder in the early 1980s after being offended by a wealthy tycoon. He was caught in the street, and while Gravano's friends held him, the Bull first fired two shots into his eyes and then a control shot into his forehead. After the tycoon fell, Gravano spat on him.
Gravano later becomes the right-hand man of Gambino crime family boss John Gotti, he was Gotti's favorite hitman during this period. However, after facing numerous charges against him for various crimes, he offered to provide information on Gotti in exchange for a reduction in his sentence. He confessed to 19 murders, but received only 5 years in prison. After his release, he went underground, however, he soon became involved again with organized crime in the state of Arizona. He is currently in custody.
3. Giuseppe Greco
Giuseppe was an Italian gangster who worked as a contract killer in Palermo, Italy in the late 1970s. Unlike other hitmen, Greco has been on the run from the law throughout his career. He rarely worked alone, employing "death squadrons," Kalashnikov-wielding thugs who ambushed victims and then killed them. He was found guilty of 58 murders, although the total number of victims, according to some information, reached 80. He once killed a teenager and his father by dissolving the bodies of both in acid.
By 1979, Greco was a high-ranking and respected member of the mafia commission. He committed most of his murders from 1980 to 1983, during the Second Mafia War. In 1982, Palermo boss Rosaria Riccobono was invited to a barbecue at Greco's estate. After the arrival of Rosaria and his associates, they were all killed by Greco and his death squad. Greco received the order to kill him from his boss, Salvatore Riina. No bodies were found, and according to available information, they were fed to hungry pigs.
Greco was killed in his home in 1985 by two former members of his death squad. Ironically, the commissioner was Salvatore Riina, who believed that Greco had become too ambitious and thought too independently to stay alive. When he was killed, he was 33 years old.
2. Abraham "Kid Twist" Reles
The man was the most notorious hitman involved with Murder Inc, a covert group of hitmen that worked for the Mafia in the 1920s and 1950s. He was most active in the 1930s, it was precisely the period when he killed members of various criminal groups in New York. His weapon of choice was an ice pick, which he skillfully used to pierce the victim's head and pierce the brain.
Reles was prone to blind rage and often killed on impulse. He once killed a parking attendant because the latter, as it seemed to him, parked his car for too long. On another occasion, he invited a friend to dinner at his mother's house. After finishing the meal, he pierced his head with an ice pick and quickly disposed of the body.
As a teenager, Reles was regularly involved in criminal cases, and soon became quite a popular figure in the world of organized crime. His first victim was a former friend of Meyer Shapiro. Reles and some of his friends were ambushed by Shapiro's gang, however, no one was hurt that time.
Later, Shapiro kidnapped Reles' girlfriend and raped her in a cornfield, naturally Reles decided to take revenge by killing the offender and his two brothers. After several unsuccessful attempts, Abraham managed to get even with one of his brothers, and two months later with Shapiro himself. A little later, the second brother of the rapist was buried alive.
By 1940, Reles was facing charges of committing huge amount crimes and most likely would have been executed had he been convicted. To save his life, he turned in all his former friends and members of the Murder Inc group, six of whom were executed.
Later, he was to testify against mafia boss Albert Anastasia, and on the night before the trial he was in a hotel room under constant guard. The next morning he was found dead on the sidewalk. It is still unknown whether he was pushed, or whether he himself tried to escape.
1. Richard "Ice Man" Kuklinski
Perhaps the most infamous hitman in history is Richard Kuklinski, who is believed to have killed over 200 people (no women or children among them). He worked in New York and New Jersey from 1950 to 1988 and was a contract killer for the DeCavalcante crime group, as well as several others.
At 14, he committed his first murder, beating a bully to death with a piece of wooden stick. In order to avoid identification of the body, Kuklinski cut off the boy's fingers and pulled out his teeth before throwing the remains of the body off the bridge.
During his teenage years, Kuklinski became a notorious serial killer in Manhattan, brutally killing homeless people just for the sake of thrill. Most of his victims were shot or stabbed to death. Anyone who opposed him, for a maximum of a year, lost his life. His tough reputation soon attracted the attention of various criminal gangs who sought to use "his talent for their own good" by turning him into a hired killer.
He became a full-fledged member of the Gambino criminal group, actively participating in robberies and deliveries of pirated pornographic videos. One day, a respected member of the Gambino faction was riding with Kuklinski in a car. After they parked, the man chose a random target and ordered Kuklinski to kill him. Richard carried out the order without delay, shooting an innocent man point-blank. This was the beginning of his career as a hitman.
For the next 30 years, Kuklinski worked successfully as a contract killer. He got his nickname "Ice Man" from his method of freezing the bodies of his victims, which helped to hide the time of death from the authorities. Kuklinski was also famous for using various methods murders, the most unusual of which was the use of a crossbow aimed at the forehead of the victim, although he most often used cyanide.
When authorities finally figured out who Kuklinski was, they found no evidence to convict him of premeditated murder. As a result, they carried out a special operation, after which Kuklinski was arrested and charged with trying to poison a man with cyanide. He received five life sentences after confessing to numerous murders. He died in prison of old age when he was 70 years old.
