The organization referred to by the consul has a historical origin. The word most likely has Arabic roots: mu'afah. This term has many meanings: protection, skill, skill, safety, efficiency.
But there is also a more beautiful version of the origin. During the uprising of March 30, 1282, which broke out in Sicily and went down in history under the name "Sicilian Vespers", the cry was born M orte a lla F rancia, I waist a nela!" (“Death to France, breathe, Italy!”). The initial letters of this slogan make up the word MAFIA.
It is even more difficult to identify the foundations of the organization. According to many historians, the seed from which this criminal organization sprang was sown as early as the 12th century, when secret associations appeared against the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation. (Sacrum Romanorum Imperium Nationis Germaniae).
Some sources point to the Bourbon dynasty, who used the services of former robbers to patrol remote parts of the interior of the island. Those, in turn, quickly began to take bribes, turning a blind eye to some points.
Many specialists also start from the foundation of the so-called gabellotti organization, which collected tribute for the state or acted as intermediaries between peasants and landowners.
They got rich quickly enough, intimidating the former and acting as representatives of the others. Gabelloti realizing what power fell into their hands, created a separate caste, the basis of which was a code of honor and a semi-official structure.
All these theories have one common element: a huge gulf that from time immemorial separated the Sicilians from the representatives of the "foreign" power.
No one anywhere felt so helpless and humiliated as a rootless Sicilian peasant forced to hard labor in local latifundia - large feudal estates owned by forever absent rulers who are residents of Naples or Palermo. The system of latifundia was invented in ancient Rome and lasted until the Second World War. As you can see, where the usual system of power and justice could not cope, the issue of the emergence of local judges - the so-called amici (friends) or uomini d`onore (people of honor) - was only a matter of time.
In the book "Journey to Sicily and Malta"(Viaggio in Sicilia e a Malta) English traveler and writer Brydone Patrick (1743-1818) in 1773 posted the following comment:
“These banditti are the most respected people on the island, with the noblest and most romantic moods, which are taken as a matter of honor; they show each other their respect, as well as to everyone they have ever sworn allegiance to; moreover, they show the most unshakable fidelity. Administrative and judicial officials are often required to protect them, and even please them. These banditti are also known to be full of determination and desperation. So vengeful that they will not hesitate to kill anyone who is even suspected of provocations.
These words can be repeated 200 years later.
What most people don't know, however, is that Italy once already came close to defeating this organization. During his reign, the legendary head of the police, Cesare Morti, resorted to brutal and illegal methods in the fight against the mafia. And if not for the second world war, perhaps he would have managed to destroy it forever. Ironically, the American intervention evened out the forces. In preparing for the landing of soldiers in Sicily, they had only one reliable source of intelligence - the mafia.
She was contacted through Italian-American gangsters such as Lucky Luciano.
I, in turn, would like to quote an excerpt from the book "The Great Godfather" by Vito Bruschini:
“In an atmosphere of social and political collapse, the mafia, with the support of allies, began to regain control over the territory of the island and the distribution of basic foodstuffs.
In Palermo, food was imported on the basis that four hundred and fifty thousand people live in the city. In fact, with the start of the bombing of the city, two-thirds of the inhabitants preferred to leave for the countryside, where everyone had relatives or acquaintances. So, after the products were distributed according to the cards among the residents remaining in the city, most of the food went to the "black market".
Gathering his trusted friends together, Don Calo explained to them that helping agents of the American secret services would almost certainly guarantee freedom of action on the island at the end of the war. That is why you should cooperate with your American friends in all actions, including sabotage against German and Italian troops.
This began to happen with the beginning of spring. At the Nazi military base where the Göring Panzer Brigade was stationed, barrels of gas oil were replaced with barrels filled with water mixed with oil. Tanks filled with this mixture burned out engines, and combat vehicles were stuck in repair shops for a long time. The navy also constantly suffered from sabotage: the ships were forced to remain in the port due to various damages.
After occupying the island, the alliance strengthened the mafia, often appointing important members to the leadership of the military government. Of the 66 Sicilian cities, 62 were entrusted to persons of criminal origin. The mafia was further flourished by the post-war construction boom in Italy, which became the source of huge fortunes for the mafia, which invested laundered money in legal businesses or multiplied it with drugs that forever changed the nature of the mafia.
The police have won several battles in recent years. The biggest success was the arrest in 2006 of the godfather Bernardo Provenzano (Bernardo Provenzano). Convicted in absentia of more than a dozen murders, the 73-year-old mobster was caught in a hideout on a Sicilian farm.
Despite some judicial successes, the Mafia's rout is unlikely. Mainly because it is already very firmly integrated with the Italian economy. It's not without reason that the Italians call the mafia la piovra - octopus.
In my personal experience and opinion, I am sure that the mafia exists and will exist. Once I asked my good friend Mario, who worked for 30 years in Sicilian, if it exists. To which a series of emotional statements was received that it does not exist, it has long been defeated, these are all fictions of journalists, writers and so on.
Well, taking into account my experience of studying and interest in this issue, as well as the statements of many of my Italian friends to the contrary, I am even more convinced and respect this structure.
I hope the following quotes from my favorite books by writers Mario Puzo and Vito Bruschini will clarify the concept of the mafia for you:
“Once in the south of Italy (in particular, in Sicily), the one who talked too much, the mafiosi could kill and cut off the tongue. So that everyone knows what he was punished for. The flower on the corpse hinted at love affairs. The mafia has always killed for some misdeed.
During the period of rampant terrorism in Italy, one Sicilian boasted that terrorist attacks that claimed the lives of innocent people were excluded on his island (for example, bombs in a cafe, at a train station, etc.). Not like in mainland Italy! “With us,” he said, “the mafia will immediately find the culprit and he will not be greeted.”
