The history and evolution of La Cosa Nostra - Essay Example

The history and evolution of La Cosa Nostra: Discuss, in detail, the current methods of operation used by this organized crime group La Cosa Nostra(LCN) is a collection of Italian-American systematized crime “families” that have been operating in the United States since the 1850s. During the Prohibition phase of the 1920s these crime groups became very active and the 1930s saw them establishing their power. During the years of 1950s and 1960s they turned into well-known crime organizations like the Cosa Nostra and the Mafia. (Mallory, 90-91) LCN was known to be the most well known criminal organization in United States since Prohibition era. In recent times, the LCN has been rigorously crippled by law enforcement. Over the years, other organized crime groups in the criminal market have confronted it. The LCN has greater capability to achieve monopoly authority over criminal markets, to employ or intimidate violence to uphold that authority, and to distort law enforcement and the political structure. This is the only organization which has controlled labor unions, systematized owner cartels, functioned as a rationalizing power in main industries, and played the role of a bridge between the better world and the underworld. It is this characteristic that differentiates the Cosa Nostra from all other criminal groups in the U.S. (Finckenauer, 1).  The membership of the LCN is nearly 1100 countrywide, with approximately 80 percent of the members functioning in the New York metropolitan region. There are 5 crime families that comprised of the LCN in New York City: the Bonanno, the Colombo, the Genovese, the Gambino, and the Lucchese families. There is also LCN functional activity in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and the Miami or South Florida region.   La Cosa Nostra, over several years, founded its reputation for the cold-blooded use of violence. This aggression has taken place generally in the form of thrashings and assassinations. Personal aggression, and to a lesser extent it was brutality against property, such as, intimidations, fire-raising, blasts, is the distinctive pattern of the methodical use of aggression as an instrument of doing business. Violence and the threat of aggression were the ways by which the LCN gained monopoly control over a variety of illegal enterprises. It disheartened and abolished competitors, and it strengthened the reputation and trustworthiness of the LCN. Aggression is also used for in-house discipline (Finckenauer, 2). By the mid 1950s, Cosa Nostra thought of shifting their business to the cities from the rural areas. They understood that they could achieve financial gains only in cities. The industrial boom took place in the cities of Sicily. Here, the gains in terms of real estate, construction, and transportation were more hopeful. Thus, they turned out to be industrialists and became an element of the urban enterprise (Sinai, 29). An important feature of Cosa Nostra is aggression. “Lupara Bianca” was the conventional technique of murdering by strangulation of the victim and dissolving the corps in acid. Nowadays, contemporary weapons are used for assassination; however, Lupara has remained to be an effectual implement (Sinai, 22). The year 1970s was dominated by terrorism and there was disintegration of Italian state’s monopoly of aggression (Sinai, 15). During 90s, Cosa Nostra has gained monopoly in the international finance and became less reliant on the public agreements since they had made lump sum money from illicit businesses (Sinai, 17). Cosa Nostra is distinct and exceptional as it has effectively infiltrated labor unions to seize control of lawful industries. They have been using typical methods of operation such as, gambling, narcotics, loan sharking, labor racketeering and extortion (Vito, Maahs and Holmes, 408). Presently, LCN members engage in several illegal activities. These include wholesale sharing of highly-effective marijuana, MDMA, cocaine and heroin. LCN members make drug smuggling possible through numerous major U.S. maritime Powers over Ethernet (POEs). They have close working associations with Italian organized crime (IOC), and are more closely working with Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs). LCN members also work with mid-stage and retail-level circulation groups and street gangs for instance, Latin Kings, OMGs for example, Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, and autonomous dealers who allocate drugs in bars and clubs (Drug Trafficking Organizations). Miley Cyrus stalking case: Miley Cyrus stalking case during 2009 and discuss the case extensively. Who typically engages in this type of activity? What does research tell us about stalking victim profiles? Miley Cyrus (American pop singer and television actress) has been stalked by a 53-year-old Georgian man. His case has been brought to the court. However, his lawyer has begged for pardon because he thinks that his client has been undergoing several difficulties. According to the lawyer, his client has been coping with the loss of his mother and brother. On the other hand, he has also lost his work as an assistant plumber. McLeod came before a judge in Tybee Island, Georgia on August 18, 2009, who delayed a first round hearing on the case for a week (Accused in Miley Cyrus stalking case appears in court). The grand adjudicators on October 28, 2009 declined to accuse a 53-year-old man imprisoned since August on allegations that he attempted to stalk Miley Cyrus. It was because the teen star played a role in a movie about the Georgia coast. The Chatham County grand adjudicators have come to a decision that prosecutors had inadequate proof to charge Mark McLeod in higher court, which hears criminal cases. According to the spokesperson of the District Attorney, Larry Chisolm, the prosecutor still intended to charge two cases on McLeod-one on stalking and other on unruly conduct. As per the