When you hear the word Italian Mafia, you often think of a group of men in suits who are brutal with a series of criminal acts. In contrast to gangsters, mafia activities tend to be more organized, secret, and have many networks and connections of important people in various countries. Because of this, the mafia is synonymous with high-profile crimes such as drug cartels, arms smuggling, extortion, and manipulation of general elections in order to get money and expand the 'territory'. Several mafia groups also run businesses to make money and increase the organization's coffers. One of the largest mafia syndicates in Italy and the world today is said to have earned more than the combined total revenues of Deutsche Bank and McDonald's. Several Italian mafia clans operate to various corners of the world, competing with equally vicious mafias from other countries such as Russia, China, to Albania. In some cases, a number of mafia groups cooperate with each other to commit crimes and divide the proceeds equally. The European Union even recognizes the Italian mafia syndicate as a real security threat to the bloc. Currently, there are at least three of the largest mafia syndicates in Italy, namely Cosa Nostra (Mafia Sicilia), Camorra from Naples, 'Ndrangheta from Calabria, and Sacra Corona Unita from Puglia. According to the European Union's Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), the Italian mafia is capable of manipulating election results and placing their people in key government positions and areas far from their territory.
"Utilizing legislative loopholes and using the services of corrupt administrators and professionals, they (the mafia) launder money and manage it," reads a 2013 report by Europol.
1. The Origin of the Mafia
The Mafia first emerged from Sicilia, Italy, about hundreds of years ago, in the mid-19th century to be exact. At that time, Sicilia was still occupied by foreign colonies. Residents of Sicily also united to form a group called "mafioso" to defend and protect residents in the area from invaders. In Sicily, "mafioso" meaning mafia member originally had no criminal connotation and was commonly used for someone who was suspicious of the actions of the central government. However, over time, this mafioso group changed its function into a private army or "mafie" who often blackmailed officials and conglomerates who owned land by demanding money as security guarantees. Since then, the mafia has become a ruthless criminal organization and is now known as Cosa Nostra, the most famous mafia syndicate in the world. Cosa Nostra (Mafia Sicilia) is arguably the pioneer of the mafia in the world that is formed based on family clans. Therefore, the mafia is synonymous with the loyalty of its members to the organization. Severe sanctions to the point of life at stake if there are individuals who are caught disobeying let alone treason. Meanwhile, the mafia's main objective in operating is money and power.The Mafia is often defined as a rebel or anti-state group. In fact, the Mafia generally operates within a country with a legitimate government. The mafia is always trying to infiltrate local governments to weaken the system and ultimately misuse public funds. Therefore, the mafia is often considered to form a shadow state. Because, in its territory, the Mafia often acts like a sovereign government, starting from making its own rules and laws, punishing every violator, to collecting taxes and excise on citizens to extortion.
2. From Sicily to America
As the pioneer of mafia syndicates in the world, the influence of the Sicilia Mafia cannot be underestimated. Cosa Nostra can be considered the forerunner of mafia activities appearing in various countries, including the United States. According to the official website of the United States Department of Defense, the Sicilia Mafia developed in Uncle Sam's Country through the immigration of some of its members in the late 1800s, early 1900s, mid-1960s, and early 1970s. The prestigious Mafiosi, Giuseppe Esposito, was the first known member of the Sicilian Mafia to migrate to America. In November 1878, Esposito and six other Sicilian mobsters arrived in New York City from Palermo via Marseilles, France, by boat. Esposito and the six mobsters were forced to flee to New York because they were wanted for the murder of 11 land tycoons, chancellors, and vice chancellors in Sicilia. The Sicilia Mafia was first formed and operating in New Orleans in the 1800s, and then in New York City in the 1920s. In the same year, the Prime Minister of Italy, Benito Mussolini, came to power and launched a massive arrest of the Sicilian Mafia syndicate which he saw as a threat from his Fascist regime. In 1950, the Sicilia Mafia re-developed in the midst of massive post-World War II development until it was able to build its "kingdom" for decades later. In 1970, the Sicilia Mafia became a major player in the international narcotics trade. The Sicilia mafia who came to the US in the mid-1960s and early 1970s carried out their criminal activities undercover and ran a business as pizza sellers. Under the guise of a pizzeria, the Sicilia Mafia was able to smuggle massive amounts of heroin into America. In the period 1982 to 1983, one of the clans of the Mafia was able to import one and a half tons of heroin into New York, which was valued at a wholesale value of more than US$ 333 million. In the period 1980 to 1983, the New York Sicilia Mafia group was proven to have sent more than US$40 million (Rp574 billion) in cash from New York to Sicilia via Switzerland. In 1984, the director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) made the Sicilia Mafia case a top priority for the agency. Several other agencies helped them gather intelligence regarding the Sicilia Mafia. Like the Sicilia Mafia, the American Mafia family managed to keep their secret and success because of their loyalty, as well as their ability to bribe and intimidate public officials, business leaders, prosecutors, and judges. Today, the Sicilia Mafia is a formidable criminal organization in the United States, controlling heroin distribution networks around the world. Several world law enforcement organizations work together to fight the criminal acts of the Sicilia Mafia.