“In the neighboring province of Cinesi, perhaps the largest and poorest in Sicily, a small village clan was led by a cruel, fearless bandit named Fissolini. In his village, he had absolute power and had little to no contact with the other clans of the island. He had no idea what power don Aprile had, he could not imagine that this power could reach even his godforsaken village. He decided to kidnap Don Aprile and collect a ransom for him. He, of course, understood that he was violating one of the unwritten laws: by kidnapping Don Aprile, he invaded the territory of another family, but he reasoned that for the sake of such a rich prey it was worth the risk.
Cosca, family, clan,- the base cell of the mafia and usually consists of blood relatives. Law-abiding citizens, for example, lawyers or doctors, do not break, but rather strengthen ties with their clan, because it defends their interests. Each clan is a closed organizational structure, but it can ally with a stronger and more influential clan. The whole set of clans is usually called the mafia. But she does not have a single leader or commander.
Each clan usually specializes in a certain area in a certain territory. 
One controls the price of water and prevents the government from building dams that could lower the price. In a certain sense, this clan destroys the state monopoly on power. Another may control the market for food and essential goods. At that time, the cosca Clericuzio from Palermo were considered the most powerful in Sicily, this clan crushed all new construction on the island, and the cosca Corleone from Corleone, who controlled many Roman politicians and ensured the transportation of drugs around the world. There were also such greedy clans that took money from romantic youths for the right to sing under the balconies of their loved ones.
All clans regulated crime. They did not tolerate those who robbed respectable citizens who honestly gave their clan a share of the income.
Both robbers and rapists faced the same punishment - death. And, of course, all the clans could not stand adultery. In such cases, both the man and the woman were executed. No one had any questions.
Cosca Fissolini survived from bread to water. This clan controlled the sale of holy icons, charged farmers for guarding their herds, and kidnapped rich people who had lost their vigilance.
And when Don Aprile and little Astorre walked slowly along the street of the village, two army trucks with Fissolini, who had no idea who he raised his hand to, and his people stopped nearby in a screech of brakes ... "
From the book "Omerta" by Mario Puzo.
"Omerta is a Sicilian code of honor that forbids anyone from reporting crimes that people who have aroused suspicion may have committed."
“A don was at the head of the Corleone family clan, he directed all the activities of the family, determined its policy. 
Three layers, three buffers separated the don from those who carried out his will, directly carried out his orders. Thus, no trail could lead to the summit. On one condition. If he does not betray the consigliori. On that Sunday, Don Corleone gave detailed instructions early in the morning on what to do with the two youths who had maimed Amerigo Bonasera's daughter. But he gave these orders to Tom Haigen, face to face. In the afternoon, Hagen - also alone, without witnesses - conveyed these instructions to Clemenza. Clemenza, in turn, ordered Paulie Gatto to carry out the order. Paulie Gatto had to pick the right people and do exactly what he was told. Neither Paulie Gato nor his people will know what caused this order, from whom it originally comes.
To establish that the don was involved, every link in this chain must be unreliable - this has never happened before, but where is the guarantee that this will not happen? However, in this case, the remedy was provided. One link, the key one, must disappear.
Besides, consigliori was really what the word means. That is, the Don's adviser, his first assistant, his second head. And also - the most faithful companion and closest friend. It was he who drove the don's car during important business trips, he left the meeting for fresh cigars for the don, for coffee and sandwiches. He knew everything or almost everything that the don knew, everything down to the last cell in the power structure. Only he, the only one in the world, had the opportunity, if desired, to crush the don.
But the case of a consigliori betraying his don has never happened before, at least in the memory of one of the influential Sicilian clans that settled in America. It would be an option without a future.
On the other hand, every consigliori knew that faithful service would bring him wealth, power and honor. And trouble will strike, the well-being of his wife and children will be taken care of no worse than if he himself were alive and well and free. But this is when serving faithfully.
“In this ancient garden, Michael was exposed to the roots that gave birth to people like his father. He learned that the original word "mafia" meant "refuge".
Then it became the name of a secret organization that arose to confront the rulers who for hundreds of years suppressed this country and its people. History does not know a region that would have been subjected to such brutal violence. Like a tornado, the Inquisition walked around the island, not making out who was poor and who was rich. With an iron hand, noble landowners and princes of the Catholic Church conquered the peasants and shepherds of their power.
The instrument of this power was the police, identified by the people with the rulers to such an extent that.
Looking for ways to survive under the merciless heel of autocracy, tormented people have learned to never show resentment and anger. Never utter a word of threat, because in response to the threat, ahead of its execution, punishment will immediately follow. Do not forget that society is your enemy and if you want to get even with it for injustice, you need to go to the secret rebels, to the mafia.
This mafia, gaining strength, introduced omerta in Sicily - mutual responsibility, a law that commands silence. In the countryside, a passer-by or a traveler who asks for directions to the nearest town simply will not be honored with an answer.
For a mafia member, the greatest of crimes is to tell the police, for example, who shot him. Or hurt him. Omerta has become a religion for the people. A woman whose husband was killed will not tell the policeman the name of the killer, the name of the one who tortured her child, raped her daughter. People knew that you would not expect justice from the authorities, and they followed her to the mafia intercessor. »
The Godfather, Mario Puzo
5 best books about the Italian mafia
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Despite the relentless use of mafia images by Hollywood that have long become cliches, there are still illegal gangs in the world that control industry, engage in smuggling, cybercrime, and even shape the global economy of countries.
So where are they located and which ones are the most famous in the world?
Yakuza
This is not a myth, they exist and, by the way, were among the first to make significant efforts to help after the tsunami in Japan in 2011. The traditional areas of interest of the yakuza are underground gambling, prostitution, drug trafficking, arms and ammunition trafficking, racketeering, the production or sale of counterfeit products, car theft and smuggling. More sophisticated gangsters trade in financial fraud. Members of the group are distinguished by beautiful tattoos, which are usually hidden under clothing.
Mungiki
This is one of the most aggressive sects in Kenya, which arose in 1985 in the settlements of the Kikuyu people in the central part of the country. The Kikuyu gathered their own militia in order to protect the Masai lands from government militants who wanted to crush the resistance of the recalcitrant tribe. The sect, in essence, was a street gang. Later, large detachments were formed in Nairobi, which engaged in racketeering of local transport companies that transport passengers around the city (taxi firms, car parks). Then they switched to garbage collection and disposal. Each slum dweller was also required to pay the representatives of the sect a certain amount in exchange for a quiet life in their own shack.
