Could there have been some Italian OC activity in the heart of Dixie? Probably a stretch but it could have been possible. Here is an article I found on Birmingham's "Little Italy" around the turn of the 20th century.

http://jovinacooksitalian.com/2013/06/07/birmingham-alabamas-little-italy/

None. Back in those days Ensley was not as big as current day (current day it's a DUMP). I seriously doubt there was any activity at all. Nothing heavy at least. They did not stay long in Birmingham at all.

There was a Family in Birmingham until around 1930. It was mostly people from Ribera.

Before Carmine Galante when to prison, it was alleged that he sent a Bonanno soldier by the surname Forello to Birmingham to corner the drug trafficking trade in that city in the mid 50's, while Galante made inroads into Canada. The Birmingham crime family operated in the mid 1880's to the late 1930's, as Faithful1 has said they were mostly from Ribera, but it was a small family, comparable to a crew size. When Birth of a Nation came out in the late 1910's, they were feeling pressure from the law that once took bribes or looked the other way, but did not do it anymore as a lot of them join the KKK as well as public officials and felt the criminals were a burden to the city, not to mention the Irish gangs that they were feuding with. Many of them fled north to New York, Cleveland, Kansas city and Chicago, or to other southern cities like Tampa and New Orleans during the 1920's. Those that stayed made themselves respectable and made a small fortune during the prohibition period. Yes, Birmingham is located in the bible belt, but even back then there were many drinkers as well those that gambled, and paid a visit to the brothels, notable the one located in Bessemer.

Why are all italians criminals? Sick of "sicily was invaded"

Italians are not criminals Extortion, back then a lot of the south were prejudice towards those that were not Angelo Christians. The group that operated out of Birmingham's little Italy were in fact criminals who happen to be Sicilian. Birmingham's little Italy was so huge, that it was hard not to notice what was happening and that put a bull's eye on their backs, why those that operated out of the city had less attention brought on to them.