The dubious underground world of the mafia has captured the imagination of people for many years. The luxurious but criminal lifestyle of thieves' gangs has become an ideal for many. But why are we so fascinated by these men and women who are, in essence, just bandits living off those who are not able to defend themselves?
The fact is that the mafia is not just some organized criminal group. Gangsters are seen as heroes, not the villains they really are. The criminal lifestyle looks like in a Hollywood movie. Sometimes this is a Hollywood movie: many of them are based on real events from the life of the mafia. In the cinema, crime is ennobled, and it already seems to the viewer that these bandits are in vain fallen heroes. As America gradually forgets about the days of Prohibition, it is also forgotten that the bandits were seen as saviors who fought against the evil government. They were the Robin Hoods of the working class, opposing themselves to impossible and strict laws. In addition, people tend to admire the powerful, rich and beautiful people and idealize them.
However, not everyone is given such charisma, and many major politicians are hated by everyone, not worshiped. Gangsters know how to use their charm to appear more attractive to society. It is based on heritage, on family history associated with emigration, poverty and unemployment. The classic rags-to-riches storyline has been attracting attention for centuries. There are at least fifteen such heroes in the history of the mafia.
Frank Costello
Frank Costello was from Italy, like many other famous mafiosi. He led the terrifying and famous Luciano family in the criminal world. Frank moved to New York at the age of four and, as soon as he grew up, he immediately found his place in the world of criminals, leading gangs. When the infamous "Lucky" Charles Luciano went to prison in 1936, Costello quickly rose through the ranks to lead the Luciano clan, later known as the Genovese clan.
He was called the Prime Minister because he ruled the underworld and really wanted to get into politics by linking the mafia and Tammany Hall, the political society of the US Democratic Party in New York. The ubiquitous Costello ran casinos and gaming clubs throughout the country, as well as in Cuba and other Caribbean islands. He enjoyed great popularity and respect among his people. Vito Corleone, the hero of the 1972 film The Godfather, is believed to be based on Costello. Of course, he also had enemies: in 1957, an assassination attempt was made on him, during which the mafia was wounded in the head, but miraculously survived. He died only in 1973 from a heart attack.
Jack Diamond
Jack "Legs" Diamond was born in Philadelphia in 1897. He was a significant figure during Prohibition and a leader in organized crime in the United States. Earning the nickname Legs for his quick evasion and extravagant dance style, Diamond was also known for unparalleled brutality and murder. His criminal escapades in New York went down in history, as did the liquor smuggling organizations in and around the city.
Realizing that it was very lucrative, Diamond moved on to larger booty, organizing truck robberies and opening underground liquor outlets. But it was the assassination order for notorious gangster Nathan Kaplan that helped cement his status in the criminal world, putting him on a par with big guys like Lucky Luciano and Dutch Schultz, who later got in his way. Although Diamond was feared, he became a target several times himself, earning the nicknames Shooting Skeet and Unkillable Man due to his ability to get away with it every time. But one day luck left him, and in 1931 he was shot dead. Diamond's killer was never found.
John Gotti
Known for leading the famed and virtually unstoppable New York Gambino Mafia during the turn of the 1980s and 1990s, John Joseph Gotti Jr. became one of the most powerful men in the mob. He grew up in poverty, being one of thirteen children. He quickly joined the criminal atmosphere, becoming the six of the local gangster and his mentor Aniello Dellacroce. In 1980, Gotti's 12-year-old son Frank was crushed to death by neighbor and family friend John Favara. Although the incident was ruled an accident, Favara received numerous threats and was later attacked with a baseball bat. A few months later, Favara disappeared under strange circumstances, and his body has not yet been found.
With his flawless good looks and stereotypical gangster style, Gotti quickly became the darling of the tabloids, earning him the nickname Teflon Don. He went in and out of prison, was difficult to catch red-handed, and each time he ended up behind bars for a short time. However, in 1990, thanks to wiretapping and inside information, the FBI finally caught Gotti and charged him with murder and extortion. Gotti died in prison in 2002 from cancer of the larynx, and towards the end of his life he faintly resembled that Teflon Don who did not get off the pages of the tabloids.
Frank Sinatra
Yes, Sinatra himself was once an alleged accomplice of gangster Sam Giancana and even the ubiquitous Lucky Luciano. He once stated: "If it were not for my interest in music, I probably would have ended up in the underworld." Sinatra was convicted of having links with the mafia when it became known about his participation in the so-called Havana Conference - a mafia gathering in 1946. Newspaper headlines then shouted: "Shame on Sinatra!" About the double life of Sinatra became known not only to the newspapermen, but also to the FBI, which followed the singer from the beginning of his career. His personal file contained 2,403 pages of interactions with the mafia.
Most of all, his connection with John F. Kennedy before he became president excited the public. Sinatra allegedly used his underworld contacts to help the future leader in the presidential campaign. The mafia lost faith in Sinatra because of his friendship with Robert Kennedy, who was involved in the fight against organized crime, and Giancana turned away from the singer. Then the FBI calmed down a bit. Despite the obvious evidence and information linking Sinatra with such major mafia figures, the singer himself often denied any relationship with gangsters, calling such claims a lie.
