[?] Subscribe To This Site

The Italian Mafia, "Cosa Nostra", Makes An Offer You Can't Refuse...

The beginning of the Italian Mafia or Cosa Nostra is hard to identify, because of its secretive nature and lack of historical record keeping. In the history of Sicily there was an upheaval when the island community transitioned from a feudalist to a capitalist form of government in 1812. Cosa Nostra may have developed during that time or later when the island was annexed by mainland Italy in 1860.

In 1864, we see the first written reference to the Italian Mafia. It was made by Nicollo Colonna, the leader of the Palermo National Guard. He wrote of a sect of thieves that operated across the island. He said that they had special signals to recognize each other, enjoyed political protection in many regions, abided by a code of loyalty and made every effort to avoid interaction with the police. Colonna warned that the Italian government’s brutal attempts to crush unlawfulness alienated the populace and made the sect stronger.

As we move forward in the history of Sicily, we see the reign of fascist Benito Mussolini. In 1925, he initiated a campaign to destroy Cosa Nostra and its political allies. He appointed Cesare Mori as prefect of Palermo and gave him special powers to attack the Mafia.

Over 11,000 arrests were made. Wives and children of Mafiosi were held hostage to force them to surrender. Massive trials were held and over 1200 men were convicted and imprisoned. Many others were exiled without trial. Cosa Nostra was not “crushed” as the Fascist press proclaimed, but many of the families were broken up.

As the history of Sicily continues, there was a revival of the Sicilian Mafia when the Allied troops invaded in 1943. During the ensuing chaos, the crime rate soared. Inmates escaped from the prisons. The black market thrived. The goal of the Allies was to replace the Fascist mayors. In doing so, they unknowingly appointed many Mafiosi.

The strength of the families returned. They gained control of construction on the island, the quarries, the cement plants and the metal depots. If wholesalers or construction firms were not members, they were required to pay protection money. In 1975, Cosa Nostra set up heroin refineries around the island. By 1982, they controlled 80% of the heroin trade in the northeastern US.

Cosa Nostra is not just a part of the history of Sicily. They are still known to be in operation, but they have been weakened by internal wars and the arrest of major bosses. Today, the Mafia is thought to control only about 20% of the drug trade, but they still have strong ties with many government officials.

Return from Italian Mafia Page to History Of Sicily Page

Return from Italian Mafia Page to Home Page

footer for Italian Mafia page