Mafia Groups La Cosa Nostra Was American Bred Explaining the Structure of La Cosa Nostra
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02 4225-2 CH01 11/8/01 2:10 PM Page 3 Chapter 1 Who Are These Guys? In This Chapter N Identifying the different Mafia groups N La Cosa Nostra was American bred N Explaining the structure of La Cosa Nostra The word “Mafia” has led to more confusion than the 2000 presidential elec- tion. Some scholars claim it’s a Sicilian-Arabic word indicating a proud, self- sufficient way of life. Others say it’s an acronym for a Sicilian resistance cry that was used against the French invaders of the thirteenth century. Whatever its origin, today the word is used to refer to a wide variety of ethnic organized criminals from the Chinese to the Russians to the so-called Jewish Mafia. The term also has less serious applications. The party animal buddies of Elvis Presley were called the Memphis Mafia. The groupies around President John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert were often labeled the Irish Mafia. In this book, the term “Mafia” refers to Italian or Italian-American organized crime. In this chapter, I give a brief outline of the four criminal groups commonly called Mafia. Furthermore, you’ll get a description of the various positions in a Mafia family as well as examples. 02 4225-2 CH01 11/8/01 2:10 PM Page 4 4 Part 1: The Organization Which Mafia? America’s La Cosa Nostra and Italy’s three major organized crime groups—the Sicilian Mafia, the Camorra, and the Calabrian Mafia—are distinct entities despite their similar structures, the rules they follow, and the illegal activities they pursue. The Sicilian Mafia Sicily has had a long and violent history. At various times, armed resistance groups formed to battle the invaders of the moment. Some clans were noble patriots, but others were gangs of criminals. In the mid- to late 1800s, larger groups called “families,” often com- posed of many relatives by blood or marriage, sprang up. These families were linked more by their common structure and regulations than by fact. Yet, because of these similarities, outsiders believed that those who followed this way of life, Cosa Nostra, were all one group. Furthermore, it was clearly understood by all that a Mafioso would kill to get his way. The fear factor was a powerful weapon. Few dared to resist. To justify this regular use of force, the Mafia bosses spun the illusion that Mafia members were men of honor, acting only to help others. The creation of monopolies, both legal and illegal, became standard fare. This control of the population led to alliances with the major political party, giving the more than 100 families a collective stranglehold on the island. The last 50 years of the twentieth century brought Slammer Time major changes to the Sicilian Mafia. Having learned how to produce heroin, the Mafiosi were no longer Sicilian Mafia boss Salvatore “Toto” Riina was able to avoid dependent on the skills of French chemists who worked capture for more than 20 years for the Corsican underworld. As the heroin trade despite directing a campaign of exploded around the world, more Sicilian Mafia mem- terror against honest government bers began dealing directly with American counterparts officials and Mafia rivals. He and their associates. Eventually, some Sicilian hoods was finally arrested in January of took up permanent residency in the United States and 1993, convicted, and sentenced Canada to facilitate the movement of the drugs and the to life in prison in June of 1999. mountains of money it created. These newcomers were responsible to their bosses in Sicily and were often con- fused with members of the American La Cosa Nostra. The expanding heroin wealth brought an increase in violence. The more ambitious bosses formed alliances in order to dominate rivals. This led to rounds of killings that periodi- cally roared out of control from the 1960s into the 1990s. Attempts by government forces to crack down had only mediocre political support. The lack of will was obvious to all, and some bosses escalated murderous attacks on anti-Mafia officials, hoping to break the government’s will. By the end of the twentieth century, the wanton killings had the reverse effect. Following an outcry from the people after two anti-Mafia crusaders were 02 4225-2 CH01 11/8/01 2:10 PM Page 5 Chapter 1: Who Are These Guys? 5 killed in bombings that also took the lives of innocent bystanders, politicians became seri- ous in their fight against the Mafia. As the century ended, the authorities finally seemed to be making progress. Public pressure, new legislation, and cooperation with law enforce- ment officials from the United States and other countries were key factors. The Sicilian Mafia remains a serious concern, however. The Camorra With roots going back centuries, the Camorra