
THE SICILIAN MAFIA A Sicilian way of life By Gareth Hatton For many years now the Mafia in Sicily have been an intricate part of life in Sicily, if your not with them you know them, and if you know them, you know who they are and what they can do, and most of all people realise just how volatile they have been in the past and that they are never afraid to express their violent ways when the matter permits it. For the native Sicilian’s the Mafia has been accepted as just part of life on this Mediterranean Island. But for too long now the Mafia’s grip on this Island has gotten too strong, and doubts are now beginning to resurface as to the possibilities of the Mafia never going away. Doubts that are quickly becoming a reality once more. Going back to the early 19th century the Mafia was so strong that the police had to ask permission to go into certain areas of Palermo, and of course Palermo being the epicentre and breeding ground of most of the Islands notorious mob bosses. Even back then it was accepted, the power of the Mafia was there for all to see, but as the years rolled by the biggest threat to themselves ironically became themselves, as the drug war in the early 1980’s threatened to tear the Sicilian Mafia into pieces. The closest the Mafia came to being defeated was during the Second World War, when fascist dictator Mussolini sent in what became known as the iron prefect, Cesare Mori. Mori rounded up scores and scores of Mafiosi, but many he arrested didn’t belong to the Mafia, and many more fled the Island to America and Brazil, but Mori was successful at reducing the effectiveness of the Sicilian Mafia at that time, and Mori was delighted with his efforts and regarded himself as the saviour of Sicily, however his finest hour would be short lived. When the Allied invasion of Sicily began in 1943, the Mafia were on hand to help out the allied troops, in return for giving the Allied invasion force every help they could possibly need they promised to liberate the Island and give at back to the Sicilians or in truth, the Mafia. The combination of the Mafia and the Allied forces were too much for the German forces, the Allied force made good on their promise and gave the Island back to the Mafia by installing many of the old mafia bosses as Town mayors and into other beneficial arrangements of power, which of course suited the Mafia, because as soon as the Allied forces began to invade the Italian mainland, the Mafia were once again in the position to rule the Island as they deemed fit. However this was a close shave for the Mafia, but the Mafia with all its resolve and resilience had the power and cunning to overcome such hardships. From here the Mafia would control just about every aspect of the Sicilian economy, from farming to construction projects but more importantly they were able to manipulate the course of justice as they had so many judges and politicians on their payroll, this arrangement over the years would more than secure the Mafia’s power centre, and let them rule supreme over all the major issues regarding the islands welfare. However, all the while the Mafia was continuing to ensure political power, others were beginning to find ways to make big fortunes very fast. The Mafia has been involved within the drug trade for many years, even going back to the end of the WWII they were there in some form or another. But during the 1970’s the face of the Sicilian Mafia would change forever, as a young ambitious Mafiosi would want to control the fast developing but highly lucrative drug trade for himself. Toto Riina was brought into the Corleone Mafia by his mentor Luciano Leggio, Leggio was a notorious boss himself he murdered his way to the pinnacle of his Mafia family, but he was put away during the mid 70’s and it was at this time Riina, now boss of the Corleonesi, began to secure the drugs trade for himself. In the early 1980’s it was a blood bath, it was the worst spate of Mafia violence in the history of Sicily as over 1000 men were slaughtered in just over 18 months. This would bring the justice department into full swing, and 2 resourceful judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borselino, would work tirelessly to bring about the end of the Mafia. In 1984 the 2 judges would become very lucky as one time Mafiosi Tomasso Buscetta would defect following his arrest in Brazil. Buscetta was outraged at the violence of Riina, and also vengeful as his 2 sons were murdered in order to keep Buscetta from telling the magistrature the secrets of the Mafia. But this backfired and Buscetta would be the main witness in the 1984 Maxi trials that saw nearly 400 mafiosi put behind bars, however Riina by this time was an outlaw, and avoided incarceration in the Maxi trials. In 1992 judges Falcone and Borselino were both brutally murdered on the orders of Riina, this would bring about another purge from the authorities, and this time the horror of the murders of Falcone and Borselino would unite the Island against the Mafia, as thousands of native Sicilians would walk the streets, denouncing the Mafia for the first time ever. Riina was arrested in 1993, after being on the run for nearly 10 years, however people believed that Riina had never left Palermo, once again showing the true power of the Sicilian Mafia. So what of the Mafia these days? As the grand old tale of good versus evil rages on, but these days the Mafia had no choice but to regroup, many of the old Mafiosi were put away in the scourge after the death of Falcone. But unfortunately the authorities are still fighting a what seems to be endless battle against the Mafia, it used to be the battle against drugs, but these days the Sicilian authorities are fighting a battle against a new type of Mafia, as men of honour are now respectable business men, it is getting difficult to tell the good guys from the bad as swarms of men of honor are now extremely computer literate and highly skilled in cyber crime, and this seems to be the way forward for the Mafia of the new millennia, after years of recuperation the Mafia has once again changed its skin, this time into an all new stealth like crime syndicate,…….. watch this space. HOME WEBMASTER DISCLAIMER

THE SICILIAN MAFIA
A Sicilian way of life

By Gareth Hatton

For many years now the Mafia in Sicily have been an intricate part of life in Sicily, if your not with them you know them, and if you know them, you know who they are and what they can do, and most of all people realise just how volatile they have been in the past and that they are never afraid to express their violent ways when the matter permits it.

