Mafia clans of the world. The most powerful mafia in the world (10 photos)

Before 1963 Italian mafia for other countries it was something of a myth, even the FBI did not recognize its existence, until a certain small fry of Cosa Nostra, Joe Valachi, in order to avoid the death penalty, exposed the mafia, setting out in detail all its ins and outs. By the way, later, angry mafiosi tried to “sew” a traitor who was in prison until his death for breaking the vow of silence.

We can say that the mafia was secret society, about which only rumors circulated among the townsfolk, the whole system was shrouded in a halo of mystery.

After Valachi's confession, the Italian mafia became a truly fashionable phenomenon, its image romanticized in the media, literature and cinema. The most famous book about the Italian mafia, "The Godfather" by Mario Puzo, was written 6 years after the exposure, later an entire saga about the Corleone family was filmed based on it. Vito Corleone was based on Joe Bonanno, the godfather of one of the Five Families that control organized crime in New York.

Why did crime families become known as the "mafia"?

What the word "mafia" means, historians still argue. According to one version, it is an abbreviation of the motto of the uprising of 1282, which propagated the slogan: “Death to France! Breathe Italy! (Morte alla Francia Italia Anelia). Unfortunate Sicily was forever besieged by foreign invaders. Others believe that this word appeared only in the 17th century and has an Arabic root meaning "protector", "shelter".

Strictly speaking, the mafia is precisely the Sicilian group; in other parts of Italy and the world, the clans called themselves differently (for example, "Camorra" - in Naples). But with the increase in the influence of the mafia on other regions of Italy and the whole world, the word has become a household word, now they are named after any major criminal organization: Japanese, Russian, Albanian mafias.

A bit of history

under the guise Robin The Goode crime families have protected the poor from pirate raids, foreign aggressors and oppression by feudal lords since the 9th century. The government did not help the peasants, they did not trust foreigners, so the poor had no one to rely on, except for the mafia. And although the mafiosi also took a considerable bribe from them and imposed their own laws, they were still in order and protected.

The mafia was finally formed as an organization in the 19th century, and the peasants themselves put criminals on the throne, not wanting to obey the exploiters who ruled at that time - the Bourbons. So in 1861 the mafia officially became a political force. They got into parliament and got the opportunity to control the political situation in the country, and the mafiosi themselves turned into a kind of aristocracy.

Once upon a time, the mafia extended its influence only to Agriculture. But already at the beginning of the 20th century, mafiosi began to actively intervene in city affairs, helping this or that deputy win elections, for which he generously rewarded them. Now the influence of the mafia has spread to continental Italy.

Maybe the mafiosi would have lived without knowing anyone's refusal, swimming in money and enjoying unlimited power, but in 1922 the Nazis came to power. The dictator Mussolini did not tolerate the mafia as a second power, and then completely imprisoned thousands of people indiscriminately as involved in mafia affairs. Of course, such a tough policy has borne fruit for several decades, the mafiosi lay low.

In the 50s and 60s, the mafia raised its head again and the Italian government had to start an official fight against crime, a special body- Antimafia.

And the mafiosi have turned into real businessmen. Most often, they acted on the principle of an iceberg: legal low-budget activities are at the top, and a whole block is hidden under the water, drug trafficking, “protection” of a business or prostitution. Thus, money is laundered to this day. Over time, many families have developed the legal part of the business so much that they have become successful entrepreneurs in the restaurant business and the food industry.

In the 1980s, a brutal clan war began, in which so many people died that the new generation of mafiosi preferred to engage in only legal business, while maintaining mutual responsibility and other signs of a secret organization.

But do not think that the Italian mafia is living out its last days. In March 2000, a scandal erupted in Italy: the police had to arrest several Sicilian judges suspected of working closely with the mafia.

Although the mafiosi were partially legalized, they did not leave the stage at all. In southern Italy, it is still impossible to open a business without enlisting the support of local authorities. In the past 10 years, the Italian government has been actively fighting the mafia, carrying out "cleansing" and removing mafiosi from key positions.

How mafiosi ended up in America

Due to terrible impoverishment, from 1872 until the First World War, Sicilians emigrated in droves to America. Luckily for them, Prohibition was just introduced there, which helped them develop their illegal business and accumulate capital. The Sicilians completely recreated their order on the new land and earned so much that their total income was several times higher than the income of the largest American firms. American and Italian mafiosi never lost contact with each other and faithfully kept common traditions.

