To understand the Italian Mafia (La Màfia), we must first clarify a few concepts that may mislead us:
First the word Màfia (Italian mafia)
Early Màfia was the name of the northern Italians. Just like the ancient Romans called all people outside their borders "barbarians". And those who are really called Màfia don't take it seriously, they don't even know they are Màfia themselves. An anecdote can illustrate this strange identity phenomenon: the film "Gomorrah" released in 2008, its crew recruited local actors in Naples. There is actually a mafia leader who loves acting. In the end, the film won the grand prize, and the actor went to prison for it.
Secondly, the mafia characters in the movie "The Godfather" series are completely different from those in reality.
In the movie "The Godfather" series, whether Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro play the old godfather, or Al Pacino's new godfather, it seems that every mafia leader has flesh and blood.
But in reality, take a look at the praises of the old godfather Don Calogero in the 1950s to his successor Luciano Ligio:
People can kill for various reasons, but using a weapon to calmly face a person, pull the trigger calmly, and end that person's life calmly, this is the talent of individual killers...
Yes, the Italian mafia is like a machine, there is no human being at all. On the other hand, if a mafia has a bit of affection, he (she) will either leave or be killed.
Again: The Italian Mafia is not quite the 'underworld' we imagined
If you think that the Italian mafia are all like "Young and Dangerous", with left blue dragons and right white tigers, and a machete in their hands, then you are very wrong!
The real Italian mafia is hidden in all social classes, and its identities are ever-changing: they may be a salesperson sitting at a newsstand, or they may be an art investor attending a fashion party; they may be out for a walk in your neighborhood every day. A kind old man may also be an indignant congressman in a government agency, or a gentle intellectual; what's more, they may be a priest in the Catholic Church, a financial tycoon on the cover of Time magazine... In short, the mafia In reality, the face is ever-changing, which is also one of the difficulties for Italians to fight against the Mafia.
What led to the emergence of the "Italian Mafia" group? In the end what kind of soil allows them to grow so vigorously? Or what kind of divine help do they have to spread their minions throughout Europe, America, and even the European Union and Wall Street? Next, let's take a look at the ins and outs of it:
1. The Origins of the Italian Mafia
"When an organism is weakened, the virus can take advantage of it and erode it. This is the case in Italy, a country suffering from all kinds of pain, which nurtures a malignantly metastatic cancer: the mafia." - Ferdinando Imposimato
This phrase could not be more appropriate to explain the origins of the Mafia. As we all know, in the mid-19th century, a violent civil war broke out in Italy. The advocacy of civil war freedom and independence laid the foundations for the birth of modern Italy. Of course, the trauma and sequelae of the war also created a breeding ground for the birth of the "mafia".
In this way, in a small town on the north coast of Sicily, Italy, a group of rogues who depended on farmers' protection fees entered the stage of history. Yes, this is the so-called "Italian Mafia".
2. The political origins of the Italian Mafia
The current achievements and world influence can be achieved just by receiving a protection fee. Could it be that the Italian Mafia really has divine help? !
Yes, they do have a divine power, and this divine power is war and politics:
The first is that during World War II, the Mafia assisted the landing of the US military in Sicily, and it was this help that allowed the subsequent establishment of an unwritten agreement and acquiescence between the United States and the Italian Mafia. This includes transnational arms and smuggling, and drug trade. Of course, it also includes the accommodation of the United States for the new generation of godfathers who immigrated to the United States.
Of course, only one interest relationship and war cooperation are not enough for the United States to make such a big concession. There is a deeper problem: the political positions of both sides. Yes, the Mafia and the U.S. government, and even the Italian ruling party after the war, were staunch advocates of the "anti-socialist camp". This allows the Italian Mafia to cooperate with the Western Bloc, with the Catholic Democrats, with the Vatican and even directly with the Pope. The scope of its involvement can be imagined.
What is the Mafia doing in these fields? Very simple, is to make money. So what exactly do they do?
3. The black and white industrial chain of the Italian mafia
In general, the business of the Italian mafia is divided into two categories: illegal and legal. There are many illegal things, and they do what they can to make money: from petty theft, kidnapping and extortion, smuggling housing loans, selling drugs and making drugs, to financial fraud, buying and selling bribe officials, buying and selling arms and weapons, as long as you can imagine the activities They all do. Among them, drug trafficking and drug production are naturally the main business projects of the Mafia. Let's just take the drug trade in the 1980s as an example: pure cocaine shipped from the Caribbean to Sicily, "Our Cause" (Cose Nostre, a mafia organization born in Sicily) was purchased for $10,000 a kilogram and changed hands at a fraction of the cost. It becomes 50,000 US dollars per kilogram, and when it comes to small buyers, it becomes the calculation of gram, and its profit can be imagined.
Naturally, what is legal is to cover up what is illegal, and a large part of this is for money laundering and the pursuit of higher profits.
