How Organized is Organized Crime - Essay Example

How Organized is Organized Crime? Abstract This essay intends to investigate mafia in Italy and United States of America. First, the essay studies how organized the mafia in Italy is. It is followed by an examination of how organized the mafia in United States of America is. Next, the two mafia structures between Italy and United States of America were examined for their similarities and differences in a comparative study. Finally, it is concluded with the comments. I. Introduction In this globalization era, members of the global communities are facing threats and assaults of organized crime groups. In the United States, names such as "Lucky" Luciano (1892–1962), Meyer Lansky (1902–1983), Al Capone (1899–1947), and "Bugsy" Siegel (1906–1947) are well known criminal names. Mifia or Cosa Nostra crime families such as Colombos, Bonannos, Genoveses, Luccheses, and Gambinos have captivated the country’s imagination. Organized crime groups, which are carrying out their activities in the United Sates originated in other countries such as China, Japan, and Mexico, and Latin America, and so on. The aim of the organized crime is to extort, threat, or force a person, a group of persons in order to obtain money or property through illegal activities. In carrying out such illegal activities, the organized crime has formal organizational structure of bosses, advisors, and working members. For example, organized crime group may request business owners to provide them with monthly fees in exchange of protection for their business. Such kind of extortion money is organized crime. When the owners many refuse to pay their requested monthly, their lives are at danger. Therefore, any organized crime can have negative impacts on any individual, a group, a community, or a region or a whole country. Triads from China and Hong Kong, Mafia from Russia, Mexican, and Italy, Yakuza from Japan, and drug cartels from South America are famous crime units operating in the United States of America. According to the FBI’s report, the organized crime activities brought in an annual income of between $50 and $90 billion dollars which is greater than income of any major national industry. An estimation of more than one trillion dollars annual profits was generated by organized crime units around the world. The organized crime units in the recent days manipulate and monopolize financial markets, traditional institutions such as labor unions, legitimate industries such as construction. Their activities include bringing drugs into countries, committing violence, buying corrupt officials, using bribes and grafts to seek favors from legal institutions to operate their illegal businesses, gambling, committing stock fraud and financial crimes, human trafficking, and forcing innocent women into prostitutions, etc. Their businesses have created misery nationally and globally. With such immerse threats from organized crime, mafia units become more dominants in carrying out illegal business operations around the world. Their network rings were difficult to estimate. With such an importance of organized crime and mafia units, this study answers the following four questions: (1) How can organized crime be defined? (2) How organized is the mafia in Italy? (3) How organized is mafia in United States of America? (4) What are similarities and differences between the mafias in Italy and United States of America? II. Defining Organized Crime There is no simple definition of organized crime. It is difficult to define because it involves many different concepts and they all are overlapping one another. According to (insert your lecturer’s name), the organized crime can be simply defined as: “Organised crime involves illegal activities of people and organisation whose acknowledged purpose is profit through illegitimate business and enterprise” In this simple definition, the terms such as illegal activities, a group of people doing such activities, organizations which are carrying out such illegal activities involved in illegitimate business and enterprise. U.S. President Richard Nixon signed “The Organized Crime Control Act of 1970” in order to combat the organized crime in the United States of America. The Act of prohibits the creation or management of a gambling organization involving 5 or more people if it has been in business more than 30 days or accumulates $2000 in gross revenue in a single day. It also gave grand juries new powers, permitted detention of unmanageable witnesses, and gave the attorney general authorization to protect witnesses, both state and federal, and their families. This last measure helped lead to the creation of WITSEC, an acronym for witness security” (FBI, 2007). III. Defining Mafia Defining the word Mafia is complicated due to unknown origin for certain. According to the The origin of "mafia" is not known for certain. According to Nicaso and Lamothe (1995), it is believed that the word Mafia began when the French invaded to Sicily in 1282 and they used saying of "Morte Alla Francia Italia Anela!" ("Death to the French is Italy's Cry!") or M.A.F.I.A. It was first published in 1862 in a play as it was said "I Mafiusi della Vicaria" (The Mafia in the Vicarage") about a secret criminal group in the prisons of Palermo. In Italy, mafia or Cosa Nostra was first formed in the mid-19th century in Sicily and it has been known as Italian criminal secret society (Nicaso and Lamothe, 1995). IV. Mafia in Italy An Overview In Italy, the word “Sicilian Mafiosi” refers to “men of honor”. They solve their own problems and problems of others without following the laws established and enforced by the state. The structure of mafia organization can be found as localized fraternity or cosca (cosche), which is named for the tightly bundled leaves of an artichoke. Being a predatory and criminal mutual-aid society, the mafia