The Italian Mafia Flashcards
(40 cards)
code of conduct and norms of Italian Mafia
- members are constrained in their actions by a strain of conduct and customs that must be respected
- severe consequences for stepping out of the group
- secrecy and loyalty is essential
- To obtain special permission, Mafioso must seek approval of a superior
Ex: planning to leave the country
what kind of structure does the Italian mafia have?
Top-down corporate model
What is the ultimate penalty to not adhering to the climate of order?
The ultimate penalty to not adhering to the climate of order and obedience is death
the Mafia code
- Reciprocal aid in case of any need whatever
- Absolute obedience to the chief
-Leaders are very well insolated by making sure that anyone underneath them are obedient - An offense received by one of the members to be considered an offense against all and avenged at any cost
-Idea that if one is harmed the whole group is harmed - No appeal to the states authorities for justice
-Law is the enemy, seek justice themselves - No revelation of the name of members or any secrets of the association
Omerta
live by a strict code of silence and absolute refusal to give any info to authorities (practiced by the Mafia)
updated Mafia code
- To help one another and avenge every injury of a fellow member
- To work w all means for the defense and freeing of any fellow member who has fallen into the hands of the judiciary
- To divide the proceeds of thievery, robbery and extortion w certain considerations for the needy as determined by the capo
- To keep the oath and maintain secrecy on pain of death within 24 hours
5 families in NYC
Genovese
Gambino
Lucchese
Colombo
Bonanno
Rizzuto- 6th family
who was Montreal Calabrian led by?
Contorni
Who was Sicilian led by?
Rizzuto
Who did the Calabrian group and Sicilian group report to?
Bonanno
what did you have to do to enter the Bonanno family crime group?
Had to pass a 5 yr probation to enter the Bonanno family (Cotoni)
What was the issue with the Rizzuto’s?
- Rizuttos lack of respect toward the other fams (eventually they took control over the entire Montreal Mafia)
- Rizzuto did not like Cotroni family
Salvatore Marisano
the person who create the five families later being killed by Lucky Luciano
onset of American prohibition
1920
What was Canada a source for during prohibition?
Canada major source of distilled spirits
Henry Hatch
- Salse manager at a distillery was able to get a bunch of boats- hired fisherman- smuggled alc onto the boats
-Would pay his brother $1 for every batch sold- herb hatch
-Hatch’s navy- so successful at moving whiskey he had the funds to purchase the Gooderham distillery in TO
Samuel Bronfman
-1916: mail order liquor firm in Montreal
-1920s: Yorton Distillery Saskatchewan
-1924: Distillers Corp, Ltd in Montreal
-Bronfman made connections- Rocci Perri (ON), Frank Costello, Meyer Lansky, Al Capone, Moe Dalitz (Cleveland)
-Owned site in St. Pierro Miquelon
what did early Canadian mafia look like?
- Most Canadian Italians were Calabrian
- Illegal gambling and loan sharking 1930s
-US groups- Bonanno fam, Magaddino group (Buffalo) active
-Montreal became point for French connection (Corsican)
who became the biggest money maker during prohibition?
-Underground distilleries- high taxes on liquor
- Gambling and bookamrking **
Castellammares war
- He was kidnapped and left for the dead- survived- got his name ‘lucky’ Luciano
- Joe was killed- Savatore got all the power = the boss of bosses was then murdered by Luciano
La Cosa Nostra
- 1930s- 1980s the Italian mafia became the single most dominant organized criminal force in Canada and the US
- United states mostly from Sicily
- Canada: mostly from Calabria
- Influenced by the Ndgrangheta
1950s crackdown in the US
-Prompted mafia leaders to relocate many illegal gambling operations to Quebec and ON
-Forced others out
-International gambling and bookmarking network “the Combination”
-Also drugs: heroin and opium through Canada- US channels (Detroit, NY)
what occurred in 1980s?
-Italians begin to loose dominance
-NY commission case 1986
-Bosses of Colombo, Genovese and Lucchese families -> guilty
-Gotti escapes prosecution and convicted in 1992- symbol of downfall of the one mighty mafia in America
- Canada: death and incarceration of powerful figures like Vic Cotroni, Paolo violi, Giacomo Luppino, Paul Volpe, Michelle Racco and the commission brothers left big gap in leadership ranks of mafia
what occurred at the end of 1980s?
2 significant and overlapping changes in Mafia in North America
-The incursion of the Sicillian recruits
-Slow disintegration of La Cosa Nostra as an honored society
-Traditional and principles of the mafia used to be essential, were now being overruled by the younger generations ambitions- make most money in least amount of time
-Driven by drug trafficking- heroin