Another example: the Mafia is good at bribing government ministers or high-ranking officials so that their companies can win tenders for large-scale projects. And once the bid is won, it will be subcontracted to other small companies. And what about the profit? If the company gets 100 billion lira for the project, half of it will go into the pockets of the mafia. The remaining 50 billion middlemen took away 48 billion, and the remaining 2 billion, or 1/50 of the project funds, fell into the contracting company, which naturally resulted in unbearable project quality.
Don't think that the mafia are just hooligans. They have never been short of talent, from economists and financiers to legal advisors, religious advisors and even chemical scientists. These people allow the Mafia group to control the financial industry, the judiciary, the real estate, the municipality, the entertainment industry, the film industry and so on in the entire country of Italy.
By the way, the Italian film industry in the last century was largely controlled by the Italian Mafia. Famous producer Carlo Ponti and movie star Sophia Loren have been threatened by the mafia. Escaped from Italy at one point.
So it's not hard to imagine why Fellini's later films changed the style of "The Great Road" into a sardonic comedy. I think it had something to do with the dark social status quo at that time.
4. Classification and structure of the Italian Mafia
The internal structure of the Mafia is complex, and it has never been smooth sailing. It's filled with bloody revenge, gang rivalries, the replacement of old and new, differences of opinion, and more.
We take the post World War II as a watershed. The Italian Mafia is roughly divided into the New York Mafia in the United States and the Sicily Mafia in Italy; while in Italy, the Mafia is roughly divided into four major organizations by region, namely Puglia. "The Holy Crown of Unity", "The Glory" in Kabylia, "Our Cause" in Sicily, and "Comora" in Naples.
These organizations have their own strengths in the early days. For example, some are good at drug trafficking, and some are good at kidnapping for ransom.
October 10-14, 1957, was a special day in the history of the Italian mafia. Mafia delegations from the United States and Italy held the first "Mafia Summit" at the famous Las Palma Hotel in Palermo. Many strategic decisions were made at the meeting, including executions, reorganization of New York's chiefs, establishment of a mafia government, and more. Since then, the Italian Mafia has spread to the whole of Italy and even Europe and the United States at an alarming rate.
5. The struggle between the Italian people and the Mafia
"Coppola stood still, he didn't come in to let us know he was the master here. Indeed, since he was locked up in Regina Coeli, Coppola was treated like a nobleman, like the Badala Gate As in Uchiardone Prison, Ti received lobsters as soon as he was locked in his cell - crustacean seafood, snacks, champagne that the godfathers liked to taste, prisoners vying to work in his cell, prison staff trying to please him , in Rome as in prisons elsewhere, the Mafia has the final say."
The above passage is quoted from the description of the old godfather "Coppola" by a examining judge in the last century. From this we can imagine how difficult it is to fight the Mafia.
Fighting against the Mafia requires extraordinary courage and patience. And the price to pay for it is endless. There are three reasons why this is said:
First of all, the mafia is extremely revengeful and patient:
If someone gets in the way of the mafia, there is no doubt that the only solution for the mafia is to kill that person, and if they can't kill that person, they will also kill his family, even women and children. Don't think that the person will escape bad luck if they leave or wait for a period of time. The death list of the Mafia is always valid. Even if the leader who gave the order dies or goes to prison, someone will continue to give orders to complete the assassination plan;
Don't think that people sentenced to death can take refuge with the protection of bodyguards and gendarmerie. The mafia will hide in the dark like hungry wolves, waiting for an opportunity to find any opportunity to attack.
Similarly, the assassination of the Mafia is equivalent to its members. If someone turns traitor or informs the police, even in prison, even with strict security protection, he will not escape death. Because the Mafia is everywhere and everywhere.
Second, there are very strong nondisclosure agreements within the Mafia
Although the agreement is unwritten, almost no internal member has not abided by it for half a century. Naturally, the Mafia has occasional penitents or mutineers, but their end is not very good, and even the whole family is implicated at every turn.
Therefore, it is extremely difficult for Italian judges and gendarmerie police to arrest and obtain evidence of the Mafia. Many leaders do not even know their appearance or height.
Again, the Mafia has a close relationship with the ruling class
"Corruption failure is an integral part of democracy, and a corrupt democracy is preferable to a red or black dictatorship."
This wise quote from a former Italian leader is a perfect reflection of the mafia's delicate relationship with the ruling party.
If any stubborn police officer or judge wants to investigate the mafia, it must involve politics, business and even the Holy See. Then the person will be isolated, restricted in power and even transferred. Of course, there is also the death hunt of the Mafia.
For ordinary investigations, such as the seizure of a kilogram of cocaine on a merchant ship, one or two scapegoats will be arrested, and the Mafia never lacks positions, and they have a long history of replacements.
So why does the mafia have so many followers, I think it has something to do with desire and poverty.
For half a century, countless fighters have sacrificed their precious lives in the struggle against the Mafia, which is probably the charm and hope of Italy.
Regarding the theme of the Italian Mafia, even though we have enjoyed the story from too many films and literary works, however, don't forget that the real history of the Mafia is always accompanied by the blood and tears of the Italian people.
Written by: Taixu Palace
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