In America, organized crime that came out of Sicily is called “Cosa Nostra” (in Italian it means “our business” - they say, do not poke your nose into someone else's question). Now the entire Sicilian mafia is often collectively called "Cosa Nostra". This name is also given to one of the Sicilian clans that returned home from America.

The structure of the Italian mafia

The boss or godfather is the head of the family. Information about all the affairs of his family and the plans of enemies flocks to him. The boss is elected by voting.

The underboss is the first deputy godfather. It is appointed solely by the boss himself and is responsible for the actions of all capos.

The consigliere is the family's chief adviser, whom the boss can fully trust.

A caporegime or capo is the head of a "team" that operates in a single family-controlled area. Teams are required to give the boss a portion of their earnings each month.

The soldier is the youngest member of the family, who was recently "introduced" into the organization. Teams of up to 10 people are formed from the soldiers, controlled by a kapo.

An accomplice is a person who has a certain status in mafia circles, but is not yet considered a member of the family. Can act, for example, as an intermediary in the sale of drugs.

Laws and traditions honored by mafiosi

In 2007, Salvador's influential godfather Lo Piccolo was arrested in Italy and a secret document called "The Ten Commandments of Cosa Nostra" was seized. Basically from it we know the traditions of the Italian mafia.

• Each group "works" in a certain area and other families should not go there.
• Initiation ritual for newcomers: a recruit's finger is wounded and the icon is poured with his blood. He takes the icon in his hand, and it is lit. The beginner must endure the pain until the icon burns. At the same time, he says: "Let my flesh burn, like this saint, if I break the laws of the mafia."
• The family cannot include: policemen and those who have policemen among their relatives; that, whocheating on his wife or among his relatives there are those whochange spouses; as well as people who violated the laws of honor.
• Family members respect their wives and never look at the wives of their friends.
• Omerta is the mutual responsibility of all members of the clan. Joining the organization is for life, no one can get out of business. At the same time, the organization is responsible for each of its members, if someone offended him, she and only she will administer justice.
• For an insult, it is supposed to kill the offender.
• The death of a family member is an insult that is washed away in blood. Bloody revenge for a loved one is called "vendetta".
• The kiss of death is a special signal given by mafia bosses or kapos, which means that this family member has become a traitor and must be killed.
• Code of silence - a ban on revealing the secrets of the organization.
• Betrayal is punishable by the murder of the traitor and all his relatives.

Contrary to the established ideas about the mafia, the “code of honor” is often violated: mutual betrayals, denunciations of each other to the police are no longer a rarity today.

In conclusion, let's say...

Despite the seemingly fabulous wealth of mafia leaders, it is mostly poverty from the Italian south that dreams of such a career. After all, this is a very dangerous business and, on closer examination, is not so profitable. After unfastening all the bribes, confiscating some of the illegal goods by the police, constantly spending money to protect yourself and your family - there is not much left. Many mafiosi are killed stupidly in banal drug deals. Today, not everyone can live according to the laws of honor, and the way back, contrary to the assurances of American melodramas such as Blue-Eyed Mickey, is no longer the case.

The world has long been fighting the state against criminal clans, but the mafia is still alive. At present, there are many criminal gangs, each of which has its own boss and mastermind. Criminal authorities often feel unpunished and create real criminal empires, intimidating civilians and government officials. They live by their own laws, the violation of which often leads to death. This article presents 10 famous mafiosi who really left a noticeable mark on the history of the mafia.

1. Al Capone

Al Capone was a legend underworld 30-40s of the last century and is still considered the most famous mafia in history. The authoritative Al Capone inspired fear in everyone, including the government. This american gangster of Italian origin, he developed a gambling business, was engaged in bootlegging, racketeering, and drugs. It was he who introduced the concept of racketeering.

When the family moved to the US in search of a better life, he had to work hard. He worked in a pharmacy and a bowling alley, and even in a candy store. However, Al Capone was attracted to the nocturnal lifestyle. At 19, while working at a pool club, he made a cheeky comment about the wife of felon Frank Galuccio. After the ensuing fight and stabbing, he was left with a scar on his left cheek. Daring Al Capone learned to skillfully handle knives and was invited to the "Gang of Five Trunks". Known for his brutality in the massacre of competitors, he organized the Massacre on Valentine's Day, when, on his orders, seven tough mafiosi from the Bugs Moran group were shot dead.
His cunning helped him get out and avoid punishment for his crimes. The only thing he was jailed for was tax evasion. After leaving prison, where he spent 5 years, his health was undermined. He contracted syphilis from one of the prostitutes and died at the age of 48.

