Where can we experience/see mafia today? I've read something about that there is to commissions in the US and perhaps one in Sicily. Is some parts of the mob (in both Sicily and the US) organized in the old fashion way?


(Sorry if this was a somewhat stupid question, I don't know anything about mafia except for what I've learn watching and reading The Godfather.)

The Mafia is overall....we have the Russian Mafia, the Yakuza (Japanese Mafia), Chinese Triads (Chinese Mafia)...well in that case you can say there is enough Mafia alive. A month ago there was a Mafia war in Napels between 2 families of the Camorra (Mafia from Napels).

The organization is still in tact. Maybe the organisation is expanded with businessman because they are needed. But the ranks are still there.

I think the Commission and Cupola (The 'commission' of Sicily) is still there. But this can't be proven I think.

If you want anything else to know just post. This board is kind enough to help.

Thank you, M.M Floors!

Maybe I'm blinded by seing The Godfather, but what kind of business techniques do they use? For example in America? I would believe it's harder killing a guy here and killing a guy there in the year 2005 than in 1945? Or am I just naive, as Michael Corleone would have said it? (to Kay Adams in GF)

Hey Al.Neri!
Well I can't answer for America, but in Naples it's ole-fashioned shootouts in the streets still. They have a residential street in La Scampia (the rundown cement towerblock quarter on the outskirts of the city) nicknamed the Murder Mile where people can't go out at night because of machine gun attacks. There are more precise, targeted killings also but Naples is a very noisy, chaotic city and a lot of the violence takes place on the streets. I was there recently and the week before, civilians had been shot at whilst playing football outside a bar, a 25 year old man died. They were just caught in the crossfire of the war M.M.Floors was talking about. I think it was in 2002 (please correct me if I'm wrong, just typing from memory!) that one of the Camorra's matriarchs, La Padrina, was convicted after a war spiralled out of control and there were something like 68 killings in one year. (I got this information from a newspaper article but I can't find it right now to make sure) So as you can see, in some parts of the world the Mafia as it is portrayed to us is alive and kicking. Or should that be shooting?

The business is not very different. Drugs/Legal Businesses/Weapons (Nuclear) are the newest I think. A lot of the money the different organizations earned are now in legal business. So the Mafia is making more money without doing anything illegal. Ofcourse when this doesn't work anymore the fall back on the older ways to make money. And a killing that's useful for the money is still normal. It doesn't matter what year or place it is. When they want you dead 99% percent you get killed. A famous line: "When a bullet has your name on it, it will hit it's target. Now or tomorrow..."

Thanks for the answer, Joolsie!

What is the government doing to prevent these things taking place? ..and what are people in Sicily's view on mafia shootouts in the streets and the mafia in general?

Government in the US made a big step with the RICO-act. Can't explain it in detail but it has something to do with organized crime. When somebody is linked with an organization he is doing something illegal and can be arrested/prosecuted just for that. But someone around this board can explain it better.

In Sicily it's a whole different thing. Government is doing shit there. They had a few efforts some years ago but the results where very low. The Maxi-proces was one of the biggest. But when the Mafia blew up 2 of the front man of this process (Falcone/Borsellino) the process failed. In Sicily they don't do anything to stop it.

And ofcourse the people in Sicily don't like the shootings. Nobody does it. But it has been too long a normal view. So nobody looks up when it happens. And even when they do see it....then the still say to police they didn't see/hear anything. That's how it goes.

Further questions are welcome.

Just look around. Mafia is everywhere. It's immortable. If you need them, you'll find them. If they need you, they'll find you even faster.

Thank you for great answers.

How is the Italian mafia doing in the US? Are they still in businesses like gambling, whores and narcotics?

Does families like the Corleone with so much power still exist in the US?

The Corleone family was a fictional mafia crime created by Mario Puzo. The mafia families in United States has lost some of it's previous power over the past years.

I think that what's happened here in the U.S. is that ever since John Gotti was taken down by a turncoat underboss, no one really wants the job anymore. Yes there is no question that the Mafia still exists here in the U.S. and that they still have their hands in many many things, but I think that a hard lesson was learned with the fall of John Gotti, and those who may be left from the old school have learned that it's better to keep a low profile. For the most part the older factions, the ones from the Gotti days and before have either died or have been sent to prison themselves over the last decade. With the way that the laws are written these days, RICO,wiretaps, etc., it has become too risky to be a boss anymore. One guy flips, one wiretap is brought into evidence to corroborate that turncoat's testimony, and a boss is charged with RICO and will go away for life! Being the boss of a family is not as desirable a job as it once was.


Don Cardi

Puzo's Corleone family was fictional...but the Corleone family is (at the moment) the strongest family in Sicily. It's a real life family with former bosses like Luciano Leggio ,Toto Riina (jail) and Bernardo Provenzano (probably, I repeat: probably, the boss of bosses in Sicily).

Yes, I know the Corleones was a fictional family, but I meant as powerful as the Corleones in the novel/movies.

Were there families as powerful as the Corleones (yes, the fictional Corleones)in the 40-60s in the United States?(when the novel is taking place)