is believed to have solidified during the 1800s in the prisons of the Italian city of Naples. Gradually, as prisoners were released, the gangs’ reach extended into the city itself. Today, authorities estimate that there are more than 100 families, the majority based on the Italian mainland. Each has a hierarchi- cal structure with a boss at the apex. He is assisted by various capos who oversee crews of members and associates. Gambling, loansharking, extortion, tobacco smuggling, and political corruption were the main rackets of the Camorra until around 1970, when many Camorra families moved heavily into the international drug trade and its companion, money-laundering. Many got rich very quickly, but many others perished. Like the Sicilian Mafia, the Camorra is quick to resort to savage outbursts of violence. The expansion into the drug trade escalated killings of rivals and law enforcement offi- cials. This has increased the Italian government’s pressure against the Camorra, leading to more cooperating members who have caused some damage to numerous members. Nevertheless, the Camorra continues to thrive, although it is the least active of all Italian organized crime groups in the United States. The Calabrian Mafia Fuhgeddaboudit This version of the Italian Mafia takes its name American oil billionaire John Paul from its base in the southern province of Calabria. Getty was a victim of a Cala- More accurately called the Honored Society, it brian Mafia plot in 1973. also goes by the name of ’Ndrangheta. Like its Members of a clan kidnapped a Sicilian cousin, the Calabrian Mafia claims to have grandson who lived in Italy, J. roots based on resistance to government oppres- Paul Getty III. The elder Getty sion. Men of similar thinking merged into what refused to pay their ransom eventually became families with a hierarchical demand, but when he received delivery of his grandson’s ear in structure, strict rules of behavior, and a vow of the mail, he approved the pay- secrecy. off. No one was ever prose- Members have been engaged in the regular gamut cuted, and none of the $2 of criminal activities, including tobacco smug- million ransom was recovered. gling, gambling, kidnapping, and extortion. By 02 4225-2 CH01 11/8/01 2:10 PM Page 6 6 Part 1: The Organization the 1970s, families were active in the world-wide drug trade, moving both heroin and cocaine. Money-laundering became a specialty of some of its members as well. Rather than deal with other drug gangs, many Calabrian Mafia members set up shop in the United States, Canada, and other countries. More wealth and more rackets exacerbated the normally high level of paranoia in Cala- brian wiseguys. The end result was more dead bodies and more negative publicity. In the 1990s, the government finally generated the political will to mount offenses against the drug kingpins. Nevertheless, the Calabrian Mafia remains a major force. La Cosa Nostra From wiretaps and bugs of Italian-American criminals around 1960, the FBI learned that the term “Cosa Nostra” was used to indicate a particular lifestyle these men had sworn to follow. Eventually, the FBI coined the phrase “La Cosa Nostra” to distinguish Italian- American organized crime from its Mafia cousins in Italy. It is grammatically incorrect when translated into Italian, but the label has survived and is commonly used to refer to the American brand of the Mafia. For our purposes in this book, the terms “La Cosa Nostra” (or “LCN”) and “Mafia” are interchangeable. La Cosa Nostra didn’t just appear. It evolved in the new circumstances of America and continues to evolve. Initially, in the 1890–1920 era, there were American carbon copies of Camorra and Sicilian Mafia families as well as numerous Calabrian Mafia cells. Eventu- ally, the purity of each began to fade into the melting pot of America as new friendships and criminal liaisons developed. Violence also played a role in the blending. For example, in New York City, a prominent Camorra group was decimated by murder convictions and faded from contention. In Chicago, the Camorra group of Johnny Torrio and Al Capone overpowered their Mafia Speak Sicilian-American rivals. Eventually, what emerged by The American Mafia the 1930s was La Cosa Nostra, a unique, powerful, has been known by many Italian-American organized crime group—the names. Prior to 1920, it was American Mafia. called the Black Hand because In the first half of the twentieth century, some thought of a popular extortion scheme Italian crime groups had sent emissaries to establish used by Italian criminals, or Unione Siciliana, an organiza- branches in the new world. However, despite similarity tion conceived to aid new Italian in structure and rules, it appears that American families immigrants that was eventually formed gradually and were not part of a global plan, corrupted by Mafia members.