Russian Mafia
It is officially the most feared organized crime group in the world. Former FBI special agents call the Russian mafia "the most dangerous people on Earth." In the West, the term "Russian mafia" can mean any criminal organization, both Russian itself and from other states of the post-Soviet space, or from the immigration environment in the far abroad. Some get hierarchical tattoos, often use military tactics and perform contract killings.
Hell's Angels
Considered an organized crime group in the United States. This is one of the largest motorcycle clubs in the world (Hells Angels Motorcycle Club), which has an almost mythical history and branches all over the world. According to the legend posted on the official website of the motorcycle club, during the Second World War, the US Air Force had the 303rd heavy bomber squadron with the name "Hell's Angels". After the end of the war and the disbandment of the unit, the pilots were left without work. They believe that their homeland betrayed them and left them to the mercy of fate. They had no choice but to go against their "cruel country, get on motorcycles, join motorcycle clubs and rebel." Along with legal activities (motorcycle dealerships, motorcycle repair shops, sale of goods with symbols), the Hells Angels are known for illegal activities (sale of weapons, drugs, racketeering, prostitution control, and so on).
Sicilian Mafia: La Cosa Nostra
The organization began its activities in the second half of the 19th century, when the Sicilian and American mafia were the strongest. Initially, Cosa Nostra was engaged in the protection (including the most cruel methods) of the owners of orange plantations and nobles who owned large land plots. By the beginning of the 20th century, it had turned into an international criminal group, whose main activity was banditry. The organization has a clear hierarchical structure. Its members often resort to highly ritualistic methods of revenge, and also have a series of elaborate rites of initiation for males into the group. They also have their own code of silence and secrecy.
Albanian mafia
There are 15 clans in Albania that control most of the Albanian organized crime. They keep drug trafficking under their control, they are engaged in trafficking in people and weapons. They also coordinate the supply of large quantities of heroin to Europe.
Serbian mafia
Various criminal gangs based in Serbia and Montenegro, consisting of ethnic Serbs and Montenegrins. Their activities are quite diverse: drug trafficking, smuggling, racketeering, contract killings, gambling and information trafficking. To date, there are about 30-40 active criminal groups in Serbia.
Montreal Mafia Rizzuto
The Rizzuto are a crime family primarily based in Montreal but running the provinces of Quebec and Ontario. They once merged with families in New York, which eventually led to the mafia wars in Montreal in the late 70s. Rizzuto owns hundreds of millions of dollars of real estate in different countries. They own hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, construction, food, service and trading companies. In Italy, they own firms for the production of furniture and Italian delicacies.
Mexican drug cartels
Mexican drug cartels have existed for several decades; since the 1970s, certain state structures of Mexico have been assisting their activities. Mexican drug cartels intensified after the collapse in the 1990s of the Colombian drug cartels - Medellin and. It is currently the main foreign supplier of cannabis, cocaine and methamphetamine in Mexico, and Mexican drug cartels dominate the wholesale illicit drug market.
Mara Salvatrucha
Slang for "Salvadorian roaming ant brigade" and is often shortened to MS-13. This gang is mainly based in Central America and is based in Los Angeles (although they operate in other parts of North America and Mexico). According to various estimates, the number of this cruel criminal syndicate ranges from 50 to 300 thousand people. Mara Salvatrucha is involved in many types of criminal business, including drug trafficking, arms and human trafficking, robbery, racketeering, contract killings, kidnapping for ransom, car theft, money laundering and fraud. A distinctive feature of the members of the group are tattoos all over the body, including on the face and the inside of the lips. They not only show a person's belonging to a gang, but also tell in their details about his criminal biography, influence and status in the community.
Colombian drug cartels
The dubious underground world of the mafia has captured the imagination of people for many years. The luxurious but criminal lifestyle of thieves' gangs has become an ideal for many. But why are we so fascinated by these men and women who are, in essence, just bandits living off those who are not able to defend themselves?
The fact is that the mafia is not just some organized criminal group. Gangsters are seen as heroes, not the villains they really are. The criminal lifestyle looks like in a Hollywood movie. Sometimes this is a Hollywood movie: many of them are based on real events from the life of the mafia. In the cinema, crime is ennobled, and it already seems to the viewer that these bandits are heroes who died in vain. As America gradually forgets about the days of prohibition, it is also forgotten that the bandits were looked upon as saviors who fought against the evil government. They were the Robin Hoods of the working class, opposing themselves to impossible and strict laws. In addition, people tend to admire powerful, rich and beautiful people and idealize them.
However, not everyone is given such charisma, and many major politicians are hated by everyone, not worshiped. Gangsters know how to use their charm to appear more attractive to society. It is based on heritage, on family history associated with emigration, poverty and unemployment. The classic rags-to-riches storyline has been attracting attention for centuries. There are at least fifteen such heroes in the history of the mafia.
Frank Costello
Frank Costello was from Italy, like many other famous mafiosi. He led the terrifying and famous Luciano family in the criminal world. Frank moved to New York at the age of four and, as soon as he grew up, he immediately found his place in the world of criminals, leading gangs. When the infamous "Lucky" Charles Luciano went to prison in 1936, Costello quickly rose through the ranks to lead the Luciano clan, later known as the Genovese clan.
He was called the Prime Minister because he ruled the underworld and really wanted to get into politics by linking the mafia and Tammany Hall, the political society of the US Democratic Party in New York. The ubiquitous Costello ran casinos and gaming clubs throughout the country, as well as in Cuba and other Caribbean islands. He enjoyed great popularity and respect among his people. Vito Corleone, the hero of the 1972 film The Godfather, is believed to be based on Costello. Of course, he also had enemies: in 1957, an assassination attempt was made on him, during which the mafia was wounded in the head, but miraculously survived. He died only in 1973 from a heart attack.
