The Changing Role Of The Mafia In Italy

Imagine a world where law has no power, where the Mafia does what they want, when they want. Go back to the mid 1900’s Italy and put yourself as a civilian filled with fear and terrorized by the Mafia. Where you can not go anywhere without turning your head every minute, wondering if you will be attacked, robbed or just caught up in some crazy shootout. The mafia changed the world by creating organized crime.

In 1861, Sicily became a province of recently unified Italy. However, chaos and crime reigned across the island as the emerging Italian government tried to ascertain itself. In the 1870s, Roman officials even asked Sicilian Mafia clans to assist them by going when dangerous, independent criminal bands; in exchange, officials would look the alternative method because the Mafia continued its protection shakedowns of landowners. The government believed this arrangement would be temporary, lasting just long enough for Rome to gain control; instead, the Mafia clans expanded their criminal activities and more entrenched themselves in Sicilian politics and the economy. The Mafia became adept at political corruption and intimidated people to vote for sure candidates, who were in flip obligated to the Mafia. Even the Catholic Church was committed Mafia clans during this era, according to Raab, who notes that the church relied on Mafiosi to monitor its large property holdings in Sicily and keep tenant farmers in line.