2. Lucky Luciano

Charles Luciano, born in Sicily, moved with his family to America in search of a decent life. Over time, he became a symbol of crime and one of the toughest gangsters in history. Since childhood, street punks have become a comfortable environment for him. He actively distributed drugs and at the age of 18 he went to prison. During the prohibition of alcohol in the United States, he was a member of the Gang of Four and was involved in the smuggling of alcohol. He was a poor immigrant, like his friends, and ended up making millions of dollars in crime. Lucky organized a group of bootleggers, the so-called "Big Seven" and defended it from the authorities.

Later, he became the leader of the Cosa Nostra and controlled all areas of activity in the criminal environment. Maranzano's gangsters tried to find out where he was hiding drugs and for this they tricked him into taking him to the highway, where they tortured, cut and beat him. Luciano kept the secret. The bloody body with no signs of life was thrown to the side of the road and after 8 hours it was found by a police patrol. In the hospital, he received 60 stitches and saved his life. After that, they began to call him Lucky. (Lucky).

3. Pablo Escobar

Pablo Escobar is the most famous brutal Colombian drug lord. He created a real drug empire and established the supply of cocaine around the world on a huge scale. The young Escobar grew up in the poor areas of Medellin and began his illegal activities by stealing tombstones and reselling them to resellers with erased inscriptions. In addition, he sought to earn easy money on the sale of drugs and cigarettes, as well as forging lottery tickets. Later, theft of expensive cars, racketeering, robberies and kidnappings were added to the scope of criminal activity.

At 22, Escobar has already become a famous authority in poor neighborhoods. The poor supported him as he built cheap housing for them. Becoming the head of a drug cartel, he earned billions. In 1989, his fortune was more than 15 billion. During his criminal activities, he was involved in the murders of more than a thousand policemen, journalists, several hundred judges and prosecutors, various officials.

4. John Gotti

John Gotti was known to everyone in New York. He was called the "Teflon Don", because all the accusations miraculously flew away from him, leaving him unstained. This was a very quirky mobster who worked his way from the bottom to the very top of the Gambino family. Due to his bright and elegant style, he also received the nickname "Elegant Don". During the management of the family, he was engaged in typical criminal cases: racketeering, theft, carjacking, murders. Right hand The boss in all crimes has always been his friend Salvatore Gravano. In the end, this was a fatal mistake for John Gotti. In 1992, Salvatore began to cooperate with the FBI, testified against Gotti and sent him to prison for life. In 2002, John Gotti died in prison from throat cancer.

5. Carlo Gambino

Gambino is a Sicilian gangster who led one of the most powerful crime families in America and led it until his death. As a teenager, he began to steal and engage in extortion. Later switched to bootlegging. When he became the boss of the Gambino family, he made it the richest and most powerful by controlling such lucrative properties as the state port and airport. During its dawn of power, the Gambino criminal group consisted of more than 40 teams, and controlled the major cities of America (New York, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles and others). Gambino did not welcome drug dealing by members of his group, as he considered it a dangerous business that attracted a lot of attention.

6. Meir Lansky

Meir Lansky is a Jew born in Belarus. At the age of 9 he moved with his family to New York. From childhood, he became friends with Charles "Lucky" Luciano, which predetermined his fate. For decades, Meir Lansky has been one of America's most important crime bosses. During Prohibition in America, he was involved in illegal transportation and sale alcoholic beverages. Later, the "National Crime Syndicate" was created and a network of underground bars and bookmakers was opened. For many years, Meir Lansky developed a gambling empire in the United States. In the end, tired of the constant supervision of the police, he leaves for Israel on a visa for 2 years. The FBI wanted him extradited. At the expiration of the visa, he wants to move to another state, but no one accepts him. He returns to the US, where he is awaiting trial. The charges were dropped, but the passport was cancelled. Last years lived in Miami and died in hospital of cancer.

