Anybody who has access to any kind of media will have heard of The Mafia. They are part of modern day folklore, and are to be found mentioned in many films and books. Not many people pause to think about their origins, and how they got their name. It is name that can strike fear into the heart of anyone who might have got on the wrong side of them.

It has its origins in mid nineteenth century Sicily, and the Italian name for them is La Cosa Nostra. Roughly translated this means Our Thing, or this thing of ours. The Italian word mafiosa actually translates as bold or beautiful or full of confidence, so it is really quite a nice word. It was the Italian government who made the word synonymous with crime

It was the late nineteenth century when members of this organisation started to move from Sicily to the eastern and mid western parts of the United States. Once over there it was not long before it became a powerful organisation. It was at the peak of its powers during the seventies and eighties. After this time its activities were curtailed by investigations and arrests by the authorities.

Even now it is very strong in Chicago and New York city. It is still considered to control much of the organised crime in both these cities. Even after so much time has passed its links to its birthplace in Sicily and Italy remain very strong.

In its mother country of Sicily this organisation is still very powerful and is thought to have strong links from within the government. Part of its strength is thought to come from the fact that it started growing at the same time as the country was emerging. This meant that there was a lot o new trade and industry that was being developed at the same time. One of these industries sprung from the lemon and orange groves that grow on the hills around Palermo.

These orange and lemon groves and estates were owned by wealthy landowners to whom the Mafia offered its protection. They were then able to use the political connections that these landowners had to go about their business freely. Today the city of Palermo is still considered to be the headquarters of this organisation.

During world war two the American officials managed to turn the connections between Sicily and America to their advantage. Some of the mafia were in jail, but if they allowed their connections with their Sicilian brothers to be used then they would be treated like patriotic Americans and allowed to continue with their businesses. These connections made it easier for the Allied troops to get into Italy and Sicily.

The mafia started to become more powerful again in Italy after the country had surrendered at the end of world war two. This rise to power continued until a series of murders in the eighties and nineties. After this time the organisation started to concentrate on more white collar criminal activities, and moved away from their more traditional forms of extortion.

The Italian press now have a new nickname for the mafia, which is La Cosa Nuova, which means new thing. The term mafia is often applied to any groups of criminals that are found throughout the world. The Mafia still only means one thing, and that is the real thing.

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While The Mafia is a well known criminal society, due to its reputation, not a lot of information has been readily available regarding same. However, with technology today, now one can watch a number of videos or read a great deal of information in relation to both the Sicilian Mafia and the American Mafia online. As such, new interest has been generated in relation to what some believe are some of the oldest and most powerful organized crime outlets still in operation today.

So, where did the term “mafia” originate, it is recorded that the first use of the term appeared somewhere in Sicily near the 19th century. However, when speaking of the American Mafia, this group came later as it is a shoot off of the original Sicilian family. In addition, where Sicilians identify by family names, the formal name of the American Mafia remains top secret with most referring to those operating in differing areas as “our thing”, meaning ownership of the area or territory in which one operates.

As such, while Sicilian members are often referred to as the “family”, “cosca”, “clan”, or “association”, the American organization is more based on control of varying areas as well as strong family ties. As such, the two groups have often found cooperation when working together to commit a number of criminal acts along with other groups who participate in such organized crime.

Although, while more attention seems to be placed on control and territory when it comes to the American organization, family name means everything when it comes to the Sicilian organization. For, while each is responsible for the operation of the organized crime within their territory, both are equally powerful in their own right. Therefore, whether one is focused on family name or territory is not the issue, rather the issue is that one take responsibility for their actions.

For example, there are currently five Sicilian families who hold such power in relation to organized crime in New York; Whereas, when it comes to the American mafia, often either an individual or a group of individuals is in charge of an area or territory of a city or small town. As such, dedication remains strong on both sides in relation to their respective strengths, and at times, weaknesses.

Often individuals ask where the term “mafia” comes from, the most believable and most likely myth relating to such an event is provided by Leopoldo Franchetti, who had to write an authoritative report on organized crime which he referred to as the mafia in a 1876 report. A report in which Leopoldo says he found a class of violent criminals yet having no name, although due to their status in Sicilian society deserved a label or name different from other criminals around the world.

However, Mr. Franchetti also believed that this organized group of criminal minds had its roots deep in Sicilian society and deemed ridding Sicily of such crime an impossible task without major changes to the structure of island society. Although, others believed it to simply be a “way of life”, as did Giuseppe Pitre. Whereas, still others believed it to represent the worth and consciousness which only one can see within oneself.

Therefore, while there may be both Sicilian and American mafia members operating in the United States, often The Mafia, can represents both sides of the coin. For, while such groups operate on their own accord, as the American Mafia is an off shoot off of the Sicilian one and always will be, often the groups collaborate on high scale organized crime even today. As such, while one may be more focused on the honor of a family name and the other may be more territorial of an area of control, both are extremely powerful in their own right.

Now that you learned about the mafia, how it came about along with the different sides it has, , are you ready to read some gangster news?