supports its members who are arrested, convicted, and sentenced to jail. Mafia promotes silence and secrecy among members to have royalty and to keep secrecy of any activity carried out by the organization and its members (Schneider and Schneider, 2005). Among mafia organizations, “cosche” are territorial organization. Their names bear rural towns or urban neighborhoods where they exist. Every mafia organization obtains an honor (a “pizzo”) from businesses in its territory. All employers of the territory organizations are required to hire mafia dependents. With strongly networked with entrepreneurial coalitions as well as strategic outsiders, the Mafiosi pressure more far-flung activities which include animal rustling, commerce of contraband tobacco, arms smuggling, drugs trafficking, and so on. In addition, with their long cultivated political ties and connections, they have capacity for violence, which enables them to fiercely compete for gaining an access and control over public goods and utilities (Schneider and Schneider, 2005). According to Schneider and Schneider, (2003: 88-92), cosca organizations are found to be connected one another by their “kinship” relationship. Memberships are passed from generation to generation such as from father to son, from uncle to nephew, and so on. In addition, Mafiosi imaginatively create kinship tie of co-godparenthood. Such ties are often named as godfathers to their children. Family members who are members of cosca members and who are fathers, sons, uncles, nephews, godfathers are almost obligatory to consider criminal career. However, any of the family members become a Mafioso dependents on one’s talent. In a family, when one son lacks guts to become a Mafioso and his brothers received instruction to become a Mafioso or “men of honor”, then he is free to chose his own way. Paoli (1997 and 2000) found that in Mafia, admitting many kinsmen at a time is limited due to fears that the Mafiosi might seek to grab the power within the cosca. Thus admitting many kinsmen at a time is suspicious and a family should not pass down many kinsmen at one time. Nonkins who are young delinquents, and who go out of their way to commit petty crimes with an aim to impress prospective Mafioso sponsors are also recruited. In the study of Arlacchi (1993: 130), in the antimafia trials of the mid-1980s, a justice collaborator of Antonino Calderone, a justice collaborator (pentito), put it this way: “Around every man of honor of a certain rank is always a circle of twenty or thirty kids—nobodies who want to become something . . . there to do small favors, to be put to the test . . . like rock stars looking up to Madonna”. The term “family” was frequently used as a metaphor for the cosca. It represents an evocation of the presumed solidarity of kinship. Mutual goodwill is another term which is frequently used in the cosca. The term also represents idiosyncratic ways of speaking, terms of address, and linguistically playful nicknames. Above all, the term reflects privilege of exclusivity and belonging to its members. A laden rite of entry which is symbolic provides members at lifelong socialization situating them “outside” normal society which they see themselves as above of it (Schneider and Schneider, 2005). According to the Schneider and Schneider (2003:82–85), a ritual was held at an entry into a mafia. In the ritual, a novice holds the burning paper image of a saint whereas his finger was pricked by his sponsor and mixed the symbolically laden blood and ashes. He then has to swear an oath of lifelong loyalty to the sodality and silence before outsiders. In line with age and privilege, the cosca is structured internally with newly recruited “soldiers” who expect to take greater risk with lesser rewards. Generally speaking, most of the time, senior bosses are elected to the leadership positions. However in some cases, audacious upstarts might have seized the power. In the rurual towns and urban centers of western Sicily, the different cosches are likely to have autonomy to one another. However Mafiosi are in found to have communicated in networking relationship. The mafia has a center and locus in Palermo and its immediate hingerland (Lupo 1984, 1990, 1993). Women and their relationship to the mafia are difficult to describe. In many events such as hunting parties, banquets parties and other socializing events, women are excluded. Masculine identity is generally accepted and it is asserted through men’s affectionate, even homoerotic, horsing around. Women exclusion is appropriate for the novices to take bonding among them for violence practice (Schneider and Schneider 1984). Arlacchi (1993:147) pointed out that women Mafiosi are from mafia families and they host their husbands’ friends. According to Federal Bureau of Investigation, In Italy, there are famous Mafia groups, namely (1) Sicilian Mafia, (2) Camorra or Neapolitan Mafia, (3) ’Ndrangheta or Calabrian Mafia, and (4) Sacra Corona Unita or United Sacred Crown. First, Sicilian Mafia which is based in Sicily is believed to have founded in the mid-1800s. The purpose is to unify the Sicilian peasants against their enemies. The meaning of the word Mafia is “manly”. Since 1920s, the mafia in Sicily had changed from a group of honorable Sicilian men to an organized criminal group. During 1950s, they were taking advantages in the booming business of building. As a result, Mafia have gained control of multi-million dollars businesses in construction industry. Second, Camorra or Neapolitan was based in Naples. The word “Camorra” or Neapolitan was first used in the mid-1800s in Naples, Italy. They were prison gang. When prisoners were released, they formed in group with their clans in cities and grew in power. There are more than 100 clans and 7,000 members in the Camorra. Third, the word “’Ndrangheta” means courage or loyalty in Greek. When the Italian