7. Joseph Bonanno

This mafioso occupied a special place in the criminal world of America. At the age of 15, the Sicilian boy was left an orphan. Illegally moved to the United States, where he quickly joined the criminal circles. Created and ran the powerful Bonanno crime family for 30 years. Over time, he began to be called "Banana Joe". Having achieved the status of the richest mafioso in history, he voluntarily retired. He wanted to live the rest of his life in peace in his own luxurious mansion. For a while, he was forgotten by everyone. But the release of the autobiography was an unprecedented act for the mafiosi and again riveted attention to him. They even put him in jail for a year. Joseph Bonanno died at the age of 97, surrounded by relatives.

8. Alberto Anastasia

Albert Anastasia was called the head of the Gambino, one of the 5 mafia clans. He was nicknamed the Chief Executioner because his faction Murder, Inc. was responsible for over 600 deaths. He hasn't been in jail for any of them. When a case was brought against him, it was not clear where the main witnesses for the prosecution disappeared. Alberto Anastasia liked to get rid of witnesses. He called Lucky Luciano his teacher and was devoted to him. Anastasia carried out assassinations of the leaders of other criminal groups on Lucky's order. However, in 1957, Albert Anastasia himself was killed in a barbershop by order of his competitors.

9. Vincent Gigante

Vincent Gigante is a well-known authority among mafiosi who controlled crime in New York and other major American cities. He left school in the 9th grade and switched to boxing. He got into a criminal group at the age of 17. Since then, his ascent in the underworld began. First he became a godfather, and then a consoler (advisor). Since 1981, he became the leader of the Genovese family. Vincent was nicknamed "The Nutty Boss" and "King of Pajamas" for his inappropriate behavior and walking around New York in a bathrobe. It was a simulation of a mental disorder.
For 40 years he avoided prison by pretending to be crazy. In 1997, he was nevertheless sentenced to 12 years. Even while in prison, he continued to give instructions to members of the criminal gang through his son Vincent Esposito. In 2005, the mafioso died in prison from heart problems.

10. Heriberto Lazcano

For a long time, Heriberto Lazcano was on the list of wanted and most dangerous criminals in Mexico. From the age of 17 he served in the Mexican army and in a special squad to combat drug cartels. After a couple of years, he went over to the side of drug gangsters when he was recruited by the Gulf cartel. After a while, he became the leader of one of the largest and most authoritative drug cartels - Los Zetas. Because of its boundless brutality against competitors, bloody murders against officials, public figures, police and civilians (including women and children) was nicknamed the Executioner. More than 47,000 people died as a result of massacres. When Heriberto Lazcano was assassinated in 2012, all of Mexico breathed a sigh of relief.

There were and still exist in the world gangster groups, which, for their high organization and the number of loyal followers came to be called the Mafia. Some are so famous for their power and cruelty that it is impossible not to include them in the TOP.

1 Sicilian Mafia

Appeared in Sicily at the beginning of the century before last, after a hundred years of existence, it turned into an organization of international scale. Initially, the mafia protected planters and nobles from their own attacks, something very similar happened in Russia in the 90s. But then the Sicilians extended their activities to other aspects.

2. Russian mafia

The group, recognized as the most terrible. Even the FBI agents name representatives of the Russian mafia the most dangerous people on the planet. Westerners consider the "Russian mafia" not only Russian, but also the mafia structures of neighboring states.

3. Mexican mafia (La eMe)

This criminal organization became famous for its active work in the drug business. Members of the Mexican mafia are distinguished by a special tattoo on their chest depicting a black hand. This organization was created in the 50s by representatives of a street gang who wasted time in a California prison. There were only thirteen organizers, some of them were in another gang. Initially, La eMe was called Mexicanemi.

4 Yakuza

This largest and most dangerous crime syndicate originated in Japan. It contrasts strongly with other similar criminal organizations, for example, the Yakuza have their own office buildings, and their activities are widely covered in the press. Yakuza love to make tattoos that are complex and multi-colored, all over the surface of the skin. Moreover, tattoos are made by manually introducing ink under the skin (irezumi). To decorate yourself in this way, you need to have a certain courage, as this causes great pain.

5. Chinese Triad

The Triad is an association of secret criminal gangs in China. This criminal society is distinguished by common beliefs and beliefs, for example, representatives firmly believe in secret meaning the number "3" (the name came from it). Today, the triads have spread to Taiwan, America, and other parts of the Chinese diaspora. As a rule, the Triad specializes in drug trafficking. By the way, representatives of the Triad are very patriotic, for example, when the SARS outbreak began, the organization offered a bonus of one million american dollars whoever finds a remedy for this disease.

