Actually it started in Sicily half a millenium ago... Sicily was constantly being bombarded by attacks from an Arabic tribe or something that finally took over the island... the Sicilian natives formed a secret society in the hills... and by the 1700's they were already beginning to go into crime...

The word "mafia" comes from an Arabic word meaning "refugee."

Italy never had a mafia, they had what was called the Camorra which was a hierarchy based organization... the Sicilians didn't a hierarchy...

The American Mafia is a combination of the Sicilian Mafia and the Italian Camorra... strong armed methods laced with business and a hierarchy.

By mob I was assuming you meant a mafia like they have on the Godfather... but technically the Japenese Yakuza has been around much, much longer than it's Sicilian counterpart.

Correct me if I'm wrong about any of this stuff.

-Lucky

There's nothin' on the top but a bucket and a mop and an illustrated book about birds.