Jack Diamond
Jack "Legs" Diamond was born in Philadelphia in 1897. He was a significant figure during Prohibition and a leader in organized crime in the United States. Earning the nickname Legs for his quick evasion and extravagant dance style, Diamond was also known for unparalleled brutality and murder. His criminal escapades in New York went down in history, as did the liquor smuggling organizations in and around the city.
Realizing that it was very lucrative, Diamond moved on to larger booty, organizing truck robberies and opening underground liquor outlets. But it was the assassination order for notorious gangster Nathan Kaplan that helped cement his status in the criminal world, putting him on a par with big guys like Lucky Luciano and Dutch Schultz, who later got in his way. Although Diamond was feared, he became a target several times himself, earning the nicknames Shooting Skeet and Unkillable Man due to his ability to get away with it every time. But one day luck left him, and in 1931 he was shot dead. Diamond's killer was never found.
John Gotti
Known for leading the famed and virtually unstoppable New York Gambino Mafia during the turn of the 1980s and 1990s, John Joseph Gotti Jr. became one of the most powerful men in the mob. He grew up in poverty, being one of thirteen children. He quickly joined the criminal atmosphere, becoming the six of the local gangster and his mentor Aniello Dellacroce. In 1980, Gotti's 12-year-old son Frank was crushed to death by neighbor and family friend John Favara. Although the incident was ruled an accident, Favara received numerous threats and was later attacked with a baseball bat. A few months later, Favara disappeared under strange circumstances, and his body has not yet been found.
With his flawless good looks and stereotypical gangster style, Gotti quickly became the darling of the tabloids, earning him the nickname Teflon Don. He went in and out of prison, was difficult to catch red-handed, and each time he ended up behind bars for a short time. However, in 1990, thanks to wiretapping and inside information, the FBI finally caught Gotti and charged him with murder and extortion. Gotti died in prison in 2002 from cancer of the larynx, and towards the end of his life he faintly resembled that Teflon Don who did not get off the pages of the tabloids.
Frank Sinatra
Yes, Sinatra himself was once an alleged accomplice of gangster Sam Giancana and even the ubiquitous Lucky Luciano. He once stated: "If it were not for my interest in music, I probably would have ended up in the underworld." Sinatra was convicted of having links with the mafia when it became known about his participation in the so-called Havana Conference - a mafia gathering in 1946. Newspaper headlines then shouted: "Shame on Sinatra!" About the double life of Sinatra became known not only to the newspapermen, but also to the FBI, which followed the singer from the beginning of his career. His personal file contained 2,403 pages of interactions with the mafia.
Most of all, his connection with John F. Kennedy before he became president excited the public. Sinatra allegedly used his underworld contacts to help the future leader in the presidential campaign. The mafia lost faith in Sinatra because of his friendship with Robert Kennedy, who was involved in the fight against organized crime, and Giancana turned away from the singer. Then the FBI calmed down a bit. Despite the obvious evidence and information linking Sinatra with such major mafia figures, the singer himself often denied any relationship with gangsters, calling such claims a lie.
Mickey Cohen
Mayer Harris Cohen, nicknamed Mickey, has been a pain in the ass for the LAPD for many years. He had a stake in all branches of organized crime in Los Angeles and several other states. Cohen was born in New York but moved to Los Angeles with his family when he was six years old. After starting a promising career in boxing, Cohen left the sport to go down the path of crime and ended up in Chicago, where he worked for the famous Al Capone.
After several successful years during the Prohibition era, Cohen was sent to Los Angeles under the auspices of the notorious Las Vegas gangster Bugsy Siegel. Siegel's murder struck a nerve with the sensitive Cohen, and the police began to take notice of the violent and short-tempered thug. After several assassination attempts, Cohen turned his home into a fortress by installing alarm systems, floodlights, and bulletproof gates, as well as hiring Johnny Stompanato, who was then dating Hollywood actress Lana Turner, as a bodyguard.
In 1961, when Cohen was still influential, he was convicted of tax evasion and sent to the famous Alcatraz prison. He became the only prisoner who was released from this prison on bail. Despite numerous assassination attempts and a constant hunt for him, Cohen died in his sleep at the age of 62.
Henry Hill
Henry Hill inspired one of the best films about the mafia, The Goodfellas. It was he who said the phrase: "For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to become a gangster." Hill was born in New York in 1943 to an honest working family with no Mafia ties. However, in his youth, he joined the Lucchese clan due to the large number of bandits in his area. He began to quickly advance in the service, but due to the fact that he was both of Irish and Italian origin, he could not take a high position.
Once Hill was arrested for beating a player who refused to pay lost money, and sentenced to ten years in prison. It was then that he realized that the way of life that he led in the wild, in fact, was similar to that behind bars, and constantly received some kind of preferences. After his release, Hill became seriously involved in the sale of drugs, which is why he was arrested. He betrayed his entire gang and overthrew some very powerful gangsters. He entered the federal witness protection program in 1980, but two years later he went undercover and the program was terminated. Despite this, he managed to live to the age of 69. Hill died in 2012 from heart problems.
James Bulger
Another veteran of Alcatraz is James Bulger, nicknamed Whitey. He got this nickname because of his blond silky hair. Bulger grew up in Boston and from the very beginning caused a lot of problems for his parents, running away from home several times and once even joining a traveling circus. The first time Bulger was arrested at the age of 14, but this did not stop him, and by the end of the 1970s he was in the criminal underground.
Bulger worked for a mafia clan, but at the same time he was an FBI informant and told the police about the affairs of the once famous Patriarca clan. As Bulger expanded his own criminal network, the police began to pay more attention to himself, and not to the information he provided. As a result, Bulger had to escape from Boston, and he ended up on the list of the most wanted criminals for fifteen years.
Bulger was caught in 2011 and charged with several crimes, including 19 murders, money laundering, extortion and drug trafficking. After a two-month trial, the famous gang leader was found guilty and sentenced to two life terms in prison and another five years in prison, and Boston was finally able to sleep peacefully.