Mickey Cohen
Mayer Harris Cohen, nicknamed Mickey, has been a pain in the ass for the LAPD for many years. He had a stake in all branches of organized crime in Los Angeles and several other states. Cohen was born in New York but moved to Los Angeles with his family when he was six years old. After starting a promising career in boxing, Cohen left the sport to go down the path of crime and ended up in Chicago, where he worked for the famous Al Capone.
After a few successful years during the era of Prohibition, Cohen was sent to Los Angeles under the auspices of the famous Las Vegas gangster Bugsy Siegel. Siegel's murder struck a nerve with the sensitive Cohen, and the police began to take notice of the violent and short-tempered thug. After several assassination attempts, Cohen turned his home into a fortress by installing alarm systems, floodlights, and bulletproof gates, as well as hiring Johnny Stompanato, who was then dating Hollywood actress Lana Turner, as a bodyguard.
In 1961, when Cohen was still influential, he was convicted of tax evasion and sent to the famous Alcatraz prison. He became the only prisoner who was released from this prison on bail. Despite numerous assassination attempts and a constant hunt for him, Cohen died in his sleep at the age of 62.
Henry Hill
Henry Hill inspired one of the best films about the mafia, The Goodfellas. It was he who said the phrase: "For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to become a gangster." Hill was born in New York in 1943 to an honest working family with no Mafia ties. However, in his youth, he joined the Lucchese clan due to the large number of bandits in his area. He began to quickly advance in the service, but due to the fact that he was both of Irish and Italian origin, he could not take a high position.
Once Hill was arrested for beating a player who refused to pay lost money, and sentenced to ten years in prison. It was then that he realized that the way of life that he led in the wild, in fact, was similar to that behind bars, and constantly received some kind of preferences. After his release, Hill became seriously involved in the sale of drugs, which is why he was arrested. He betrayed his entire gang and overthrew some very powerful gangsters. He got under federal program Witness Protection in 1980, but two years later he breached his cover and the program was terminated. Despite this, he managed to live to the age of 69. Hill died in 2012 from heart problems.
James Bulger
Another veteran of Alcatraz is James Bulger, nicknamed Whitey. He got this nickname because of his blond silky hair. Bulger grew up in Boston and from the very beginning caused a lot of problems for his parents, running away from home several times and once even joining a traveling circus. The first time Bulger was arrested at the age of 14, but this did not stop him, and by the end of the 1970s he was in the criminal underground.
Bulger worked for a mafia clan, but at the same time he was an FBI informant and told the police about the affairs of the once famous Patriarca clan. As Bulger expanded his own criminal network, the police began to pay more attention to himself, and not to the information he provided. As a result, Bulger had to escape from Boston, and for fifteen years he was on the list of the most wanted criminals.
Bulger was caught in 2011 and charged with several crimes, including 19 murders, money laundering, extortion and drug trafficking. After a two-month trial, the famous gang leader was found guilty and sentenced to two life terms in prison and another five years in prison, and Boston was finally able to sleep peacefully.
Bugsy Siegel
Known for his Las Vegas casino and criminal empire, Benjamin Siegelbaum, known in the world of crime as Bugsy Siegel, is one of the most notorious gangsters in the world. modern history. Starting with a mediocre Brooklyn gang, young Bugsy met another aspiring gangster, Meer Lansky, and created the Murder Inc. group, which specialized in contract killings. It included gangsters of Jewish origin.
As he became more and more famous in the world of crime, Siegel sought to kill old New York gangsters and even had a hand in the elimination of Joe Masseria, nicknamed The Boss. After several years of smuggling and shooting on the West Coast, Siegel began to earn large sums and acquired connections in Hollywood. He became a real star thanks to his Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. The $1.5 million project was financed from a bandit obshchak, but the estimate was significantly exceeded during construction. Siegel's old friend and partner Lansky decided that Siegel was stealing funds and partly investing in legitimate businesses. He was brutally killed in own house, riddled with bullets, and Lansky quickly took over the management of the Flamingo Hotel, denying any involvement in the murder.
Vito Genovese
Vito Genovese, known as Don Vito, was an Italian-American gangster who gained notoriety during Prohibition and beyond. He was also called the Boss of Bosses and was the head of the famous Genovese clan. He is famous for making heroin a mass drug.
Genovese was born in Italy and moved to New York in 1913. Quickly joining the criminal circles, Genovese soon met Lucky Luciano, and together they destroyed a rival, gangster Salvatore Maranzano. Fleeing from the police, Genovese returned to his native Italy, where he remained until the end of World War II, making friends with Benito Mussolini himself. Upon his return, he immediately began to lead an old way of life, seizing power in the world of crime and once again becoming the man everyone was afraid of. In 1959, he was accused of drug trafficking and imprisoned for 15 years. In 1969, Genovese died of a heart attack at the age of 71.
