The Integral Role Of The Mafia In The 1920's

Since its formation in 1931, the Italian-American gangster group known as the Mafia was an undeniably prominent force in organized crime. Whether it was bootlegging, killing their enemies, or establishing illicit gambling rings and participating in other illegal activities, the majority of crime during the 1920s can be traced back to the Mafia in some way. Though many people have heard of Al Capone and seen pictures and mafia movies, many do not know the true story of the time. The Mafia played an integral role in the prohibition era and throughout the 1920s and 1930s, and the effects of their actions were far-reaching. When discussing organized crime in connection with the Mafia, it is simply imprudent to leave out the one thing that really …show more content…
Though many criminals are often viewed as barbaric or idiotic, such was not the case with the Mafia. A very concrete structure controlled every point in the “chain of command” of the Mafia. A “Boss” would be above his “Underboss”. In turn, this “Underboss” controlled multiple “Captains” who also trumped their “Soldiers” (Harris). Often multiple soldiers would run and control their own gambling, loansharking, bookmaking, drug dealing, and smuggling rackets (illicit operations). Their earnings, however, would be at the discretion of the boss, who always took his cut. Every Mafia boss and soldier took great care to clean up after their messes and never get too close to any run-up with the police. Nonetheless, the police force was well aware of the problem on their hands. Desperately trying to come up with new and inventive ways to combat the problem at hand, municipal and federal government legislation was enacted. Whenever one of these notorious gangsters was apprehended and placed on trial (as with Jimmy Hoffa) the nation was enthralled (Harris). They simply did not want to miss the next piece of juicy evidence. These crime bosses were becoming

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