Bugsy Siegel
Known for his Las Vegas casino and criminal empire, Benjamin Siegelbaum, known in the world of crime as Bugsy Siegel, is one of the most famous gangsters in modern history. Starting with a mediocre Brooklyn gang, young Bugsy met another aspiring gangster, Meer Lansky, and created the Murder Inc. group, which specialized in contract killings. It included gangsters of Jewish origin.
As he became more and more famous in the world of crime, Siegel sought to kill old New York gangsters and even had a hand in the elimination of Joe Masseria, nicknamed The Boss. After several years of smuggling and shooting on the West Coast, Siegel began to earn large sums and acquired connections in Hollywood. He became a real star thanks to his Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. The $1.5 million project was financed from a bandit obshchak, but the estimate was significantly exceeded during construction. Siegel's old friend and partner Lansky decided that Siegel was stealing funds and partly investing in legitimate businesses. He was brutally murdered in his own home, riddled with bullets, and Lansky quickly took over the management of the Flamingo Hotel, denying any involvement in the murder.
Vito Genovese
Vito Genovese, known as Don Vito, was an Italian-American gangster who gained notoriety during Prohibition and beyond. He was also called the Boss of Bosses and was the head of the famous Genovese clan. He is famous for making heroin a mass drug.
Genovese was born in Italy and moved to New York in 1913. Quickly joining the criminal circles, Genovese soon met Lucky Luciano, and together they destroyed a rival, gangster Salvatore Maranzano. Fleeing from the police, Genovese returned to his native Italy, where he remained until the end of World War II, making friends with Benito Mussolini himself. Upon his return, he immediately began to lead an old way of life, seizing power in the world of crime and once again becoming the man everyone was afraid of. In 1959, he was accused of drug trafficking and imprisoned for 15 years. In 1969, Genovese died of a heart attack at the age of 71.
Lucky Luciano
Charles Luciano, nicknamed Lucky, was seen many times in criminal adventures with other gangsters. Luciano got his nickname because he survived a dangerous stab wound. He is called the founder of the modern mafia. Over the years of his mafia career, he managed to organize the murders of two big bosses and create a completely new principle for the functioning of organized crime. He had a hand in creating New York's famous Five Families and the national crime syndicate.
Having lived a high life for quite a long time, Lucky became a popular character among the population and the police. Maintaining an image and a stylish image, Lucky began to attract attention, as a result of which he was charged with organizing prostitution. When he was behind bars, he continued to conduct business both outside and inside. It is believed that he even had his own chef there. After his release, he was deported to Italy, but he settled in Havana. Under pressure from the US authorities, the Cuban government was forced to get rid of him, and Lucky went to Italy forever. He died of a heart attack in 1962 at the age of 64.
Maria Licciardi
Although the world of the mafia is mainly the world of men, it cannot be said that there were no women among the mafiosi at all. Maria Licciardi was born in Italy in 1951 and was the head of the Licciardi clan, a well-known Camorra, Neapolitan criminal group. Licciardi, nicknamed The Godmother, is still very famous in Italy, and most of her family is connected to the Neapolitan mafia. Licciardi specialized in drug trafficking and racketeering. She led the clan when her two brothers and husband were arrested. Although many were dissatisfied, since she became the first female head of a mafia clan, she managed to quell the unrest and successfully unite several urban clans, expanding the drug market.
In addition to her activities in the field of drug trafficking, Licciardi is also known for human trafficking. She used underage girls from neighboring countries, such as Albania, forcing them to work as prostitutes, thus violating the long-standing code of honor of the Neapolitan mafia, according to which one cannot earn money from prostitution. After one of the deals to sell a batch of heroin fell through, Licciardi was on the list of the most wanted criminals and was arrested in 2001. Now she is behind bars, but, according to rumors, Maria Licciardi continues to lead the clan, which is not going to stop.
Frank Nitti
Known as the face of the Al Capone Crime Syndicate in Chicago, Frank Nitti, nicknamed The Bouncer, became the first man in the Italian-American mafia as soon as Al Capone was behind bars. Nitti was born in Italy and came to the US when he was only seven years old. It wasn't long before he started getting into trouble, which caught the attention of Al Capone. In his criminal empire, Nitti quickly prospered.
As a reward for his impressive performance during Prohibition, Nitti became one of Al Capone's closest associates and established himself in the Chicago Crime Syndicate, also known as the Chicago Outfit. Although he was nicknamed the Bouncer, Nitti delegated tasks more than broke bones on his own, and often organized many approaches during raids and attacks. In 1931, Nitti and Capone were sent to prison for tax evasion, where Nitti suffered terrible bouts of claustrophobia that haunted him for the rest of his life.
Upon his release, Nitti became the new leader of the Chicago Outfit, surviving assassination attempts by rival mafia groups and even the police. When things got really bad and Nitti realized that arrest was inevitable, he shot himself in the head so that he would never again suffer from claustrophobia.
Sam Giancana
Another respected gangster in the underworld is Sam Giancana, nicknamed Muni, who was once the most powerful gangster in Chicago. Starting as Al Capone's inner circle driver, Giancana quickly made his way to the top, making acquaintances with some politicians, including the Kennedy clan. Giancana was even called to testify in the case when the CIA staged an assassination attempt on Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Giancana was believed to have key information.
Not only did Giancana's name appear in the case, but there were also rumors that the mob had made huge contributions to the John F. Kennedy campaign, including ballot stuffing in Chicago. The Giancana-Kennedy connection was increasingly discussed, with many believing that Frank Sinatra was an intermediary to avert federal suspicions.
Things soon went downhill due to speculation that the Mafia had a hand in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. After living the rest of his life as a wanted man by the CIA and rival clans, Giancana was shot in the back of the head while cooking in his basement. There were many versions of the murder, but the perpetrator was never found.