6. Hells Angels or Hell's Angels (United States)

This is the largest club of motorcyclists, scattered its branches all over the planet. It belongs to the "big four" outlaw clubs, and is considered the most sensational among them. AT law enforcement agencies known as the "motorcycle gang" in many countries. They are involved in drug trafficking, banditry, resale of stolen goods, violence and murder. According to the legend posted on the Hells Angels website, there was a bomber squadron called the Hells Angels in the US Air Force during World War II. After the war ended, and the units were disbanded, the pilots were left without a livelihood. The offended bombers considered that the motherland had committed a betrayal, and decided to switch to bikes, unite in motorcycle clubs, in order to revolt the entire system.

7. Salvadoran Stray Ant Brigade (Mara Salvatrucha)

This mafia structure is involved in many criminal activities: it deals in drugs, weapons and even people, robs, kills, engages in racketeering, kidnapping, pimping, steals cars, launders money, etc. To be able to work in the territory occupied by Mara Salvatrucha, street vendors and shopkeepers have to give almost 50 percent of their income to the mafia. Salvadorans living in the United States are also forced to pay a kind of quitrent; in case of non-payment, their relatives face imminent death or injury.

8. Rizzuto (Montreal)

This criminal organization launched its activities not only in Montreal, but also in Quebec and Ontario. Once Rizzuto merged with the New York crime families, which eventually resulted in real wars on the territory of Montreal in the 70s. Representatives of Rizzuto own real estate in all countries, with a total value of hundreds of millions of dollars. They also own hotels, restaurants, bars, discos, construction, food, trade organizations, furniture factories and much more.

9. Mungiki (Kenya)

This criminal group is a political-religious organization and has been banned for more than a decade. The Mungiki want to revive the traditional religion of Africa, but so far they have made progress only in massacres and conflicts with government officials.

In tenth place are immigrants from Jamaica in Britain who moved to England in the 50s. This ethnic group controls a fair share of arms and drug trafficking operations. This mafia does not try to infiltrate government structures, therefore it is not as strong as the rest. The British police are hesitant to classify Yardie gangs as organized crime because they have no real structure or central leadership.

9 Albanian Mafia

Albania is made up of numerous criminal gangs. Their rules have remained unchanged since the 15th century ... The Albanian mafia is involved in the trade in white slaves, alcohol and tobacco, controls prostitution, car theft and racketeering. She began her "activities" in the 80s of the last century. Widely represented in the US and UK. Distinctive feature is the brutality used in acts of revenge.

8. Serbian mafia

The Serbian mafia has found its place in the ranks of the leaders, as it operates in dozens of countries around the world and is associated with drug smuggling, contract killings, racketeering, robberies, control of rates and gambling houses. Interpol lists about 350 Serbian citizens, who are often employees and leaders of the largest drug cartels in the world. Serbian gangsters are also known for intellectual heists, which often play out Hollywood scenarios, as well as quick and clean executions. Currently there are about 30-40 groups working in Serbia.

7 Israeli Mafia

These guys work in the field of banditry in many countries, the main occupation is drug trafficking and prostitution. Times have changed, and if earlier they were once looked at with reverence because of their ability to protect, today it is ruthless killers not long thinking before pulling the trigger. The Russian-Israeli mafia has gained a foothold in political system The United States is so good that even the vaunted American army cannot knock them out of there.

6. Mexican mafia

The Mexican mafia is a powerful criminal structure in the United States, rooted in the prison world. It originated in the 50s, was positioned as the protection of Mexicans in US prisons from other criminals and prison guards. The main activities are extortion and drug trafficking. They are prone to quick reprisals against those who are objectionable and who do not pay them the tax they themselves have established.

5. Japanese yakuza

The Japanese mafia proudly traces its lineage to impoverished samurai nobles, or ronin as they were called in Japan. The heirs of noble fathers with many children, who sometimes had nothing but a sword, they inherited only the right to wear a sword and even comb their hair like a samurai: shave their forehead and crown, long hair from the back of the head, braid into a tight pigtail and stick on the bluish scalp. Although the Japanese mafia is known all over the world, it is difficult to immediately spot it in the daily life of the local cities. Meanwhile, the Japanese mafia has one hundred and ten thousand people, while the noisy and violent American - only twenty thousand. Considering that the US population is about twice that of the Japanese, it is not difficult to calculate that for every Japanese there are eleven times more professional rapists, robbers and murderers than an American. Areas of activity: racketeering, distribution of prohibited pornography from Europe and America, prostitution and illegal emigration.

