mafia Essay -- essays research papers

Their guns terrorized the streets of New York. They were murderous, brutal thugs that killed with no feelings of remorse. They were bank-robbers, drug dealers, casino owners, lay down workforce and pimps. They were the Mafia of the 1920s and 1930s. These degenerates played an important role in American history, they were more than just bank-robbers and gunslingers, and they were work force that affected all facets of society. They were celebrities, near of the to the highest degree recognized men in America. Their evil deeds made the see page of every newspaper. They were some of the richest men in America, but or so of all they were the scapegoats for Americas problems. They were hated by many, respected by few and feared by all. In times of poerty and despair, they were looked upon as the "problem", which indispensablenessed to be "fixed". The fear they imposed on America gave Americans something to unite over and fight against together. Sometimes, a person is nigh courageous when they are most fearful. They made America "roar" in the twenties and they took "the wrath" of thirties. They were some of Americas most dangerous men and some of its most famous as well. In order to obtain an objective view towards the Mafia, one must know a little about its history. The Mafia was first started in the ninth century, in Sicily. At this time, Arab forces were occupying Sicily. The natives were being oppressed, so they took refuge in the surrounding hills and formed a secret society to protect against the extraneous invaders. This secret society was named Mafia, after the Arabic word for refuge. The societys intentions were to create a sense of family, based on ancestry and Sicilian heritage. During the 1700s, Mafia leading began to force their way to the head positions in the Sicilian government and use government funds for their own private endeavours. In the early 1900s, when Mussolini and the Fascists came to power, he vowe d to rid the country of all the Mafia. Keeping this in mind, and the fact that on that point was money to be made through extortion, prostitution, gambling and bootlegging in the United States, many Mafiosos decided to come west to America. Charles "Lucky" Luciano, the ultimate organizer of the New York Mafia, was born in Sicily in 1897, and came to New York. Luciano climbed the " poisonous ladder" and by 1935, he was known ... ...titution was so profitable, because it offered the most well marketable and vendible product in the world sex. The Mafia apply the prostitutes as tools to make more business. They placed their "girls" throughout their clubs, so they could enticement some high roller in the back for a drink in or two. They worked the bars, and listened to lonely middle class men who needed a shoulder to cry on. They were on the streets mingling with the crowd, looking for their next perverted customer. The bosses often used prostitutes to &qu otsweeten" deal between rival leadership or crooked politicians. They were as dangerous as the trained killers were, because they have something more powerful than guns. They were just as ruthless as the men that put holes in peoples heads they only came in a nicer package. The Mafia men of the 1920s and 1930s were some of the most influential men in American history. They robbed banks, killed people, stole, cheated, lie and corrupted an already corrupt country. They were not role models, and they did not drive to be. They were businessmen, men who had only two objectives, money and power. They saw a need for something and they produced it.