The Italian Mafia: the history of appearance, names and surnames

Hardly anyone today heard about the mafia. In the middle of the nineteenth century this word entered the dictionary of the Italian language. It is known that in 1866 the authorities knew about the mafia, or at least what was called this word. The British consul in Silicia reported to his homeland that he was constantly witnessing the activities of the mafia, which maintains links with criminals and owns large amounts of money ...

The word "mafia", most likely, has Arabic roots and comes from the word: mu`afah. It has many meanings, but none of them closely approximates the phenomenon that soon became known as the "mafia". But there is another hypothesis of the spread of this word in Italy. Allegedly this happened during the uprising of 1282. In Sicily there was social unrest. They went down in history as "Sicilian Vespers". During the protests, one cry was born, which was quickly picked up by the protesters, it sounded like this: "The death of France! Die, Italy! "If you compose the first letters of the words abbreviation in Italian, it will sound like" MAFIA ".

The first organization of the Mafia in Italy

Determine the origins of this phenomenon is much more difficult than the etymology of the word. Many historians who studied the mafia insist that the first organization was created in the seventeenth century. In those days, secret societies that were created to fight the Holy Roman Empire were popular. Others believe that the sources of the mafia as a mass phenomenon should be sought from the throne of the Bourbons. Because they used the services of unreliable persons and robbers who did not require a lot of reward for their work, with the aim of patrolling parts of the city that were distinguished by increased criminal activity. The reason that criminal elements in the service of the government were content with small and did not have large salaries was that they took bribes so that the king did not become aware of the violation of laws.

And maybe the first were "Gabelloti"?

The third, but no less popular hypothesis of the emergence of the Mafia indicates the organization "Gabelli", which acted as a kind of intermediary between peasants and people who owned the land. Representatives of "Gabelloti" also had obligations to collect tribute. History is silent about how people were selected for this organization. But all those who were in the bosom of "Gabelloti" were unclean by the hand. Soon they created a separate caste with their own laws and codes. The structure was unofficial, but it had a tremendous influence in Italian society.

None of the theories described above have been proven. But each is built on one common element - a huge distance between the Sicilians and the authorities, which they considered to be imposed, unfair and alien, and, naturally, wanted to remove.

How did the mafia come about?

In those days the Sicilian peasant had absolutely no rights. He felt humiliated in his own state. Most of the common people worked in the latifundia - the enterprises owned by the big feudal lords. Work on the latifundia was a heavy and underpaid physical labor.

The dissatisfaction with power twisted like a spiral, which one day had to fire. So it happened: the authorities stopped coping with their duties. And the people chose a new government. Such positions as amici (friend) and uomini d`onore (people of honor) became popular, which became local judges and kings.

Honest bandits

An interesting fact about the Italian mafia is found in Brydon Patrick in his book Journey to Sicily and Malta, which was written in 1773. The author writes: "Bandits have become the most respected people on the whole island. They had noble and even romantic goals. These bandits had their own code of honor, and those who violated it instantly died. They were true and unprincipled. To kill a person for a Sicilian bandit does not mean anything if a person has guilt for the soul. "

The words spoken by Patrick are relevant to this day. However, not everyone knows that once Italy almost got rid of the mafia once and for all. This happened during the reign of Mussolini. The head of the police fought the mafia with her own weapon. The authorities knew no mercy. And just like the Mafiosi, she did not hesitate before the shot.

The Second World War and the flourishing of the Mafia

Perhaps, if the Second World War did not start, we would not talk about a phenomenon like the mafia. But ironically, the landing of the Americans in Sicily equaled the forces. For the Americans, the Mafia became the only source of information about the location and strength of Mussolini's troops. For the Mafiosi themselves, cooperation with the Americans practically guaranteed freedom of action on the island after the end of the war.

We also read about similar arguments in the book "The Great Godfather" Vito Bruskini: "The Mafia had the support of the allies, that's why it was in its hands the distribution of humanitarian aid - various food products. For example, in Palermo food was taken from the calculation that there live five hundred thousand people. But, since the majority of the population moved to a more peaceful rural area near the city, the mafia had every opportunity to remove the remaining humanitarian aid to the black market after the distribution. "

Help the Mafia in the war

Since the mafia also practiced various diversions against the authorities in peacetime, with the outbreak of the war, it more actively continued such activities. At least one documented case of sabotage is known to the history, when the tank brigade "Goering", which was stationed on the basis of the Nazis, was refueled with water and oil. As a result, the tanks burned engines, and the machines instead of the front were in the workshops.

Postwar time

After the allies occupied the island, the influence of the mafia only intensified. In the military government, "intelligent criminals" were often appointed. In order not to be unfounded, let us cite statistics: from 66 towns, the main ones in 62 were those who came from the underworld. Further flourishing of the mafia was associated with investing money laundered earlier in business and their multiplying in connection with the sale of drugs.

Individual style of the Italian mafia

Each member of the Mafia understood that his activity was associated with a share of risk, so he took care that his family did not suffer in the event of the death of the "bread-winner".