Lucky Luciano
Charles Luciano, nicknamed Lucky, was seen many times in criminal adventures with other gangsters. Luciano got his nickname because he survived a dangerous stab wound. He is called the founder of the modern mafia. Over the years of his mafia career, he managed to organize the murders of two big bosses and create a completely new principle for the functioning of organized crime. He had a hand in creating New York's famous Five Families and the national crime syndicate.
Having lived a high life for quite a long time, Lucky became a popular character among the population and the police. Maintaining an image and a stylish image, Lucky began to attract attention, as a result of which he was charged with organizing prostitution. When he was behind bars, he continued to conduct business both outside and inside. It is believed that he even had his own chef there. After his release, he was deported to Italy, but he settled in Havana. Under pressure from the US authorities, the Cuban government was forced to get rid of him, and Lucky went to Italy forever. He died of a heart attack in 1962 at the age of 64.
Maria Licciardi
Although the world of the mafia is mainly the world of men, it cannot be said that there were no women among the mafiosi at all. Maria Licciardi was born in Italy in 1951 and was the head of the Licciardi clan, a well-known Camorra, Neapolitan criminal group. Licciardi, nicknamed The Godmother, is still very famous in Italy, and most of her family is connected to the Neapolitan mafia. Licciardi specialized in drug trafficking and racketeering. She led the clan when her two brothers and husband were arrested. Although many were dissatisfied, since she became the first female head of a mafia clan, she managed to quell the unrest and successfully unite several urban clans, expanding the drug market.
In addition to her activities in the field of drug trafficking, Licciardi is also known for human trafficking. She used underage girls from neighboring countries, such as Albania, forcing them to work as prostitutes, thus violating the long-standing code of honor of the Neapolitan mafia, according to which one cannot earn money from prostitution. After one of the deals to sell a batch of heroin fell through, Licciardi was on the list of the most wanted criminals and was arrested in 2001. Now she is behind bars, but, according to rumors, Maria Licciardi continues to lead the clan, which is not going to stop.
Frank Nitti
Known as the face of the Al Capone Crime Syndicate in Chicago, Frank Nitti, nicknamed The Bouncer, became the first man in the Italian-American mafia as soon as Al Capone was behind bars. Nitti was born in Italy and came to the US when he was only seven years old. It wasn't long before he started getting into trouble, which caught the attention of Al Capone. In his criminal empire, Nitti quickly prospered.
As a reward for his impressive performance during Prohibition, Nitti became one of Al Capone's closest associates and established himself in the Chicago Crime Syndicate, also known as the Chicago Outfit. Although he was nicknamed the Bouncer, Nitti delegated tasks more than broke bones on his own, and often organized many approaches during raids and attacks. In 1931, Nitti and Capone were sent to prison for tax evasion, where Nitti suffered terrible bouts of claustrophobia that haunted him for the rest of his life.
Upon his release, Nitti became the new leader of the Chicago Outfit, surviving assassination attempts by rival mafia groups and even the police. When things got really bad and Nitti realized that arrest was inevitable, he shot himself in the head so that he would never again suffer from claustrophobia.
Sam Giancana
Another respected gangster in the underworld is Sam Giancana, nicknamed Muni, who was once the most powerful gangster in Chicago. Starting as Al Capone's inner circle driver, Giancana quickly made his way to the top, making acquaintances with some politicians, including the Kennedy clan. Giancana was even called to testify in the case when the CIA staged an assassination attempt on Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Giancana was believed to have key information.
Not only did Giancana's name appear in the case, but there were also rumors that the mob had made huge contributions to the John F. Kennedy campaign, including ballot stuffing in Chicago. The Giancana-Kennedy connection was increasingly discussed, with many believing that Frank Sinatra was an intermediary to avert federal suspicions.
Things soon went downhill due to speculation that the Mafia had a hand in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. After living the rest of his life as a wanted man by the CIA and rival clans, Giancana was shot in the back of the head while cooking in his basement. There were many versions of the murder, but the perpetrator was never found.
Meer Lansky
As influential as Lucky Luciano, if not more, Meer Lansky, whose real name is Meer Sukhomlyansky, was born in the city of Grodno, which then belonged to Russian Empire. Moving to America at a young age, Lansky got a taste of the street by fighting for money. Not only could Lansky stand up for himself, but he was also exceptionally smart. An integral part of the emerging world of American organized crime, Lansky was at one point one of the most powerful men in the US, if not the world, doing business in Cuba and several other countries.
Lansky, who was friends with high-ranking mobsters like Bugsy Siegel and Lucky Luciano, was both feared and respected. He was a major player in the alcohol smuggling market during Prohibition, running a very lucrative business. When things went better than expected, Lansky became nervous and decided to retire by emigrating to Israel. Nevertheless, he was deported back to the US two years later, but he still managed to avoid prison, as he died of lung cancer at the age of 80.
Al Capone
Alfonso Gabriel Capone, nicknamed the Great Al, needs no introduction. Perhaps this is the most famous gangster in history and he is known all over the world. Capone came from a respected and prosperous family. At the age of 14, he was kicked out of school for hitting a teacher, and he decided to take a different path, plunging into the world of organized crime.