3. The story of Al Capone, Italy's Strongest Mafia
The name Alphonse Gabriel "Al Capone" is certainly no stranger to the world of mafia crime. The man from Italy became the most famous mafia in the history of the United States, even the world.
Capone was born to an immigrant family in Brooklyn, New York, in 1989. His parents, Gabriele and Teresina Capone, came to Uncle Sam's Land to try their luck. They hope for a better life in the superpower. He and his eight siblings lived in a tenement in New York. Gabriele worked as a barber, and Teresina became a tailor. No one thought that Al Capone could be the most dangerous gangster in the United States. Al Capone did decide to quit school because of a fight with the principal. Al Capone then joins the notorious street gangsters in Brooklyn led by Johnny Torrio. Capone's job at that time was to run a gambling operation near his home. The business was previously run by Torrio. But that wasn't Capone's only activity. He also worked in a factory as a paper cutter. While working and monitoring gambling operations, he occasionally got into fights with other gangs. In 1917, Torrio introduced his protege to gangster Frankie Yale. In his hands, Capone was employed as a bartender and caretaker at the Harvard Inn, on Coney Island. From here the nickname "Scarface" arose. One night, he verbally abused a woman at a bar. Suddenly, his brother punched and slashed Capone's face. The act left three scars that inspired his nickname. No matter how hard Capone's life is, he still needs a companion. At the age of only 19 years, he decided to marry Mae Coughlin. They have a son Albert Francis. The immigrant child vowed to live a better life with his family. Unexpectedly in 1920, a 'golden' opportunity came. Torrio invites Capone to join his gang in Chicago, the Colosimo. They developed businesses such as illegal beer production, beer distillation and distribution, prostitution and liquor despite the 18th Amendment. The law contained a prohibition against making, selling, and distributing alcoholic beverages in the United States from 1920 to 1933, Britannica was quoted as saying. At that time Torrio focused on a new field that was considered more profitable: smuggling. A former thug and bookkeeper, Capone flaunts his wits in Chicago in front of his mentor. Torrio understood Capone's skills and quickly made him a partner. Seeing the rapid business growth, Torrio did not want to waste this opportunity. He is also said to have succeeded in leading the gangster to be more developed. However, in 1925, Torrio was seriously injured in an assassination attempt. He decided to leave the business and return to Italy. The leadership relay fell into Capone's hands. Before leaving, Torrio advised Capone to remain humble. However, this advice was ignored. He instead moved headquarters to a luxury hotel at the Metropole Hotel, downtown Chicago. In that place, Scarface lived a luxurious, consumptive and extravagant lifestyle. Local media at the time estimated Capone earning $100 million annually. In an inter-mafia rivalry, Capone built a fearsome reputation for acquiring and maintaining extortion actions in various Chicago areas.
That image grew when other gangs were conquered and automatically some areas in Chicago became the property of Capone's gang. The media also continues to highlight Capone's movements. From the news, he often gains public sympathy because he is friendly and generous. Some people even think of him as Robin Hood, a dissident who works to defend the people. However, in the years that followed Capone was associated with violence. Its popularity is getting dimmer. He is said to be responsible for many acts of brutal violence, especially against other gangsters. Violence then continued on February 14, 1929. This incident is even called the peak of violence in the Chicago mafia era. At that time, seven members of Moran's "Bugs" gang, Capone's business rival, were shot by someone posing as a police officer using a machine gun. The seven people were lined up against the wall and shot mercilessly. The massacre was thought to have been perpetrated by Capone's gang, even though he himself was in Florida at the time of the incident. The four people who carried out the shooting were comrades of "Jack Machine Gun" Jack McGurn. Jack receives Capone's instructions to kill the Morans in exchange for US$10,000. However, Capone was never brought to justice for his extortion. He was brought to trial for tax evasion charges in 1931. The Italian man served only six and a half years in prison. Then 16 years later he died of a heart attack in Miami.
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