In the society, the Mafiosi are very severely punished for their ties with the police, and even more so for their cooperation. The person was not accepted into the circle of the mafia, if he had a relative from the police. And for the appearance in public places with a representative of the law and order could kill. It is interesting that both alcoholism and drug addiction in the family were not welcomed. Despite this, many Mafiosi were fond of both, and the temptation was very great.

The Italian mafia is very punctual. Delay is considered a bad form and disrespect to colleagues. During meetings with enemies, anyone is prohibited from killing anyone. About the Italian mafia they say that even if the families are at war with each other, they do not seek severe reprisals against competitors and often sign the world.

Laws of the Italian Mafia

Another law that the Italian mafia reveres - the family is above all, no lies among its own. If the answer to the question was a lie, it was believed that the person betrayed the family. The rule, of course, is not meaningless, because it has made cooperation within the Mafia safer. But not all adhered to it. And wherever large amounts of money revolved, betrayal was practically an obligatory attribute of relations.

Only the boss of the Italian mafia could allow members of his group (family) to rob, kill or engage in looting. It was not welcomed to visit bars without the urgent need. After all, a drunken Mafiosi could blurt out about the family superfluous.

Vendetta: blood revenge for the family

Vendetta - revenge for violating the rules of the family or betrayal. Each group had its own ritual, some of them amaze with their cruelty. It was not manifested in torture or terrible weapons of murder, as a rule, the victim was killed quickly. But after death with the body of the guilty, they could do anything. And, as a rule, they did.

It is curious that information about the laws of the Mafia as a whole became public only in 2007, when the father of the Italian mafia Salvatore La Piccola got into the hands of the police. Among the financial documents of the boss "Cosa Nostra" found and the charter of the family.

The Italian Mafia: names and surnames that have gone down in history

How not to recall Charles Luciano, who is involved with drug trafficking and a network of brothels? Or, for example, Frank Costello, who had the nickname "Prime Minister"? The Italian names of the mafia are known all over the world. Especially after Hollywood screened several stories about gangsters. What is shown on the big screens is true, and what is fiction - is unknown, but it is thanks to the films that nowadays it was possible to almost romanticise the image of the Italian mafia. By the way, the Italian mafia likes to give nicknames to all its members. Some choose their own. But the nickname is always associated with the history or character traits of the Mafiosi.

The names of the Italian mafia are, as a rule, the bosses who dominated the whole family, that is, they achieved the greatest success in this difficult work. Most of the same gangsters who performed rough work, history is unknown. The Italian mafia exists to this day, although most Italians turn a blind eye to this. Fight it now, when in the courtyard of the twenty-first century, almost meaningless. Sometimes the police still manage to catch the "big fish" on the hook, but most of the Mafiosi die a natural death in old age or die from a gun in their youth.

A new "star" among the Mafiosi

Under the cover of uncertainty is the Italian mafia. Interesting facts about it - a great rarity, because law enforcement agencies in Italy are experiencing problems in order to learn about the actions of the Mafiosi at least something. Sometimes they are lucky, and the public becomes unexpected, and even sensational information.

Despite the fact that most people, after hearing the words "Italian mafia", recall the famous Cosa Nostra or, for example, Camorre, the most influential and cruel clan is "Ndrangenta". Back in the fifties, the group moved out of its area, but until recently remained in the shadow of its larger competitors. How it happened that in the hands of "Ndrangent" was 80% of the traffic of drugs in the whole European Union - the colleagues themselves are also surprised by the gangsters. The Italian mafia "Ndrangenta" has an annual income of 53 billion.

There is a myth very popular among gangsters: "Ndrangenta" has aristocratic roots. Allegedly the syndicate was founded by the Spanish knights, who had the goal of avenging the honor of their sister. Legend has it that the knights punished the guilty, and they themselves went to jail for 30 years. In it, they spent 29 years 11 months and 29 days. One of the knights, being at large, founded the mafia. Some continue the story by saying that the other two brothers are the bosses of "Cosa Nostra" and "Camorra". Everyone understands that this is just a legend, but it is a symbol of the fact that the Italian mafia appreciates and recognizes the relationship between families and adheres to the rules.

Mafia hierarchy

The most revered and authoritative title sounds approximately as "the boss of all Bosses". It is known that at least one Mafia had such a title - his name was Matteo Denaro. The second in the hierarchy of the mafia is the title "the king is the boss of all bosses." He is awarded to the boss of all families when he retires. This title does not carry any privileges, it is a tribute. In third place is the title of the head of a single family - don. The first Don consultant, his right hand, bears the title of "adviser". He does not have the authority to influence the state of affairs, but the dong hears his opinion.

Next comes the deputy dona - formally the second person in the grouping. In fact, he goes after the adviser. Capo is a man of honor, more precisely, a captain of such people. They are soldiers of the mafia. Typically, one family has up to fifty soldiers.

And, finally, the little man is the last title. These people are not yet part of the Mafia, but they want to become them, therefore they carry out small assignments of the family. Young men of honor are called those who are friends for the mafia. For example, these are officials who take bribes, dependent bankers, corrupt policemen and the like.