Meer Lansky
As influential as Lucky Luciano, if not more, Meer Lansky, whose real name is Meer Sukhomlyansky, was born in the city of Grodno, which then belonged to the Russian Empire. Moving to America at a young age, Lansky got a taste of the street by fighting for money. Not only could Lansky stand up for himself, but he was also exceptionally smart. An integral part of the emerging world of American organized crime, Lansky was at one point one of the most powerful men in the US, if not the world, doing business in Cuba and several other countries.
Lansky, who was friends with high-ranking mobsters like Bugsy Siegel and Lucky Luciano, was both feared and respected. He was a major player in the alcohol smuggling market during Prohibition, running a very lucrative business. When things went better than expected, Lansky became nervous and decided to retire by emigrating to Israel. Nevertheless, he was deported back to the US two years later, but he still managed to avoid prison, as he died of lung cancer at the age of 80.
Al Capone
Alfonso Gabriel Capone, nicknamed the Great Al, needs no introduction. Perhaps this is the most famous gangster in history and he is known all over the world. Capone came from a respected and prosperous family. At the age of 14, he was kicked out of school for hitting a teacher, and he decided to take a different path, plunging into the world of organized crime.
Under the influence of gangster Johnny Torrio, Capone began his journey to fame. He earned a scar that earned him the nickname Scarface. Dealing with everything from alcohol smuggling to murder, Capone was invulnerable to police, free to move about and do as he pleases.
The games ended when Al Capone's name was implicated in a brutal massacre called the Valentine's Day Massacre. Several gangsters from rival factions died in this massacre. The police could not attribute the crime to Capone himself, but they had other ideas: he was arrested for tax evasion and sentenced to eleven years in prison. Later, when the gangster's health deteriorated due to illness, he was released on bail. He died of a heart attack in 1947, but the world of crime has changed forever.
Image copyright EPA Image caption Alleged gang leader Carmine Spada (center) was detained in Rome in January
Italian police, as part of an anti-mafia campaign, raided and arrested dozens of people in the Naples region, Rome and the Sicilian Agrigento.
The detainees are accused of smuggling, extortion, contract killings, bribes to politicians, organizing prostitution, and stealing art. The list of crimes is extensive.
And what is the Italian mafia today?
"GoatHostra - Sicilian mafia
The Sicilian gangs created a model that was then adopted by mafia groups around the world. They developed into a formidable force in Sicily in the 1800s, and their power and sophistication steadily grew thereafter.
"Cosa Nostra" is translated from Sicilian as "our business". This was the name of the first mafia, the basis of which was laid by family clans.
She is known for her code of honor, omerta, which implies absolute loyalty. The informers were threatened with torture and death, and their relatives were punished.
Even today, mafia members in Sicily are recruited to resolve commercial disputes and recover stolen goods, preferring their services to the slow-moving court machine. However, for many, the “protection” practiced by the mafia is hated, when entrepreneurs are forced to pay for the “protection” of their business.
Cosa Nostra gained notoriety in the United States by racketeering and feuding with other gangs in Chicago, New York and other cities. The group was able to gain a significant foothold through the counterfeit liquor trade during the Prohibition period in the 1920s.
The FBI claims that the American crime syndicate as a whole is not connected to the Italian clans. The main source of income for Cosa Nostra is the heroin trade.
If today you say the word "mafia", then many will immediately remember the movie "The Godfather" with Marlon Brando. In Sicilian, the word "mafia" is related to the word "courageous". Often the term is used incorrectly and for other purposes, in relation to all organized criminal groups.
Some Italian mafia organizations operate in other countries, competing with other equally brutal mafia gangs from Russia, China, Albania and other countries. In some cases, the gangs coordinate their actions and then share the booty.
Cosa Nostra has made its way into local and state politics, not only in Italy, but also in the United States.
But even in Italy, high-profile corruption scandals do not always involve the mafia. A high-profile trial in Rome revealed a grandiose corruption scheme, but the mafia was not involved in it.
According to the FBI, there are now 25,000 members in the ranks of Cosa Nostra and three other large mafia groups - Camorre, 'Ndrangheta and Sacra Corona Unite. In total, 250 thousand people are connected with them in the world.
When Cosa Nostra was led by godfather Salvatore Riina, the group was essentially at war with the Italian state.
Image copyright AFP Image caption A memorial has been erected at the site where prosecutor Falcone died at the hands of Cosa NostraIn May 1992, Riina's men blew up the car of prosecutor Giovanni Falcone near Palermo. As a result, the prosecutor himself, his wife and three bodyguards died.
- "The Beast" from Corleone Toto Riina dies in prison
- How businessmen in Sicily fight the rural mafia
Two months later, the new prosecutor, Paolo Borsellino, was also assassinated. His car was blown up in Palermo.
Riina died in prison in November 2017 at the age of 87. He was serving a life sentence.
Image copyright AFP Image caption This mafia-owned villa near the town of Corleone in Palermo has been confiscated and turned into a hotel.Cosa Nostra has also reached out to some EU economic projects in Sicily through local contractors. In 2010, a BBC investigation revealed that, among other business projects, the mafia structure received funds from wind farms.
The Sicilian society is not going to give up. The anti-mafia group Libera Terra is engaged in business projects, including the hotel business, with funds seized from the mafia.
Federico Varese, who specializes in mafia studies at the University of Oxford, said that now Cosa Nostra is engaged in sheltering accommodation for migrants, which are funded by the state.
But some migrant gangs are trying to compete with the mafia in areas like prostitution, Varese told the BBC. He added that the Italian police in Sicily are putting "tremendous pressure" on the mafia.
"Camorra" - Neapolitan mafia
The Camorra clans in Naples and Caserta have approximately 4,500 members.
Their main area of activity is drugs. The members of the gang are extremely cruel. They also extort money from construction firms, toxic waste disposal companies, and clothing manufacturers. These are, among other things, workshops, in which the Chinese mainly work, who are engaged in counterfeiting popular clothing brands.
Image copyright AFP Image caption These dilapidated houses in the Neapolitan district of Scampia are the famous hangout of the "Camorra"In 2006, the book "Gomorrah" was published, in which the Italian journalist Roberto Saviano documented the daily life and principles of the group's work.