Under the influence of gangster Johnny Torrio, Capone began his journey to fame. He earned a scar that earned him the nickname Scarface. Dealing with everything from alcohol smuggling to murder, Capone was invulnerable to the police, free to move about and do as he pleases.
The games ended when Al Capone's name was implicated in a brutal massacre called the Valentine's Day Massacre. Several gangsters from rival factions died in this massacre. The police could not attribute the crime to Capone himself, but they had other ideas: he was arrested for tax evasion and sentenced to eleven years in prison. Later, when the gangster's health deteriorated due to illness, he was released on bail. He died of a heart attack in 1947, but the world of crime has changed forever.
, and in 1866 it was used by the British consul in Sicily, who reported to the leadership about "... juntas elected by the mafia (Spanish.junta- "assembly, committee, association"), which participate in the income of workers, maintain contacts with criminals.The organization referred to by the consul has a historical origin. The word most likely has Arabic roots: mu'afah. This term has many meanings: protection, skill, skill, safety, efficiency.
But there is also a more beautiful version of the origin. During the uprising of March 30, 1282, which broke out in Sicily and went down in history under the name "Sicilian Vespers", the cry was born M orte a lla F rancia, I waist a nela!" (“Death to France, breathe, Italy!”). The initial letters of this slogan make up the word MAFIA.
It is even more difficult to identify the foundations of the organization. According to many historians, the seed from which this criminal organization sprang was sown as early as the 12th century, when secret associations appeared against the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation. (Sacrum Romanorum Imperium Nationis Germaniae).
Some sources point to the Bourbon dynasty, who used the services of former robbers to patrol remote parts of the interior of the island. Those, in turn, quickly began to take bribes, turning a blind eye to some points.
Many specialists also start from the foundation of the so-called gabellotti organization, which collected tribute for the state or acted as intermediaries between peasants and landowners.
They got rich quickly enough, intimidating the former and acting as representatives of the others. Gabelloti realizing what power fell into their hands, created a separate caste, the basis of which was a code of honor and a semi-official structure.
All these theories have one common element: a huge gulf that from time immemorial separated the Sicilians from the representatives of the "foreign" power.
No one anywhere felt so helpless and humiliated as a rootless Sicilian peasant forced to hard labor in the local latifundia - large feudal estates, which belonged to the ever-absent rulers who are residents of Naples or Palermo. The system of latifundia was invented in Ancient Rome and lasted until World War II. As you can see, where the usual system of power and justice could not cope, the issue of the emergence of local judges - the so-called amici (friends) or uomini d`onore (people of honor) - was only a matter of time.
In the book "Journey to Sicily and Malta"(Viaggio in Sicilia e a Malta) English traveler and writer Brydone Patrick (1743-1818) in 1773 posted the following comment:
“These banditti are the most respected people on the island, with the noblest and most romantic moods, which are taken as a matter of honor; they show each other their respect, as well as to everyone they have ever sworn allegiance to; moreover, they show the most unshakable fidelity. Administrative and judicial officials are often required to protect them, and even please them. These banditti are also known to be full of determination and desperation. So vengeful that they will not hesitate to kill anyone who is even suspected of provocations.
These words can be repeated 200 years later.
What most people don't know, however, is that Italy once already came close to defeating this organization. During his reign, the legendary head of the police, Cesare Morti, resorted to brutal and illegal methods in the fight against the mafia. And if not for the second World War perhaps he could destroy her forever. Ironically, the American intervention evened out the forces. In preparing for the landing of soldiers in Sicily, they had only one reliable source of intelligence - the mafia.
She was contacted through Italian-American gangsters such as Lucky Luciano.
I, in turn, would like to quote an excerpt from the book "The Great Godfather" by Vito Bruschini:
“In an atmosphere of social and political collapse, the mafia, with the support of allies, began to regain control over the territory of the island and the distribution of basic foodstuffs.
In Palermo, food was imported on the basis that four hundred and fifty thousand people live in the city. In fact, with the start of the bombing of the city, two-thirds of the inhabitants preferred to leave for the countryside, where everyone had relatives or acquaintances. So, after the products were distributed according to the cards among the residents remaining in the city, most of the food went to the "black market".
Gathering his trusted friends together, Don Calo explained to them that helping agents of the American secret services would almost certainly guarantee freedom of action on the island at the end of the war. That is why you should cooperate with your American friends in all actions, including sabotage against German and Italian troops.
This began to happen with the beginning of spring. At the Nazi military base where she was stationed tank brigade Göring, gas oil barrels were replaced with barrels filled with water mixed with oil. Tanks filled with this mixture burned out engines, and combat vehicles were stuck in repair shops for a long time. The navy also constantly suffered from sabotage: the ships were forced to remain in the port due to various damages.
After occupying the island, the alliance strengthened the mafia, often appointing important members to the leadership of the military government. Of the 66 Sicilian cities, 62 were entrusted to persons of criminal origin. The mafia was further flourished by the post-war construction boom in Italy, which became the source of huge fortunes for the mafia, which invested laundered money in legal businesses or multiplied it with drugs that forever changed the nature of the mafia.