government banished the Sicilian groups, they formed small criminal groups in Calabria. There are more than 160 cells with more than 6,000 members. Fourth, the Sacra Corona Unita, or United Sacred Crown was located in Brindisi, southeastern region of Puglia. It was a prison gang which later linked with other Mafia groups. There are about 50 clans with approximately 2,000 members in the Sacra Corona Unita (FBI, 2007). V. Mafia in US Overview In the United States of America, the Mafia organizations are viewed as secret criminal organizations, which hold great economic and political control over large segments of Sicilian society. They operates both criminal and legitimate enterprises in the United States. They are believed to have origin during the Sicily’s late Middle Ages, beginning as separate bands of strong-arm enforcers hired by local landowners. Later they developed networking relationships among autonomous groups which govern in rural areas. They ruled peasantry which received little effective government from a succession of distant, foreign, and royal rulers (FBI, 2007). In recent years, the Mafia is seen as a loose alliance of many small local groups. They are having kinship or kinship relationship among the members. When a man becomes a member, he must strictly follows the Mafia code of omerta. The code requires all members to be absolutely silence about Mafia activities and absolutely obedience to the hierarchical Mafia authority. Despite the efforts by the Italian Fascists to destroy the organization in the 1920s and 1930s, the Mafia flourished in the Sicilian countryside. During the Allied invasion of World War II, the Fascists fled Sicily. At that time, the Mafia was the only remaining governing structure. They worked closely with the forces in the United States of America. In recent years, the Mafia is dominant on businesses and industries in the Sicily’s cities (FBI, 2007). Near the end of the 19th century, there were immigrants from the Sicilian to the United States of America. With the Sicilian immigrants, the Mafia operates their businesses in several large U.S. cities. During 1920 and 33, the period of prohibition, the Mafia has monopoly in trade. They included bootleg liquor, loan sharking, gambling, and prostitution. Mafia families tried to establish their territories by negotiation, intimidation. After the mid-1930s, the Mafia organizations evolved into institutionalized structures. Since then the Mafia has become a typical organized crime in the United Sates of America (FBI, 2007). In the United States, the word Mafia or Cosa Nostra or “our affair” is often used to mention the organized crime. However, the Italian-descended Mafia groups constitute only a small part of a much larger criminal organizations. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation report, there are ten Mafia families in the country. They are: (1) the Vito Genovese Family, (2) the Carlo Gambino Family, (3) the Gaetano Lucchese Family, (4) the Giuseppe Magliocco Family, (5) the Joseph Bonanno Family, (6) Buffalo, New York Organization, (7) Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusettes Organization, (8) the Mafia Organization in the Tampa, Florida, Area, (9) the Mafia Organization in the Detroit Area, and (10) Ruling Council (FBI, 2007). According to Federal Bureau of Investigation, there are various Mafia groups which operate illegal businesses and carry out their activities. They are namely (1) Italian organized crime/mafia, (2) Eurasian criminal enterprises, (3) Asian criminal enterprises, (4) African criminal enterprises, and (5) sports bribery program. First, the Italian Mafia groups which are currently active in the U.S. are (1) the Sicilian Mafia, (2) the Camorra or Neapolitan Mafia, (3) the ’Ndrangheta or Calabrian Mafia and (4) the Sacra Corona Unita or United Sacred Crown. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, it was estimated that the four main Mafia groups have more than 25,000 members with more than 250,000 affiliates around the world. In the United States, there are estimated 3,000 members and affiliates which were scattered in major cities in the Northeast, the Midwest, California, and the South. Their largest presence was found in New York, southern New Jersey, and Philadelphia. These groups engaged in international criminal activities with members and affiliates in Canada, South America, Australia, and parts of Europe. They are also involved with other international organized crime groups around the work especially in drug trafficking. They have posed threats to the American society due to their largest operations in drug trafficking and money laundering. They have engaged in heroin trafficking and money laundering for more than decades. French Connection and Pizza Connection were the two well known Italian organized crimes in 1980s. The four Mafia groups in the United States do not limit their activities to only drug trafficking. The other businesses include illegal gambling, political corruption, extortion, kidnapping, fraud, counterfeiting, inflation of legitimate businesses, murders, bombings, and weapons trafficking. Their criminal activities worldwide are estimated to have generated income of more than $ 100 billion annually. Another group of Mafia in the United States is “Eurasian Organized Crime”. Members of such organized crime groups include criminals who were born in or with family from the former Soviet Union or Central Europe. These groups operate in numerous countries in the world including the U.S. Their business operations caused the United States of America hundreds of millions of dollars in losses to U.S, businesses, investors, and taxpayers through complicated fraud schemes and public corruption. These Mafia groups originated in the Vory V Zakone or “thieves in law,” career criminals. They unite together in support of and for the profit in the Soviet prison