Sicilian Mafia

The Sicilian Mafia, more commonly known as The Mafia, Cosa Nostra, Sicilian Mob, or the Italian Mafia (Mob), is the Sicilian-Neapolitan Italian branch of the Mafia, and also the largest. The Sicilian Mafia has a strict code of Omertà, telling nobody to betray the Mafia's secrecy. The Mafia are made up of several "families" (like clans) that have various ranks: outsider, enforcer, associate, soldato, caporegime, underboss, consigliere, Don, and sometimes, Capo di tutti capi.

History[]

The Mafia originated in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, where poverty led to crime. The term Mafia came from a word meaning "bragging", as they called themselves "men of honor". In the early 1900s (1900-1915), with the Ellis Island mass immigration occuring, many Italian mafiosi continued their organization's prosperity and troublemaking on American soil, rather than back in Italy, but some immigrants founded their own families in America, rather than drag another one on. Famous immigrants included Vito Corleone, Vito Genovese, and Joe Masseria, who founded their own factions in America.

The Mafia, like any other organization, had a hierarchy. The head of the family was the don (boss), who was advised by the consigliere, who was like a counselor or lawyer. The "underboss" of the family had the job of running the family's operations while the boss was taking care of other sorts of business. Below the underboss are the "caporegimes", who have their own regimes (having their own territory and men), who are like the "nobles" of the family. They are in command of the "soldiers", who are the hitmen of the family. The soldiers carry out the dirty work, such as murder, sabotage, robbery, and other types of risky jobs that the higher-ranking mobsters would find somewhat dangerous. "Soldier" is the lowest rank a "made man" (an 'officer', so to speak) can be, and is only available to Italians. Below soldier is "associate", the highest rank a non-Italian person can be in the family. Associates, enforcers, and outsiders are not as important as made men. An associate is a duplicate of a soldier, carrying out intense operations. Enforcers are people who punish people if they do not comply with the family's demands, being the "bully" of the family. Finally, "outsiders" are people waiting to be "made" into the family. They are the people who want to join the mob, doing illegal deeds in order to appeal to the mobsters. They are not always accepted, but some stay affiliated with them.

Sicilian Mafia

History[]

Gallery[]

List of Sicilian crime families[]

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