Ioulian Monti Iourtchak, Mat.

4004136

Paper: Sicilian Mafia

1. Abstract
The Sicilian mafia or Cosa Nostra is undoubtedly one of the most notorious criminal organisations (from here on abbreviated as CO), in the world. Thanks to movies, books, TV shows and other mass-media, mafia entered in the collective imagination as a community of Italian fascinating businessmen with an almost romantic halo. Indeed is well structured CO, with a strong hierarchy and interests in several legal and criminal fields. The intent of this paper is to give a brief overview on the evolution of Cosa Nostra through decades, its structure and international diffusion, using the eight characteristics identified by James O. Finckenauer to describe organized crime (ideology, structure or organized hierarchy, continuity, use of violence or force, restricted membership and involvement in illegal enterprises, penetration of legitimate businesses and corruption).

Contents
The paper is structured as follows: 1. Abstract 2. Overview on Sicilian Mafia 2.1. Brief history of Sicilian Mafia 2.2. Ideology and restricted membership 2.3. Structure and hierarchy 2.4. Continuity 2.5. Involvement in illegal enterprises 2.6. Use of violence 2.7. Infiltration in legal business, state structures and corruption 3. Conclusion 4. Bibliography

2. Overview on Sicilian Mafia

2.1. Brief history of Sicilian Mafia The first information regarding the Sicilian Mafia or Cosa Nostra (that could be translated in Engliash as Our Affear) are dated around 1860, that is when Italy was united under the Sardinian Reign. There arent certain information about the origin of the name mafia. According to several scholars, the term mafia has an Arabian origin: mahyas, meaning "aggressive boasting, bragging" . At the beginning of XIII century, Sicilian landlords were usual to appoint the so-called Godfathers to coordinate bandits in order to protect their properties and control the farmers, assuring them a complete impunity. During the Spanish occupation, in the XVI century, to the nobles loyal to the crown were assured several privileges: exemption by the taxes, right to bring weapons and Ex Abrupto procedure avoid.

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The historical oppression of the farmers and privileges to nobles and their henchmen, due to the necessity of conquerors to control the island, was one of main conditions that creates a florid ground for developing of criminal organizations. In the same time, thanks to the influence of landlords, starts the infiltration and corruption of the Justice system. The fear and the consciousness to receive no justice by the state were the fundamental basis of omert, the perverse law of silence. The simple people, for centuries oppressed, started to accept this deal as natural. In the 1861 Garibaldi annexed Sicily to the Sardinian kingdom. Straightway is created a particular relationship between landlords and the new authorities. Barons supported the Garibaldi troops predicting that the new king wont interfere in their internal affairs. The new authorities were considered as all the conquerors before them: they spoken another language, they have another culture, theyve introduced conscription and new taxes. In 1866, Mafiosi aid police and regular troops to sedate the popular revolt, aimed to obtain democratic concessions. We can consider this period as Mafias Golden Age. In the same years, mafia were checking the entire internal are of the island, infiltrating in public institutions and exploiting farmers. From the 80ies of XIX century, thanks to a massive flow from Southern Italy to America, Mafia expands to the New World, discovering new opportunities. Here we can distinguish two types of Mafiosi. We can identify the first type with criminals escaping from Italian justice and the second one, with men that cannot find a honest occupation in America becoming picciotti. In the 30ies of XX centuries, Italian crime families reached the leading positions on USA underground scene. The most important were the Five families of New York, reorganized in a more efficient hierarchical structure by Lucky Luciano. In the earliest 20ies , in Italy, crime organizations supported the Fascist government in actions against the socialists, that foment the poor classes to rebellion. In 1925 Cesare Mori was appointed as prefect of Palermo. Applying violent and often illegal methods, such using women and children as hostages, he reached important goals in the struggle against mafia. Many Mafiosi were arrested, executed or constricted to escape. There is nothing strange in that during the Second World War Mafiosi supported the Allies against the Fascism. The close relations with the new administration permits them to restore in a short time their power on ante-Fascism level. The 60ies years seen the beginning of a conflict between the news men as Toto Riina, Luciano Liggio (Leggio) and Bernardo Provenzano on the one side, and the old godfathers on the other. This was the beginning of the Modern Cosa Nostra. 2.2. Ideology

On 5th November of 2007, in a villa of Palermo hinterland, was arrested the boss of Cosa Nostra Salvatore Lo Piccolo, his son Sandro and the wanted Gaspare Pulizzi e Andrea Adamo.

