If the government is in bed with them as you say, why aren't the politians sent to prison when the mobsters are handed heavy sentences? It is as if you are agreeing with him while calling him a troll at the same time.
Politicians are more powerful, they make the laws, while mobsters are the expendable part of the system. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have interests in common.
Imo, the government sacrifices somebody from time to time, just to keep the appearances of “fighting crime”, but they would never try to destroy organized crime completely; its existence is convenient for them. Organized crime can also do the government’s dirty work, there are mutual interests involved.
When I say “organized crime”, I don’t mean strictly “Cosa Nostra”, but criminal organizations in general. The Cosa Nostra is just 1 of them; today it's weaker than at its "golden age", around 1930-1970s. But in the earlier period, the bosses were pretty hard to send to jail, thanks to their allies in politics and law enforcement. Look at Tommy Lucchese or Tony Accardo or Santo Trafficante etc.
However I agree that in America is different compared to Italy; in Italy the mafia is more deeply infiltrated inside the state.