For the native Sicilian’s the Mafia has been accepted as just part of life on this Mediterranean Island. But for too long now the Mafia’s grip on this Island has gotten too strong, and doubts are now beginning to resurface as to the possibilities of the Mafia never going away. Doubts that are quickly becoming a reality once more.

Going back to the early 19th century the Mafia was so strong that the police had to ask permission to go into certain areas of Palermo, and of course Palermo being the epicentre and breeding ground of most of the Islands notorious mob bosses. Even back then it was accepted, the power of the Mafia was there for all to see, but as the years rolled by the biggest threat to themselves ironically became themselves, as the drug war in the early 1980’s threatened to tear the Sicilian Mafia into pieces.

The closest the Mafia came to being defeated was during the Second World War, when fascist dictator Mussolini sent in what became known as the iron prefect, Cesare Mori. Mori rounded up scores and scores of Mafiosi, but many he arrested didn’t belong to the Mafia, and many more fled the Island to America and Brazil, but Mori was successful at reducing the effectiveness of the Sicilian Mafia at that time, and Mori was delighted with his efforts and regarded himself as the saviour of Sicily, however his finest hour would be short lived.

When the Allied invasion of Sicily began in 1943, the Mafia were on hand to help out the allied troops, in return for giving the Allied invasion force every help they could possibly need they promised to liberate the Island and give at back to the Sicilians or in truth, the Mafia. The combination of the Mafia and the Allied forces were too much for the German forces, the Allied force made good on their promise and gave the Island back to the Mafia by installing many of the old mafia bosses as Town mayors and into other beneficial arrangements of power, which of course suited the Mafia, because as soon as the Allied forces began to invade the Italian mainland, the Mafia were once again in the position to rule the Island as they deemed fit. However this was a close shave for the Mafia, but the Mafia with all its resolve and resilience had the power and cunning to overcome such hardships.

From here the Mafia would control just about every aspect of the Sicilian economy, from farming to construction projects but more importantly they were able to manipulate the course of justice as they had so many judges and politicians on their payroll, this arrangement over the years would more than secure the Mafia’s power centre, and let them rule supreme over all the major issues regarding the islands welfare.

However, all the while the Mafia was continuing to ensure political power, others were beginning to find ways to make big fortunes very fast. The Mafia has been involved within the drug trade for many years, even going back to the end of the WWII they were there in some form or another. But during the 1970’s the face of the Sicilian Mafia would change forever, as a young ambitious Mafiosi would want to control the fast developing but highly lucrative drug trade for himself.

Toto Riina was brought into the Corleone Mafia by his mentor Luciano Leggio, Leggio was a notorious boss himself he murdered his way to the pinnacle of his Mafia family, but he was put away during the mid 70’s and it was at this time Riina, now boss of the Corleonesi, began to secure the drugs trade for himself. In the early 1980’s it was a blood bath, it was the worst spate of Mafia violence in the history of Sicily as over 1000 men were slaughtered in just over 18 months. This would bring the justice department into full swing, and 2 resourceful judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borselino, would work tirelessly to bring about the end of the Mafia.

In 1984 the 2 judges would become very lucky as one time Mafiosi Tomasso Buscetta would defect following his arrest in Brazil. Buscetta was outraged at the violence of Riina, and also vengeful as his 2 sons were murdered in order to keep Buscetta from telling the magistrature the secrets of the Mafia. But this backfired and Buscetta would be the main witness in the 1984 Maxi trials that saw nearly 400 mafiosi put behind bars, however Riina by this time was an outlaw, and avoided incarceration in the Maxi trials.

In 1992 judges Falcone and Borselino were both brutally murdered on the orders of Riina, this would bring about another purge from the authorities, and this time the horror of the murders of Falcone and Borselino would unite the Island against the Mafia, as thousands of native Sicilians would walk the streets, denouncing the Mafia for the first time ever.

Riina was arrested in 1993, after being on the run for nearly 10 years, however people believed that Riina had never left Palermo, once again showing the true power of the Sicilian Mafia.

So what of the Mafia these days? As the grand old tale of good versus evil rages on, but these days the Mafia had no choice but to regroup, many of the old Mafiosi were put away in the scourge after the death of Falcone. But unfortunately the authorities are still fighting a what seems to be endless battle against the Mafia, it used to be the battle against drugs, but these days the Sicilian authorities are fighting a battle against a new type of Mafia, as men of honour are now respectable business men, it is getting difficult to tell the good guys from the bad as swarms of men of honor are now extremely computer literate and highly skilled in cyber crime, and this seems to be the way forward for the Mafia of the new millennia, after years of recuperation the Mafia has once again changed its skin, this time into an all new stealth like crime syndicate,…….. watch this space.

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