system. During the Soviet period, members were paid a 30 percent margin to acquire scare consumer goods and divert raw materials and finished goods from production lines for the benefit of a group of educated elite and criminals known as Nomenklatura. When the Soviet Union in 1991 collapsed, members have formed alliance with corrupt public officials in order to acquire the control of industries and resources which were privatized. They begun to engage in the criminal activities in the West in the 1970s after the Refuseniks were allowed to emigrate to Eurpoe, Israel, and the U.S. They profit through tax-evasion schemes and embezzle the government funds with the help of corrupt officials (FBI, 2007). Since the early 1990s, the Asian criminal enterprises have been operating their businesses. The groups had origin in Chine tongs which were social organizations formed by early Chinese-American immigrants. These organizations formed ties with other similar organizations in East and Southeast Asia. Members have ties with China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam with directly or indirectly. These enterprises have formed extensive networks of national and international criminal associates. They have highly sophisticated criminal operations, extensive financial capabilities, and multilingual abilities and their businesses are formed as business firms in different sizes including small family owned businesses to multinational large corporations. Members of Asian criminal groups can live, thanks to generous immigration policies in this globalization era, in populated areas around the world. There are two kinds of enterprises, namely traditional criminal enterprises and non-traditional enterprises. The first one include the Chinese triads (or underground societies) based in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau as well as the Japanese Yakuza or Boryokudan whereas the latter include groups such as Chinese criminally influenced tongs, triad affiliates, and other ethnic Asian street gangs. There are two categories of Asian criminal enterprises. Traditional criminal enterprises include the Chinese triads (or underground societies) based in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau as well as the Japanese Yakuza or Boryokudan. Non-traditional criminal enterprises include groups such as Chinese criminally influenced tongs, triad affiliates, and other ethnic Asian street gangs found in several countries with sizeable Asian communities (FBI, 2007). Since 1980s, the African criminal enterprises have evolved quickly because of the globalization. With the easier international travel, expansion of world trade, and financial transactions, the criminal enterprises expanded their networks within more prosperous countries and regions. In addition, the political, economic, and social conditions in Africa including Nigeria, Ghana, and Liberia helped them expand globally. Nigerian criminal enterprises are more prominent criminal organizations which operate in more than 80 countries around the world. They are engaged in drug trafficking and financial frauds which caused the U.S (FBI, 2007). VI. Comparison between mafias in Italy and America It is found that there are similarities and differences among the Mafia groups in Italy and United States of America. The origin of the Mafia in Italy was mainly in Sicily whereas the origins of Mafia groups in the U.S. are from Asia, Europe, Italy, and Africa. The aim of their groups is found similar between two groups of Mafia in the two countries. Their aims included drug trafficking, kidnapping, money laundering, fraud, corruption, prostitution, etc. Members of the Mafia groups are family members. In the United States of America, there are ten famous Mafia families. Table 1. Similarities and differences between the two mafia structures in Italy and America Mafia in Italy Mafia in American Origin Italy Italy and other countries Aim Illegal business operations Illegal business operations Members Family members Family members VII. Conclusions Mafia is organized criminal groups which operate the illegal businesses in countries around the world. The origin of the Mafia rooted in Sicily, Italy. Later they have migrated into the United States. In the United States, there are four groups of Mafia, namely (1) Italian organized crime/mafia, (2) Eurasian criminal enterprises, (3) Asian criminal enterprises, (4) African criminal enterprises, and (5) sports bribery program. They came from different origins including Italy, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Their similarities and differences exist between the Mafia groups of Italy and the United States. References: Aarlacchi , Pino. 1993. Men of dishonor: Inside the Sicilianmafia. New York: William Morrow. Jamieson, Alison. 2000. The antimafia: Italy’s fight against organized crime. London: Macmillan. Paoli, Letizia. 1997. The pledge to secrecy: Culture, structure, and action of mafia associations. Ph.D. diss., European University Institute, Florence, Italy. Paoli, Letizia. 2000. Fratelli di mafia: Cosa nostra e’ndrangheta. Bologna: Il Mulino. Principato, Teresa, and Alessandra Dino. 1997. Mafia donna: Le vestali del sacro e del’onore. Palermo: Flaccovio. Puglisi, Anna. 1990. Sole contra la mafia. Palermo: La Luna. Schneider, Jane, and Peter Schneider. 2003. Reversible destiny: Mafia, antimafia, and thestruggle for Palermo. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. Siebert , Renate. 1994. Le donne, la mafia. Milano: Il Saggiatore. Schneider, Jane, and Peter Schneider. 2005. Mafia, Antimafia, andthe Plural Cultures of Sicily. Current Anthropology Volume 46, Number 4, August–October 2005, 501-520. Nicaso, Antonio and Lamothe, Lee. 1995. The Global Mafia, The New World Order of Organized Crime, Macmillan Canada, Toronto 1995. Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2007. www.fbi.gov Read More