4. Chinese triads

That rapidly growing China is rapidly becoming a leader global development are spoken all over the world today. But there are also negative aspects of this process. As China's leading position in global economy Chinese organized crime will rapidly expand its presence in transnational criminal relations. "Triads" have already staged a "third world war" for their competitors! "Riding" the migration processes, the mafia structures of China and Chinese mafia in other countries they have taken a leading position in the organization of human trafficking and the establishment of illegal migration flows. The Europol report (June 2006) noted that Chinese mafia groups were named leaders in human trafficking in countries European Union. Chinese "triads" have pushed home-grown mafia in Japan - the yakuza: the Chinese account for about half of all crimes committed by foreigners.

3 Colombian drug cartels

The Colombian mafia is one of the world's largest suppliers of cocaine. All the efforts of the state authorities are still in vain, as the business of the bandits is more than successful. The Colombian drug mafia has existed since the mid-60s of the last century. The Medellin and Cali cartels quickly became the world's leading producers of cocaine.

2. Sicilian and American Cosa Nostra

Members of the Sicilian mafia (left to right), Salvatore Lo Bue, Salvatore Lo Cicero, Gaetano Lo Presti, Giuseppe Scaduto, Antonino Spera, Gregorio Agrigento, Luigi Caravello, Mariano Troia, Giovanni Adelfio and Francesco Bonomo Sicily was constantly robbed not only by Algerian pirates, but also by detachments of French mercenaries who served the northern Italian dukes and princes. The organized armed struggle of the islanders against the French began in 1282 under the slogan "Morete alla Francia, Italia anela" ("Die, France - breathe, Italy"); from the first letters of the call, the Sicilians made up a battle cry: "Mafia!". Soon, self-defense units turned into units of professional fighters, who began to take tribute from the peasants for protection from external enemies. In the 19th century the mafia, which became a single system, even tried to separate the island from Italy and offered an alliance to Giuseppe Garibaldi, but the troops of the Principality of Piedmont defeated her. AT late XIX in. thousands of Sicilians, fleeing poverty and clan wars, moved to America. In major US cities, Cosa Nostra ("Our cause") arose - a network of Sicilian "families" that controlled casinos, smuggling, prostitution, illegal traffic alcohol, tobacco and weapons, as well as racketeering. All the "consorteries" of Sicily constitute a "venerable community" headed by Capo di tutti Capi, head of all chapters. Important figures in the structure of the mafia are also picciotti di ficatu (assassins), stopalieri (bodyguards), gabellotti (judges) and consiglieri (advisors).

1. Russian mafia

The Russian mafia has 500,000 people. Her godfathers control 70% of the Russian economy, as well as prostitution in Macau and China, drug trafficking in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, money laundering in Cyprus, Israel, Belgium and England, car theft, nuclear trafficking and prostitution in Germany. With the disappearance of the Iron Curtain, the expansion of Russian crime has ceased to be controlled and directed, as it was before the collapse of the USSR. The first wave of "export" of crime from the territory, then still the USSR, took place in the early 70s, when Soviet Jews were allowed to leave for Israel. This wave was incomparable with the second - when, with the collapse of the USSR, " iron curtain". Then the world, indeed, estimated the size of Russian crime, which he called the "Russian mafia." Russian criminal communities sometimes expressed very specific interests in different countries peace. So, in December 1993, the Western press first mentioned that groups were “shaking” Russian hockey players playing in foreign clubs, the so-called “legionnaires”. The mass of materials on this subject in the press in subsequent years indicated that the "sports racket" had acquired a truly industrial scale. According to some reports, now the Russian criminal community operates in 50 countries around the world. According to the American professor Louise Shelley, since 1991 the ROP has exported 150 billion dollars from the Russian Federation. According to other sources - 50 billion dollars, but also a lot.

