Sicilian Mafia (Cosa Nostra) Organized crime in Italy

based in sicily, sicilian mafia formed in 19th century clans sprang out of groups of bandits; these groups gained local power , influence. in sicily, word mafia tends mean manly , mafioso considers himself man of honor. however, organization known cosa nostra —our thing—or our affair. sicilian mafia engaged in such lower-level activities extortion, cattle theft and, upon sicily becoming part of democratic italy, election slugging in addition other kinds of relatively low-level theft , fraud.

in 1950s, sicily experienced massive building boom. taking advantage of opportunity, sicilian mafia gained control of building contracts , made millions of dollars. participated in growing business of large-scale heroin trafficking, both in italy , europe , in us-connected trafficking; famous example of french connection smuggling corsican criminals , italian-american mafia.

today, sicilian mafia has evolved international organized crime group. sicilian mafia specializes in heroin trafficking, political corruption , military arms trafficking , powerful , active italian organized crime group in united states estimates of more 2,500 sicilian mafia affiliates located there. sicilian mafia known engage in arson, frauds, counterfeiting, , other racketeering crimes. estimated have 3,500–4,000 core members 100 clans, around 50 in city of palermo alone.

the sicilian mafia has had influence in legitimate power, particularly under corrupt christian democratic governments 1950s 1990s. has had influence lawyers, financiers, , professionals; has had power , resources bribing or pressuring politicians, judges , administrators. has less of these on heels of maxi-trials, campaign magistrates giovanni falcone , paolo borsellino , other actions against corrupt politicians , judges; retains influence.

the sicilian mafia became infamous aggressive assaults on italian law enforcement officials during reign of toto riina. in sicily term excellent cadaver used distinguish assassination of prominent government officials common criminals , ordinary citizens killed mafia. of high ranking victims include police commissioners, mayors, judges, police colonels , generals, , parliament members.

on may 23, 1992, sicilian mafia struck italian law enforcement. @ approximately 6:00 p.m., italian magistrate giovanni falcone, wife, , 3 police body guards killed massive bomb. falcone, director of prosecutions (roughly, district attorney) , court of palermo , head of special anti-mafia investigative squad, had become organization s formidable enemy. team moving prepare cases against of mafia leadership. bomb made crater 30 feet in diameter in road falcone s caravan traveling.

this became known capaci massacre. less 2 months later, on july 19, 1992, mafia struck falcone s replacement, judge paolo borsellino, in palermo, sicily. borsellino , 5 bodyguards killed outside apartment of borsellino s mother when car packed explosives detonated remote control judge approached front door of mother s apartment.

in 1993 authorities arrested salvatore totó riina, believed @ time capo di tutti capi , responsible directly or indirectly scores if not hundreds of killings, after years of investigation believe delayed mafia influence within police , carabinieri. after riina s arrest control of organization fell bernardo provenzano had come reject riina s strategy of war against authorities in favor of strategy of bribery, corruption , influence-peddling. consequence rate of mafia killings fell sharply mafia influence not in international drug , white slavery (prostitution) trade locally in construction , public contracts in sicily continued. provenzano himself captured in 2006 after being wanted 43 years.

in july, 2013, italian police conducted sweeping raids targeting top mafia crime bosses. in ostia, coastal community near capital, police arrested 51 suspects alleged crimes connected italy’s sicilian mafia. allegations included extortion, murder, international drug trafficking , illegal control of slot machine market.

stidda or la stidda

la stidda (sicilian, star) name given sicilian organization started criminals giuseppe croce benvento , salvatore calafato, both of palmi di montechiaro, agrigento province. stidda s power bases centered in cities of gela , favara, caltanissetta , agrigento provinces. organization s groups , activities have flourished in cities of agrigento, catania, siracusa , enna in provinces of same name, niscemi , riesi of caltanissetta province , vittoria of ragusa province, located on southern , eastern coasts of sicily.

the stidda has extended power , influence mainland italy provinces of milano, genova , torino. members of organization called stiddari in caltanissetta province , stiddaroli in agrigento province. stidda members can identified , introduced each other tattoo of 5 greenish marks arranged in circle, forming star called punti della malavita or points of criminal life.

the cosa nostra wars of late 1970s , 1980s brought corleonesi clan , vicious , ruthless leaders luciano leggio, toto riina , bernardo provenzano referred cosa nuova power caused disorganization , disenchantment inside traditional cosa nostra power base , values system, leaving growing stidda organization counter cosa nostra s power, influence , expansion in southern , eastern sicily. stidda membership reinforced cosa nostra men of honor such loyal slain capo giuseppe dicristina of riesi had defected cosa nostra s ranks due bloodthirsty reign of corleonesi clan.

the organization looked enlarge membership absorbing local thugs , criminals (picciotti) @ margins of organized crime gain more power , credibility in italian underworld. 1978 1990, former corleonesi clan leader , pretender cosa nostra s capo di tutti capi title, toto riina, waged war within cosa nostra , against stidda spreading death , terror among mafiosi , public in quest crime dictatorship, leaving on 500 in cosa nostra , on 1000 in la stidda dead, including stidda capos calogero lauria , vincenzo spina.

with 1993 capture , imprisonment of totò riina, along jailed bernardo provenzano s, pax mafia, following new, less violent , low-key approach criminal activities stidda has gained power, influence , credibility among longer established criminal organizations within italy , around world, making underworld player in united states, canada , germany. stidda called fifth mafia in italian media , press.