Mafia
From Wikipedia, a free encyclopedia written in simple English for easy reading.
The Mafia is a secret crime group working in many parts of the world that was created in Italy more than 200 years ago. The mafia make money from crime. They make billions of dollars a year from such crimes as making and selling illegal drugs,money laundering, from stealing and gambling and prostitution.
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[edit] Different groups
There are a few different types of mafia. There are groups from Italy and there are groups like the mafia from other countries, such as China, Japan, Russia, Colombia and Mexico. Below is a list of the different types of mafia and other criminal groups.
[edit] The Mafia in Italy
The mafia in Italy have been around for hundreds of years. They work in the areas of Calabria, Sicily, Naples and Apulia which are all areas in the South of Italy.
- Sicily - The mafia in Italy was started in the island of Sicily. The mafia is still around here and they make a great deal of their money from illegal drugs.
- Calabria - The Calabrian mafia (really called the 'Ndrangheta ) are another mafia group in Italy. They also make profit from illegal drugs.
- Naples - The mafia in Naples is called the Camorra. They are less well known than the mafia in Sicily and Calabria.
- Apulia - The mafia in Apulia is called the Sacra corona unita (meaning the "United Sacred Crown"). This group is not as old as the other Italian mafia groups. Little is known about this group but it is beleived that they make money from prostitution.
[edit] The Italian Mafia in America
The Italian-American mafia began at the time when many Italians moved to the United States in the 1800s. The first Italian mafia was in New Orleans in Louisiana but soon they were in many cities across the country. The Italian mafia in the United States is actually called La Cosa Nostra which in Italian language means "This thing of ours" or "Our thing". The American mafia is divided into different groups or "families".
Many large cities have one Italian-American mafia family but some larger cities like New York City have more.
New York City has five Italian mafia families. They are called;
- The Bonanno crime family
- The Colombo crime family
- The Gambino crime family
- The Genovese crime family
- The Lucchese crime family
Some other cities that have Italian mafia families are; Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago and many more.
[edit] Mafia groups in other countries
There are many other groups like the Italian mafia all over the world. Here are some:
- The Yakuza - The Yakuza is the name given to the crime group in Japan. They make money from prostitution and drugs. The Yakuza have many thousands of members all over the world but mostly in Japan.
- The Triads - The Triads is a name given to all the crime groups in China. Because there are so many of these crime groups in China we give them one name, the "Triads". The Triads are not just from China but many countries in South East Asia. Another name for these groups is "Tongs".
- The South American Drugs Cartels - In South America the largest crime groups are called drug cartels. They compete for control of the drug trade which makes them huge amounts of money. The drugs produced in South America are Marijuana, Cocaine and Heroin. The main drug cartels are in Mexico and Colombia in the north of South America, this is where most of the drugs are produced and then sold into the United States which is above Mexico.
There are others aswell, like the mafia groups in Russia that make money from drugs and weapons. All these groups operate in the United States, Australia, England and other Western countries and cause many problems in those countries and the countries they are from.
[edit] Hierarchy
Just like in a company, where you have a boss and you have workers, the Italian-American mafia, or La Cosa Nostra (LCN), has a hierarchy. Everyone has a job to do. Some people are bosses and some are workers. Below is the hierarchy of an American mafia family.
- The Boss of the family. He controls everything that goes on in the mafia family. Every worker and lower ranking boss (see below; Caporegimes) works for him. It is the boss who decides if someone should be killed or if someone should be initiated (see below; Becoming a member). The boss gets money from all of his workers and therefore is usually the richest person in the family.
- The Underboss. The underboss is the person who actually runs the family. He is boss over all the other members except the actual boss. He will often become the boss of the family if something happens to the boss. The boss will choose who his underboss is. A family will usually have only one underboss.
- The Consigliere. Consigliere is an Italian term meaning someone who gives advise. The consigliere in a mafia family is the "right hand man" to the boss. It is his job to help the boss make important decisions. The consigliere is as important as the underboss but is not the boss of anyone in the family. A family will usually have only one consigliere.
- Caporegimes. The next position of the family is caporegime (or captain). Families will have different numbers of caporegimes. A caporegime is in charge of a group of workers (see below; Soldiers). The underboss of the family is in charge of the caporegimes. The job of the caporegime is to collect money from the workers to give to the boss, underboss and consigliere aswell as keeping money for himself. A family can have anywhere from 2 to 20 caporegimes.
- Soldiers. The workers of a family are called "soldiers" or in Italian "soldati". There job is to earn money to give to their captain (caporegime). They will do any job asked of them by their captain or the boss or underboss. A family can have anywhere from 10 to 300 soldiers.
Each family will have a number of associates. These are people that work with them or for them but are not official members. (see below; Becoming a member)
[edit] Becoming a member
To become a member of an Italian-American mafia family you have to be Italian or have Italian parents. Only males can become members. Usually you have to have killed somebody to become a member. Members of the mafia start off as associates working for the mafia.