Shortly after the book's release, Saviano began receiving threats. Today he lives under the protection of the authorities: there are always bodyguards near Saviano, and his place of residence is not disclosed.
In an interview with American CBS radio, Saviano said that the Camorra and 'Ndrangheta differ from Cosa Nostra in having a less strict hierarchy and younger leaders, and "much more blood" in their activities. According to Saviano, today these two groups are stronger than Cosa Nostra and less involved in politics than it is.
The Camorra's extensive network of drug dealers operates even in Spain, but the center of the syndicate has always been in the poor areas of Naples, such as Scampia and Secondigliano.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Roberto Saviano with bodyguards at the 2013 film festivalAlso, gang clashes in Ostia, one of the poor suburbs of Rome, are associated with the Camorra. A few months ago, a scandal erupted in Italy after a member of the Spada mafia clan, with the camera turned on, headbutted a TV journalist.
As Professor Varese notes, women traditionally play an important role in the structure of the Camorra clans - they usually do the work of couriers and "accountants" who give out money to clan members.
Calabrian mafia - "Ndrangheta"
Calabria - the "toe" of the Italian "boot" on the world map - is one of the poorest regions of Italy. The province is located near Sicily, and "Ndrangheta" began its existence as an offshoot of "Cosa Nostra".
The name of this group comes from the Greek "andragatia", which means "valor".
The FBI estimates that there are about 6,000 members of the 'Ndrangheta today.
Image copyright AFP Image caption Pasquale Condello, one of the 'Ndrangheta leaders, was arrested in 2008.The 'Ndrangheta specializes in cocaine smuggling. Professor Varese says the group is directly linked to Mexican and Colombian gangs. By some estimates, the 'Ndrangheta controls up to 80% of the cocaine trade in Europe.
The 'Ndrangheta also has influence in northern Italy - the group controls part of the criminal business in the vicinity of Turin. In Calabria, the 'Ndrangheta is accused of stealing much of its aid to the poor.
In 2007, in Duisburg, Germany, the 'Ndrangheta showed their cruelty. Six Italians associated with the syndicate were killed in the city. The criminals left their bodies in two cars not far from the Italian restaurant.
Apulian mafia - "Sacra Corona Unita"
The smallest of the Italian mafia clans, the Sacra Corona Unita (United Holy Crown), is based in Apulia, in southeastern Italy.
According to the FBI, the group includes about two thousand members, and its specialization is the smuggling of cigarettes, weapons, drugs and people.
The geographical position of Puglia makes the region an ideal port for smuggling from the Balkans. It is believed that the Apulian clans are closely connected with the Eastern European organized crime groups.
He was known as the Godfather of Sicily, one of the most powerful people in Italy, a brutal mafia boss who received 26 life sentences and excommunication
Below is a brief biography of this powerful Italian crime boss:
In Italy, Toto Riina was buried - the head of Cosa Nostra, the "boss of all bosses", one of the most influential mafiosi in the world. Providing the "roof" of his empire, he promoted friends to the main posts in the country and in fact brought the entire government under control. His life is an example of how vulnerable politics is to organized crime.
Salvatore (Toto) Riina died in the Parma prison hospital at the age of 87. On account of this man, who headed Cosa Nostra in the 1970s and 90s, dozens of political assassinations, ruthless reprisals against businessmen and competitors, several terrorist attacks. The total number of his victims goes to many hundreds. The world media write about him today as one of the most brutal criminals of our day.
Wife and son Salvatore Riina at his funeral
The paradox is that at the same time Toto Riina was one of the most influential politicians in Italy. Of course, he did not participate in the elections. But he ensured the election of his "friends" and financed their promotion to the highest positions, and "friends" helped him to do business and hide from the law.
Like the protagonist of Mario Puzo's novel and Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather, Toto Riina was born in the small Italian town of Corleone. When Toto was 19 years old, his father ordered him to strangle a businessman whom he took hostage, but failed to obtain a ransom. After the first murder, Riina served six years, after which he made a resounding career in the Corleone clan of the Sicilian mafia.
In the 1960s, his mentor was the then "boss of all bosses" Luciano Leggio. Then the mafia took an active part in the political struggle and the mountain stood for the far right.
In 1969, a convinced fascist, a friend of Mussolini and Prince Valerio Borghese (it is in his Roman villa that admiring tourists crowd today) started a full-fledged coup. According to its results, ultra-rightists were supposed to come to power, and all communists in parliament were supposed to be physically destroyed. One of the first people contacted by Prince Borghese was Leggio. The prince needed three thousand militants to seize power in Sicily. Legjo doubted the plan's feasibility and dragged his feet with a final answer. Soon the conspirators were arrested, Borghese fled to Spain, the putsch failed. And Leggio, until the end of his days, boasted that he did not give his brothers to the putschists and "saved democracy in Italy." 
Another thing is that mafiosi understood democracy in their own way. Possessing almost absolute power on the island, they controlled the outcome of any election. “The orientation of Cosa Nostra was to vote for the Christian Democratic Party,” one of the clan members recalled at the trial in 1995. “Cosa Nostra did not vote for either the communists or the fascists.” (quote from Letizia Paoli's Mafia Brotherhoods: Organized Crime Italian Style).
Not surprisingly, the Christian Democrats regularly won majorities in Sicily. Party members - usually natives of Palermo or the same Corleone - held posts in the government of the island. And then they paid their mafia sponsors with contracts for the construction of housing and roads. Another native of Corleone, Vito Ciancimino, an oligarch, Christian Democrat and good friend of Toto Riina, worked in the mayor's office of Palermo and argued that "since the Christian Democrats get 40% of the vote in Sicily, they are also entitled to 40% of all contracts."
However, there were also honest people among the members of the party. Once in Sicily, they tried to curb local corruption. Toto Riina invariably shot such dissidents.
The mafia economy worked well. In the 1960s, generally poor Sicily experienced a building boom. “When Riina was here, everyone in Corleone had a job,” complained a local old-timer to The Guardian journalist who visited Corleone immediately after the death of the godfather. “These people gave everyone a job.”