AT last years the police have won several battles. The biggest success was the arrest in 2006 of the godfather Bernardo Provenzano (Bernardo Provenzano). Convicted in absentia of more than a dozen murders, the 73-year-old mobster was caught in a hideout on a Sicilian farm.
Despite some judicial successes, the Mafia's rout is unlikely. Mainly because it is already very firmly integrated with the Italian economy. It's not without reason that the Italians call the mafia la piovra - octopus.
In my personal experience and opinion - I am sure that the mafia is and will be. Once I asked my good friend Mario, who worked for 30 years as a Sicilian, does it exist. To which a series of emotional statements was received that it does not exist, it has long been defeated, these are all fictions of journalists, writers and so on.
Well, taking into account my experience of studying and interest in this issue, as well as the statements of many of my Italian friends to the contrary, I am even more convinced and respect this structure.
I hope the following quotes from my favorite books by writers Mario Puzo and Vito Bruschini will clarify the concept of the mafia for you:
“Once in the south of Italy (in particular, in Sicily), the one who talked too much, the mafiosi could kill and cut off the tongue. So that everyone knows what he was punished for. The flower on the corpse hinted at love affairs. The mafia has always killed for some misdeed.
During the rampant period of terrorism in Italy, one Sicilian boasted that terrorist attacks that claimed the lives of innocent people were excluded on his island (for example, bombs in a cafe, at a train station, etc.). Not like in mainland Italy! “With us,” he said, “the mafia will immediately find the culprit and he will not be greeted.”
“In the neighboring province of Cinesi, perhaps the largest and poorest in Sicily, a small village clan was led by a cruel, fearless bandit named Fissolini. In his village, he had absolute power and had little to no contact with the other clans of the island. He had no idea what power don Aprile had, he could not imagine that this power could reach even his godforsaken village. He decided to kidnap Don Aprile and collect a ransom for him. He, of course, understood that he was violating one of the unwritten laws: by kidnapping Don Aprile, he invaded the territory of another family, but he reasoned that for the sake of such a rich prey it was worth the risk.
Cosca, family, clan,- the base cell of the mafia and usually consists of blood relatives. Law-abiding citizens, for example, lawyers or doctors, do not break, but rather strengthen ties with their clan, because it defends their interests. Each clan is a closed organizational structure, but he can ally with a stronger and more powerful clan. The whole set of clans is usually called the mafia. But she does not have a single leader or commander.
Each clan usually specializes in a certain area in a certain territory. One controls the price of water and prevents the government from building dams that could lower the price. In a certain sense, this clan destroys the state monopoly on power. Another may control the market for food and essential goods. At that time, the cosca Clericuzio from Palermo were considered the most powerful in Sicily, this clan crushed all new construction on the island, and the cosca Corleone from Corleone, who controlled many Roman politicians and ensured the transportation of drugs around the world. There were also such greedy clans that took money from romantic youths for the right to sing under the balconies of their loved ones.
All clans regulated crime. They did not tolerate those who robbed respectable citizens who honestly gave their clan a share of the income.
Both robbers and rapists faced the same punishment - death. And, of course, all the clans could not stand adultery. In such cases, both the man and the woman were executed. No one had any questions.
Cosca Fissolini survived from bread to water. This clan controlled the sale of holy icons, charged farmers for guarding their herds, and kidnapped rich people who lost their vigilance.
And when Don Aprile and little Astorre walked slowly along the street of the village, two army trucks with Fissolini, who had no idea who he raised his hand to, and his people stopped nearby in a screech of brakes ... "
From the book "Omerta" by Mario Puzo.
"Omerta is a Sicilian code of honor that forbids anyone from reporting crimes that people who have aroused suspicion may have committed."
“A don was at the head of the Corleone family clan, he directed all the activities of the family, determined its policy. Three layers, three buffers separated the don from those who carried out his will, directly carried out his orders. Thus, no trail could lead to the summit. On one condition. If he does not betray the consigliori. On that Sunday, Don Corleone gave detailed instructions early in the morning on what to do with the two youths who had maimed Amerigo Bonasera's daughter. But he gave these orders to Tom Haigen, face to face. In the afternoon, Hagen - also alone, without witnesses - conveyed these instructions to Clemenza. Clemenza, in turn, ordered Paulie Gatto to carry out the order. Paulie Gatto had to pick the right people and do exactly what he was told. Neither Paulie Gato nor his people will know what caused this order, from whom it originally comes.
To establish that the don was involved, every link in this chain must be unreliable - this has never happened before, but where is the guarantee that this will not happen? However, in this case, the remedy was provided. One link, the key one, must disappear.
Besides, consigliori was really what the word means. That is, the Don's adviser, his first assistant, his second head. And also - the most faithful companion and closest friend. It was he who drove the don's car during important business trips, he left the meeting for fresh cigars for the don, for coffee and sandwiches. He knew everything or almost everything that the don knew, everything down to the last cell in the power structure. Only he, the only one in the world, had the opportunity, if desired, to crush the don.