statement given by McLeod to the police officials, he was about to marry Cyrus. James Byrne, McLeods attorney, believed that McLeod might have suffered from mental hallucinations, however never posed an intimidation to Cyrus. McLeod originally was charged with only misbehaviors, but prosecutors had his case shifted to Superior Court on September so they could track a lawbreaking charge of obstructing a police officer. They asserted that he attempted to knock against an officer’s head that tried to guide him away, however the grand jury refused it as a lawbreaking case (Ga. Grand Jury Wont Indict Accused Cyrus Stalker). McLeod also told the officials had to think about the security of Cyrus and other inhabitants without exaggerating since a celebrity was involved in this case. His lawyer, James Byrne, said that he was satisfied that the jobless assistant plumber would at last acquire help for his mental problems. Byrne quoted, “I guess hes just like an avid fan and obviously theres some delusion going on, but thats not against the law. The evidence didnt show that he ever had any intention of harming (Cyrus) or her family” (Bynum). McLeod appeared before the court (wearing chains and an inmate jumpsuit), seemed to be puzzled sometimes, mainly when the judge told him he could not use a computer during his trial. McLeod was taken into custody in June and police said he made unsuitable comments to young ladies who assembled in anticipations of glimpsing Cyrus during film shoot. A police report accounted that McLeod told officials he was in Georgia to provide company to Miley. He confessed that he had tried to head butt one of the officials when they tried to take him out by means of chains from the beach. The written statement provided by officer, Warren Millikan states that McLeod asserted he had sent Cyrus diamond rings and other presents and she had acknowledged his marriage proposal. According to McLeod, Miley had sent him "secret messages" via her television shows. McLeod was primarily released from jail but was captured a second time after returning back to Tybee Island in August. Police said security officials for Walt Disney Pictures marked him banging on doors of houses near the movie set and inquiring occupants if they knew where he could hit upon Cyrus (Bynum). According to Dr. J. Reid Meloy (he composed Violent Attachments and is the editor of The Psychology of Stalking), stalking generally happens to males. This kind of unusual behavior comes during the fourth decade of their lives. After initial communication, the stalker develops emotions such as, impulsive love or infatuation. Hence, he thinks that he is in love. The stalker then thinks that he is in love. He begins to have delusions that the other person is also in love with him. Intense anger is developed within the stalker and he becomes obsessed to chase his love. He wants to gain control by means of pestering or injury. This is what happened to McLeod. McLeod also thought that Miley Cyrus was in love with him. Thus, a stalker must bring back his self-absorbed fantasy. Aggression is most likely to take place when the love object is undervalued. In psychological terms, the stalker imagines being betrayed in love. Thus, putting behind the bars is not the ultimate solution for the people like McLeod. Proper counseling and treatment is required for their recovery into normal condition (Ramsland). Research may show that while most stalkers are men, the victims are mostly women. There may be various classifications in the crime of stalking – simple obsessional group where the criminal and the victim shared a relationship before and erotomanic group where the stalker is in a delusion that the victim is in love with him or her. The same happened in case of McLeod. However, prior cases have shown that the victims are often from celebrity status and/or higher socio economic status. (Nadkarni and Grubin) In this case the victim is a woman celebrity obviously of higher socio economic status than the man.                                  Works Cited      1. Finckenauer, James.O. “La Cosa Nostra in the United States”, Dec. 6, 2007. Available at: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/218555.pdf (Accessed on Nov. 5, 2009). 2. “Ga. Grand Jury Wont Indict Accused Cyrus Stalker”. The New York Times, Oct. 28, 2009. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/10/28/arts/AP-US-Miley-Cyrus-Stalking.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=miley%20cyrus%20stalking&st=cse (Accessed on Nov. 5, 2009). 3. “Accused in Miley Cyrus stalking case appears in court”. Star.com, Aug. 19, 2009. Available at: http://www.thestar.com/article/682752 (Accessed on Nov. 5, 2009). 4. Bynum, Russ. “Plea Deal in Cyrus “Stalk” case”. The Chronicle, Oct. 31, 2009. Available at: http://www.thechronicle.com.au/story/2009/10/31/plea-deal-in-miley-cyrus-stalk-case/ (Accessed on Nov. 5, 2009). 5. Sinai, M.A.Tamir. "Terror at Midday" - The Cosa Nostra as a Terrorist Organization Akademische Schriftenreihe. Munich: GRIN Verlag, 2007. 6. Vito, Gennaro F, Maahs, Jeffrey R, Holmes, Ronald M. Criminology: theory, research, and policy. Criminal justice illuminated. Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2006. 7. “Drug Trafficking Organizations”. National Drug Intelligence Center. National Drug Threat Assessment 2009, Dec. 2008. Available at: http://www.justice.gov/ndic/pubs31/31379/dtos.htm (Accessed on Nov. 6, 2009). 8. Mallory, Stephen L. Understanding Organized Crime, Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2007 9. Nadkarni, Rajesh and Don Grubin, Stalking: why do people do it?, British Medical Journal, 2000 June 3; 320(7248): 1486–1487, retrieved on November 6, 2009 from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1118086/ 10. Ramsland, Katherine. “Stalkers: The psychological terrorist”. Trutv.com. Available at: http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/psychology/stalkers/5.html (Accessed on Nov. 6, 2009). Read More