An even more promising business in Sicily was the drug trade. After the defeat of the Americans in Vietnam, the island became the main transport hub for the transportation of heroin to the United States. In order to seize control of this business, Riina cleared all of Sicily from competitors in the mid-1970s. In just a few years, his militants killed several hundred people from other "families".
Relying on fear, the “godfather” organized exponentially brutal reprisals. So, he ordered the 13-year-old son of one of the mafiosi to be kidnapped, strangled and dissolved in acid.
In the late 1970s, Riina was recognized as the "boss of all bosses". By this time, the political influence of the Sicilian mafia had reached its peak, and the Christian Democrats had effectively become the pocket party of Cosa Nostra. “According to the testimony of members of criminal gangs, between 40 and 75 percent of Christian Democrat MPs were mafia-paid."- Letizia Paoli writes in her investigation. That is, Riina put under control the largest political force in Italy. The Christian Democrats were in power for about forty years. Party leader Giulio Andreotti became prime minister seven times.
Stills from the 2008 Italian film Il Divo about Giulio Andreotti
The connection between the bosses of Cosa Nostra and Giulio Andreotti was carried out by one of the representatives of the party elite, Salvatore Lima. In the Sicilian mafia, he was considered "their white collar". His father himself was an authoritative mafioso in Palermo, but Lima received a good education and, with the help of his parent's "friends", made a party career. Becoming the right hand of Andreotti, at one time he worked in the cabinet, and at the time of his death in 1992 he was a member of the European Parliament.
Witnesses claimed that the Italian prime minister was well acquainted with Toto Riina and once even kissed the godfather on the cheek - as a sign of friendship and respect. Giulio Andreotti was repeatedly brought to trial for connections with the mafia and for organizing the murder of journalist Mino Pecorelli, who revealed these connections, but each time he got away with it. But the kiss story always pissed him off - especially when director Paolo Sorrentino re-told it in his movie hit Il Divo. “Yes, they invented it all,” the politician explained to The Times correspondent. - I would kiss my wife, but not Toto Riina!
With such high-ranking patrons, the “godfather” could organize high-profile murders and clean up competitors without fear of anything. On March 31, 1980, the first secretary of the Communist Party in Sicily, Pio La Torre, proposed to the Italian parliament a draft law to combat the mafia. It for the first time formulated the concept of organized crime, contained a requirement for the confiscation of property of mafia members, and provided for the possibility of prosecuting "godfathers".
However, the Christian Democrats, who controlled parliament, bombarded the draft with amendments in order to delay its adoption as much as possible. And two years later, the car of the indefatigable Pio La Torre was blocked in a narrow alley of Palermo near the entrance to the headquarters of the Communist Party. The militants, led by Toto Riina's favorite killer Pino Greco, shot the communist from machine guns.
The next day, General Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa was appointed prefect of Palermo. He was called upon to investigate Mafia activities in Sicily and the godfathers' connections with politicians in Rome. But on September 3, Chiesa was killed by the killers of Toto Riina.
These demonstrative murders shocked all of Italy. Under pressure from the indignant public, the parliament nevertheless passed the La Torre law. However, it was not easy to apply it.
The amazing thing: the "boss of all bosses" Toto Riina was wanted since 1970, but the police just shrugged. In fact, she always did. In 1977, Riina ordered the assassination of the chief of the Carabinieri of Sicily. In March 1979, on his orders, the head of the Christian Democrats in Palermo, Michele Reina, was killed (he tried to break the corrupt system of power on the island). Four months later, Boris Giuliano, the police officer who caught Riina's men with a suitcase of heroin, is killed. In September, a member of the Commission for the Investigation of Mafia Crimes was shot dead.
Subsequently, when the “godfather” was nevertheless handcuffed, it turned out that all this time he lived in his Sicilian villa. During this time, he had four children, each of whom was registered in accordance with all the rules. That is, the authorities of the island knew perfectly well where one of the country's most wanted criminals was located.
In the 1980s, Riina unleashes a campaign of large-scale terror. The corrupt government is so weak that it cannot resist the "godfather". Another series of political assassinations is followed by a large-scale terrorist attack, a train bombing that killed 17 people. But that wasn't what killed him. 
Toto Riina's empire collapsed from within. Mafioso Tommaso Buscetta, whose sons and grandsons died during the intra-clan war, decided to hand over his accomplices. His testimony was taken by magistrate Giovanni Falcone. With his active participation in 1986, a large-scale trial of members of Cosa Nostra was organized, during which 360 members of the criminal community were convicted, another 114 were acquitted.
The results could have been better, but even here Riina had her own people. Presiding over the trial was Corrado Carnevale, a native of Palermo, nicknamed "The Killer of Sentences". Carnevale dismissed every accusation he could, picking on minutiae like a missing seal. He also did everything to commute the sentences of the convicts. Thanks to his connivance, most of Riino's soldiers were soon released.
In 1992, Giovanni Falcone and his fellow magistrate Paolo Borsalino were blown up in their own cars.
A riot almost broke out in Sicily. The newly elected president, Luigi Scalfaro, was pushed out of the Palermo Cathedral by an angry mob and was about to be lynched. Scalfaro was also a member of the Christian Democratic Party, whose ties to Toto Riina had long been an open secret.
On January 15, 1993, the "godfather" was finally arrested in Palermo and has since experienced many trials. In total, he was given 26 life sentences, and at the same time was excommunicated from the church.
Simultaneously with the career of Riina, the history of the Christian Democratic Party of Italy also ended. All its leaders, including Giulio Andreotti, went to court, many went to prison.
Andreotti
Andreotti himself was sentenced to 24 years in prison, but the sentence was later overturned.
In 1993, the party suffered a crushing defeat in the elections, in 1994 it disintegrated.
Toto Riina survived his empire by 23 years, becoming the main symbol not only of the entire Italian mafia, but also of a system in which one bandit can subjugate the government of a European country to his interests.