But the case of a consigliori betraying his don has never happened before, at least in the memory of one of the influential Sicilian clans that settled in America. It would be an option without a future.
On the other hand, every consigliori knew that faithful service would bring him wealth, power and honor. And trouble will strike, the well-being of his wife and children will be taken care of no worse than if he himself were alive and well and free. But this is when serving faithfully.
“In this ancient garden, Michael was exposed to the roots that gave birth to people like his father. He learned that the original word "mafia" meant "refuge".
Then it became the name of a secret organization that arose to confront the rulers who for hundreds of years suppressed this country and its people. History does not know a region that would have been subjected to such brutal violence. Like a tornado, the Inquisition walked around the island, not making out who was poor and who was rich. With an iron hand, noble landowners and princes of the Catholic Church conquered the peasants and shepherds of their power.
The instrument of this power was the police, identified by the people with the rulers to such an extent that.
Looking for ways to survive under the merciless heel of autocracy, tormented people have learned to never show resentment and anger. Never utter a word of threat, because in response to the threat, ahead of its execution, punishment will immediately follow. Do not forget that society is your enemy and if you want to get even with it for injustice, you need to go to the secret rebels, to the mafia.
This mafia, gaining strength, introduced omerta in Sicily - mutual responsibility, a law that commands silence. In the countryside, a passer-by or a traveler who asks for directions to the nearest town simply will not be honored with an answer.
For a mafia member, the greatest of crimes is to tell the police, for example, who shot him. Or hurt him. Omerta has become a religion for the people. A woman whose husband was killed will not tell the policeman the name of the killer, the name of the one who tortured her child, raped her daughter. People knew that you would not expect justice from the authorities, and they followed her to the mafia intercessor. »
The Godfather, Mario Puzo
5 best books about the Italian mafia
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You asked who the consigliere is?
Consigliere, the word is Italian, meaning consultant, adviser. But as often happens, it became a household word. Or my own, I don’t even know which is right. Those. it is said as it is written, without translation. And means mafia adviser. However, like the mafia itself, it is translated with a kind word - a family, and it is implied - a criminal community.
Here is a typical structure of the mafia "family"
Boss, don or godfather (ital. capomafioso) - the head of the family. Receives information about any "case" committed by each member of the family. The boss is elected by caporegime vote; in the event of a tie in the number of votes, the assistant boss must also vote.
Consigliere ( ital. consigliere) - a family adviser, a person whom the boss can trust and whose advice he listens to. He serves as an intermediary in resolving disputes, mediates between the boss and bribed political or judicial figures, or acts as a representative of the family in meetings with other families. Consigliere usually do not have their own "team", but they have significant influence in the family. However, they usually also have legitimate businesses, such as practicing law or working as a stockbroker.
improvised(English underboss) - "deputy" boss, the second person in the family, who is appointed by the boss himself. The henchman is responsible for the actions of all capopegime. In the event of the arrest or death of the boss, the henchman usually becomes the acting boss.
Caporegime(Italian caporegime), capo, or captain - the head of a "team" or "fighting group" (consisting of "soldiers"), which is responsible for one or more types of criminal activity in a certain area of \u200b\u200bthe city and monthly gives the boss a part of the income, received from this activity (“sends a share”). The kapo is subordinate to the assistant or the boss himself. The performance in the capo is made by an assistant, but the boss personally appoints the capo.
Soldier(Italian regime) - the youngest member of the family, who was "introduced" into the family because he proved his usefulness to her, and secondly, on the recommendation of one of the capos.
Partner in crime(English associate) - not yet a family member, but already a person endowed with a certain status. Usually acts as a bribed businessman, etc. Non-Italians are usually not accepted into the family and almost always remain in the status of accomplices
As you can see, the consigliere has a special status - an adviser and mediator. Don never gives orders directly. Only through your consigliere.
The most famous movie about the mafia is definitely The Godfather. But even more interesting is the novel of the same nameMario Puzo from which it was taken.
Nothing personal, it's just business, said Tom Hagen, consigliere of the Carleone Family. "Never be fooled, Tom," said Mike Carleone. Everything that a person does is a personal matter.
I highly recommend reading the novel and not just watching the movie.
T Just like any poison can both kill and cure. It's a matter of dose. And any weapon by itself does nothing. Only in the hands of a person becomes either a murder weapon or a means of protection.
Also, knowledge of the basics of building any human organization, be it a mafia, a charitable foundation or a completely legal business, can be used both for the benefit of people and for harm. It's a matter of dose.
You have become a good consigliere. Never let yourself be fooled.
Therefore, initially, when the mafia appeared, in particular in the United States, in the local underworld, the Italians were perceived with some irony, because. were engaged in petty robbery and racketeering, which they are accustomed to in Italy, without any particular aspirations in controlling large business structures. At that time, Jewish and Irish criminal gangs dominated major American cities.However, almost unquestioning loyalty to the code of honor - omerta, immediate vendetta (blood feud) against family offenders, discipline and loyalty to the family and incredible cruelty allowed the Italian group to quickly take the main roles in the criminal world of America.