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During the search, police officers found the so-called 10 commandments of Mafia. A typed document that lists the principle rules a Mafioso should follows. 1. No one can present himself directly to another of our friends. There must be a third person to do it. 2. Never look at the wives of friends. 3. Never be seen with cops. 4. Don't go to pubs and clubs. 5. Always being available for Cosa Nostra is a duty - even if your wife's about to give birth. 6. Appointments must absolutely be respected. 7. Wives must be treated with respect. 8. When asked for any information, the answer must be the truth. 9. Money cannot be appropriated if it belongs to others or to other families. 10. People who can't be part of Cosa Nostra: anyone who has a close relative in the police, anyone with a two-timing relative in the family, anyone who behaves badly and doesn't hold to moral values. This short document gives us a clear image of Cosa Nostra ideology and the values its members follows. The basic rule, described in point 1 and then remarked in points 3 and 4, is conspiracy. From its beginnings Cosa Nostra were a secret organization. And as in every secret organization, the entering of a new member should be assured by other, older members. The secrecy was life important to permit the survivor of the organization in its worst times. Avoiding clubs and policemen company, the goodfella avoid to compromise them self and say more, than necessary when drunk. The points 2, 6, 7, assure the pacific coexistence of the members. Respect to the own family is a worth. The wife plays an important role in a life of a Mafioso: she takes care of the house, the education of sons and support her man during his incarceration. A leak of respect towards the wife is a leak of respect towards the Mafioso. Another important aspect of respecting the wife is that often shes daughter or sister of another Mafioso. As for medieval landlords, weddings are important to seal alliances between families and members of the same organization. Points 5, 8, 9 demark a boarding between The Family and private family. Often the affiliates are relatives, but its also usual the affiliation of strangers. The Family intended as CO is over the normal family relations: its deducible from the point 5. The honesty between members and hierarchical subordination should be strongly respected. Its not only a moral value but a practical necessity: Avoid the appropriation of common money by a member Easy replacement of a member in case of arrest of death. Physical elimination of a member by his next

Often the murders of a member fallen in disgrace are his own relatives.

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Point 10 lists the causes obstructing the affiliation to Cosa Nostra: close relativeness with a law representative, weakly and morally instable men. All that characteristics, dangerous for the secrecy and safety of the organization. 2.3. Structure

On 24th of October 1983 the Brazilian police arrested for crimes linked to drug traffic the Sicilian man of honour Tommaso Buscetta. In 1984 the Italian magistrates Falcone and Geraci moved to Brazil for convict him to collaborate with justice. His first reaction was the refuse. He even tried suicide, when known about his near extradition in Italy. Once transported in Italian prison of Nuovo, in Piemonte, the magistrate Falcone gained his trust and also his deposition. Thanks to declarations of Tommaso Buscetta we know the structure of Sicilian mafia. Its a pyramid organization, with a large base of famiglie, that control the assigned territory. The boss, called capofamiglia appoints his vices sottocapi, the consuellors and capidecina, chiefs of small groups of men of honour. The upon level is controlled by commissione or cupola, that gather capi mandamento, the representatives of more families of their territory. Cupola is presided by a capo commissione, originally called segretario. According Buscetta, the described above structure is common to all the Sicilian provinces, a part Palermo and Siracusa. The chiefs of provincial commissions are reunited in a supercommissione interprovinciale. Here are decided the most important questions: relations with other CO and State representatives. 2.4. Continuity

According to Finckenauer, Continuity means that the group is self-perpetuating; continuing beyond the life or participation of any particular individual. Bosses who die, or go to jail, are replaced by new bosses. Others may drop out, for various reasons, but the organization like its counterparts in the non-criminal world continues. Exists a passage in the initiation of a man of honour, the explains well the continuity of Cosa Nostra. Two elder members should tell introducing the new member a particular pharase: Questuomo la stessa cosa (This man is the same [that us]) The pyramidal organization permits in case of arrest of a leading member replace him in a short time. This permits to reduce also the inevitable financial leaks and conflicts with competitors. It was already mentioned above, that Sicilian crime groups are called family. As in normal families, there is a sort of mutual assistance and hierarchical rules. And as a normal family, the Mafias famiglia transmit its values to the next generations, reaching in this way two goals: generational turnover and particular flexibility in fitting to the new times. The modern Mafioso often boast university degrees and successful careers in the legal business. 2.5. Involvement in illegal enterprises