Hearing the word "mafia" today's law-abiding citizen will imagine whole line associations: he will at the same time remember that crime in the world has not yet been defeated and is found literally at every turn, then he will smile and say that the “Mafia” is a funny psychological game so loved by students, but in the end he will imagine stern men of Italian appearance in raincoats and wide-brimmed hats and with the invariable Thompson submachine guns in their hands, along the way losing the legendary melody of the composer Nino Rota in my head ... The image of the mafia is romantic and sung in popular culture, but at the same time we despise the guardians of order and the victims of their crimes (if they, by a lucky chance, remained alive).

The term "mafia" and the traditional idea of ​​mafiosi as "men in raincoats and hats" appeared thanks to immigrants from Sicily who moved to New York in the 19th century and took control of it in the 30s of the 20th century. As for the origin of the word "mafia" is a large number of disputes. The most common opinion about the etymology of the word is its Arabic roots ("marfood" in Arabic "outcast").

Mafia moves to the USA

It is known that the first Sicilian mafia who arrived in the United States was Giuseppe Esposito, who was accompanied by 6 more Sicilians. In 1881 he was arrested in New Orleans. In the same place, 9 years later, the first happened high-profile murder, organized by the mafia in the United States - a successful assassination attempt on New Orleans police chief David Hennessy ( last words Hennessy: "The Italians did it!"). In the next 10 years in New York, the Sicilian mafia will organize the "Gang of Five Points" - the first influential gang of the city, which took control of the "Little Italy" area. At the same time, the Neapolitan Camorra gang is gaining momentum in Brooklyn.

The Mafia flourished in the 1920s. This was facilitated by factors such as prohibition (the name of the "King of Chicago" Al Capone has become a household name today), as well as the struggle of Benito Mussolini with the Sicilian mafia, which led to the mass immigration of Sicilians to the United States. In New York in the 1920s, two mafia clans, Giuseppe Masseria and Salvatore Maranzana, became the most powerful families. As is often the case, the two families did not divide the Big Apple properly, leading to the three-year Castellammares War (1929-1931). The Maranzana clan won, Salvatore became the "boss of bosses", but later fell victim to conspirators led by Lucky Luciano (real name - Salvatore Lucania, "Lucky" is, of course, a nickname).

"Lucky" Luciano in a police picture.

It was Lucky Luciano who should be considered the founder of the so-called "Commission" (1931), the purpose of which is to prevent cruel gang wars. "Commission" - a primordially Sicilian invention: the heads of the mafia clans get together and decide truly global problems mafia activities in the United States. From the first days, 7 people took their place in the commission, among which were both Al Capone and 5 bosses from New York - the leaders of the legendary "Five Families"

Five Families

In New York, from the thirties of the 20th century to the present day, all criminal activity is carried out by the five largest "families". Today, these are the "families" Genovese, Gambino, Lucchese, Colombo and Bonanno (they got their names from the names of the ruling bosses, whose names became public in 1959, when the police arrested mafia informant Joe Valachi (he managed to live until 1971 and died his own). death despite a bounty being placed on his head by the Genovese family).

Genovese family

Don Vito Genovese

The founders are conspirator Lucky Luciano and Joe Masseria. The family was nicknamed "The Ivy League in the Mafia" or "Rolls Royce in the Mafia". The man who gave the family his last name is Vito Genovese, who became boss in 1957. Vito considered himself the most powerful boss in New York, but was easily "eliminated" by the Gambino family: after being in power for 2 years, he was imprisoned for 15 years for drug trafficking and died in prison in 1969. Today's boss of the Genovese clan Daniel Leo rules over a family from prison (his term expires in January 2011). The Genovese family is the inspiration for the Corleone Family in The Godfather. Family activities: racketeering, complicity in crime, money laundering, usury, murder, prostitution, drug trafficking.

Gambino family

Don Carlo Gambino in young age...

The family's first boss was Salvatore De Aquila, who served as boss of bosses until his death in 1928. In 1957, Carlo Gambino came to power, the period of his reign lasted until 1976 (he died a natural death). In 1931, Gambino held the position of caporegime in the Mangano family (caporegime is one of the most influential mafiosi in every family, reports directly to the family boss or his deputies). Over the next 20 years, he climbed the “career ladder” of the mafiosi, eliminating enemies and competitors with great ease, and while in power, he extended the influence of his Family to a vast area.