Capture and subdue almost all areas of business, bribe most of the largest judges and officials of the country. To kill competition in many industries, for example, the "twin towers" were forced to pay, controlled by the Italians, a waste disposal company of 1 million 100 thousand dollars a year (in those years, this was a huge amount). Moreover, the mafiosi did not do any intimidation, they simply did not allow other companies to enter this market, this company was the only such company in the New York market!
Gambino mafia family
Loyalty to tradition in the Italian mafia
Loyalty to traditions left its bright imprint on the criminal code of honor, so for the most part all family members were exemplary family men and cases of betrayal were quite rare, even though the mafia controlled almost all entertainment businesses: prostitution, gambling, alcohol and cigarettes. Cheating on his wife was perceived by the family as a slap in the face and was cruelly suppressed, of course, in modern age everything has changed a lot, but this tradition has existed for a long time. Showing signs of attention to the wives of friends and family members was the strictest taboo.Due to the fact that the profession of members of the mafia was accompanied by a certain risk to life, each member of the family knew very well that in the event of his death, his family would be taken care of financially no worse than when he was alive.
Long years of oppression of the Sicilians by the predatory government have led to the fact that the word "policeman" can still be slapped in Sicily. One of the most important points of the omerta is the complete absence of contacts with the police, let alone cooperation with them. A family will never accept a person if his close relative serves in the police, even the appearance on the street in the company of policemen was punished, sometimes at the highest level - by death.
This tradition allowed the mafia to exist for a very long time without any problems with the US government. The US government did not recognize the existence of the Italian mafia until the middle of the 20th century, due to insufficient information about the structure and extent of the penetration of organized crime into business and politics.
Mafia clans in the USA
Alcoholism and drug addiction were considered a vice, but despite the ban, many family members were fond of both, one of the least respected laws of omerta, however, drunken and stabbed family members, as a rule, did not live for a long time and died at the hands of their own comrades.
No person can enter the family by presenting himself as a capo or mafia don, the only way to get into the family the recommendation of a family member and his willingness to introduce you to the family. There are no other ways.
The strictest punctuality, one should not be late for any of the meetings, this is considered bad form. The same rule includes showing respect for any meetings, including meetings with enemies. There shouldn't be any killings during them. One of the reasons why numerous wars between different families and clans of the Italian mafia quickly subsided, at meetings a truce was announced and often dons of families found mutual language and solved the problems that had arisen.
When talking with any of the family members, even the smallest lie is considered a betrayal, the duty of each family member in response to a question to tell the truth, no matter what it is, naturally, the rule applies only to members of one criminal group. The strictness of execution, in fact, was monitored at the lower levels of the hierarchical structure, naturally, in the upper layers of the hierarchy, lies and betrayal existed until the murder of the head of the family with the right hand.
Do not lead an idle lifestyle, full observance of moral principles
No member of the family had the right to engage in looting and robbery without the approval of the boss or capo. Visiting places of entertainment without the need or direct order was strictly prohibited. The law also allowed the mafia to be in the shadows, because. an intoxicated family member could blurt out a lot, where this information could cause significant damage to the family.The appropriation of other people's money without any instructions from the head of the family was a strict taboo. From childhood, young men were brought up within the framework of the laws of devotion to the family, that being a renegade is a great shame, that without a family, a person’s life has no meaning. In this regard, in the circles of the Italian mafia, “loner wolves” were very, very rare, and if they came across, they did not live for a long time, such behavior was punished by immediate death.
Vendetta - blood feud
As justice for not complying with the laws of the omerta, a vendetta awaited the violator, which in different clans could be accompanied by various rituals. By the way, blood feud against a family member, as well as any other offender or enemy of the family, should have been quick and without unnecessary torment of the victim, such as: a shot in the head or heart, a knife wound in the heart, etc. Those. the victim did not have to suffer all according to the "Christian" canons, however, after death with the body of the victim, they could already act in a barbaric way and with fair cruelty to intimidate the enemy or educate other family members.There were also different traditions in different clans, for excessive talkativeness a cobblestone was inserted into the mouth of a corpse, a rose was placed on the body for adultery, a wallet with a thorn on the body of the victim meant that the victim had embezzled other people's money. About this, you can hear a lot of different tales, now it is already difficult to make out where the truth is and where the lie is.
An interesting fact is that the laws of omerta fell into the hands of the police and journalists only in 2007 during the arrest of Salvatore La Piccola, one of the bosses of Cosa Nostra, they were found among the documents found during the search and poetically called in the press "10 Commandments of Cosa Nostra". Up to this point, no documentary evidence of the rules of the code of honor of the Italian mafiosi existed, the criminal network was so secretly organized.
It is not surprising that such an organizational structure has taken root throughout the countries of Europe, Northern and South America, but oddly enough the only European country where the Italian mafia has no serious influence is Russia and countries former USSR. It is difficult to imagine what this is connected with, here is the lack of emigrants of Italian origin, the language barrier and slightly different moral standards of the local population, and a fairly strong local criminal network.