As for the main part of criminal organizations, the primary target of Sicilian Mafia is earn money and power. To reach this goal, mens of honours exploit all the legal and illegal opportunities. On the

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internal level, their main activities could be considered racket, drugs dealing, infiltration and control of the constructions sector and recycling of waste. Thanks to the historically close contacts with the American Cosa Nostra, Sicilian mafia is involved in international traffic of drugs and weapons. Recently is raised up another profitable business: gambling. One of the most famous and almost stereotype mafias activity is the running of bar and restaurants, useful to laundering money and assure a legal coverage to gambling, loan sharking and fencing. 2.6. Use of violence

Killings, beatings, burnings and destruction are commonly accepted. The violence permit to reach different targets. First and more important of all, is earning respect through the fearing of the citizens. Violence is used alto for sending a message to the less who try to rebel, destroy enemies, protect the family interests and obviously solve the contrasts with other crime organizations. Two Mafia wars marked the last fifty years: in the 60ies and in the 80ies. The first war marked the rise of a young Tot Riina and the Corlenese organization. The second, culminated with the death of magistrates Falcone and Borsellino and the arrest of Tot Riina. The scenografic homicides are committed for sending a message to authorities and public opinion. Its important to note, that no homicide of a man of honour could be committed without the authorization of the Cupola. But! No man of honour could refuse the order to murder if coming by the Cupola. 2.7. Infiltration in legal business, state structures and corruption

The activities listed in the title of this paragraph, could be considered with racket and gambling, mafia core business. Infiltrations of Mafiosi in state structures is animportant problem not only for Sicily but also for the entire state. Often Mafiosi or their relatives are elected as mayors or to any other electable charge. Thanks to fear and control of work opportunities, Mafia could easily control the elections and offer its services to local politics. Infiltration is close linked to corruption of public officials, mainly in all thet concerns tenders for important infrastructure constructions and waste disposal. During last years, many Italian politics and administrators were accused to be corrupted by Mafia. Between others could be named the mayor of Palermo Ciancimino and one of the most important politic figurant of the after war period Andreotti.

3. Conclusion
Sicilian mafia is one of the elder and more settled CO in Europe. Its monolithic hierarchy organization jointed to the unexpected flexibility of the members permits its surviving through the decades. Its power is based on fear and greed. In spite of in the recent years it could seems less powerful, it could be reminded that Sicilian Mafia is one of the world worst criminal organization

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with branches in many countries and many legal and illegal economic sectors. And less people speak about mafia, more powerful it became. The more efficient methods against the mafia are: transparency of public and private administrations inflexibility, severity and inevitability of the penalty confiscation of the patrimonies of men of honour and their relatives

As told above, the first goals of mafia is earn money and power. So, its necessary to increase the risks of reaching this targets, making the targets less attractive and daunt people of collaborate with this kind of organizations. Nowadays, it was already made a lot for helping people to resist mafia. They were created organizations for supporting businessmen, victims of extortion. Many times the properties confiscated to the families are given in management to cooperatives promoting the legality. They are promoted campaigns of awareness and other public initiatives, but too much should be do.

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4. Bibliograpy
1. Giovanni Falcone. Cose di Cosa Nostra http://biblioteca.fermi.mn.it/recensioni/narr_ita/falcone.htm

2. James O. Finckenauer. Mafia and Organized Crime: A Beginner's Guide. ONEWorld Publications 3. Pierpaolo Romani. Cosa Nostra e Ndrangheta. http://www.regione.toscana.it/cld 4. http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/1984/10/02/ecco-comandamenti-dellamafia.html 5. http://www.corriere.it/cronache/07_novembre_07/decalogo_mafia_palermo.shtml 6. http://www.fundus.org/pdf.asp?ID=5727 7. Leoluca Orlando. Fighting the Mafia and Renewing Sicilian Culture. http://books.google.it/books?id=rkhaSYinjWYC&pg=PA86&lpg=PA86&dq=buscetta+mafia+structur e&source=bl&ots=BHq8hUq_A-&sig=Lx5FwU7wx2WJ9XysJj_p2pLpk0&hl=it&sa=X&ei=_l7OT8PEBIPf4QTd9eXLDA&ved=0CGQQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=buscetta%20 mafia%20structure&f=false