... and a few days before death

Since 2008, the family has been led by Daniel Marino, Bartolomeo Vernache and John Gambino - distant relative Carlo Gambino. The Families' list of criminal activities does not stand out from similar lists of the other four families. Money is made on everything from prostitution to racketeering and drug trafficking.

Lucchese family

Don Gaetano Lucchese

From the beginning of the 20s, the Family was created by the efforts of Gaetano Reina, after whose death in 1930 another Gaetano, by the name of Galliano, continued his work, who remained in power until 1953. The third successive leader of the Family with the name Gaetano was the man who gave the Family his last name, Gaetano "Tommy" Lucchese. "Tommy" Lucchese helped Carlo Gambino and Vito Genovese achieve leadership in their Families. Together with Carlo, Gaetano took control of the "Commission" by 1962 (their children played a rather magnificent wedding that year). Since 1987, the de jure family has been led by Vittorio Amuso, and de facto by a commission of three Caporegimes: Agnelo Migliore, Joseph DiNapoli and Matthew Madonna.

Colombo family

Don Joseph Colombo

The "youngest" family in New York. It has been operating since 1930, from the same year until 1962, the boss of the Family was Joe Profaci (in the 1928 photograph that opened the article, Joe Profaci was captured in a wheelchair). Despite the fact that Joseph Colombo did not become boss until 1962 (with the blessing of Carlo Gambino), the Family was named after his last name, and not Profaci's. Joe Colombo actually retired in 1971 when he received three bullets in the head, but survived. For the next 7 years, he lived without leaving a coma in a state that his accomplice Joe Gallo described as "vegetable".

Today, the boss of the Colombo family is Carmine Persico, who is serving a life sentence (139 years) for extortion, murder and racketeering. Persico's so-called "acting" boss is Andrew Russo

Bonanno family

Don Joseph Bonanno

Founded in the 1920s, the first boss was Cola Schiro. In 1930, Salvatore Maranzano took his place. After the conspiracy of Lucky Luciano and the creation of the Commission by the Family until 1964, Joe Bonanno was in charge.

In the 60s, the family survived civil war(Which the papers wittily dubbed the "Bonann Split"). The commission decided to remove Joe Bonanno from power and replace him with Caporegime Gaspar DiGregorio. One part supported Bonanno (loyalists), the second was, of course, against him. The war turned out to be bloody and protracted, even the removal of DiGregorio from the position of boss by the Commission did not help. New boss Paul Schiacca couldn't handle the violence within the divided family. The war ended in 1968, when Joe Bonanno, who was in hiding, suffered a heart attack and decided to retire. He lived to the age of 97 and died in 2002. From 1981 to 2004, the Family was not a member of the Commission due to a number of "unacceptable crimes". Today, the position of the Family's boss remains vacant, but Vincent Asaro is expected to fill it.

The Five Families now control the entire New York metropolitan area, including even northern New Jersey. They also conduct their business outside the state, for example, in Las Vegas, South Florida or Connecticut. You can look at the zones of influence of families on Wikipedia.

In popular culture, the Mafia is remembered in many ways. In cinematography, this is, of course, The Godfather with its own Five Families of New York (Corleone, Tataglia, Barzini, Cuneo, Stracci), as well as the cult HBO series The Soprano Family, which tells about the connections of the DiMeo Family from New York. -Jersey with one of the families of New York (appears under the name "The Lupertaci Family").

In the video game industry, the theme of the Sicilian mafia is successfully embodied by the Czech game "Mafia" (the prototype of the setting is San Francisco in the thirties, in which the Salieri and Morello families are at war), and its sequel, which was released no more than a couple of months before this article was written , is dedicated to the criminal activity of the Three Families in the prototype of New York called "Empire Bay" already in the 50s. Cult game grand theft Auto IV also presents the Five Families, but in a modern setting and again under fictitious names.

The Godfather - a cult film by Francis Ford-Coppola about the Sicilian mafia in New York

The Five Families of New York unique phenomenon in the world of organized crime. This is one of the most influential gangster structures on the planet, created by immigrants (still the basis of every family is mostly Italian-Americans), which has developed a clear hierarchy and strict traditions dating back to the 19th century. "Mafia" thrives despite constant arrests and high-profile trials, which means that her story continues with us.

Sources:

2) Cosa Nostra - The History of the Sicilian mafia

5) Images taken from the portal "en.wikipedia.org"

http://www.bestofsicily.com/mafia.htm