Organized Crime & Its History

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Organized Crime & Its history

Organized Crime & Its history

Introduction

The term “Organized crime” is usually defined as “a continuing, profit-motivated, criminal enterprise that employs the use of fear, violence, intimidation, and public corruption to achieve organizational goals and remain immune from law enforcement (Lyman and Potter 2004)”. There are many forms of organized crime which can be noticed in United States of America. Out of all, Mafia proved to be the strongest of all as it sprang up with the highest profile and helped Congress so they can help the law enforcing agencies in order to deal with all kinds of threats. However, at this point in time, organized crime and most of its history seems to be inseparable from politics and its corruption.

Discussion

During the first half of twentieth century, the blind eye was usually turned to illegal activities by obliging the law. It was because of political pressures, personal investment and threats of retaliation. Although Prohibition is long prevailed by organized crime, it was the illicit distribution and manufacture of alcohol during restraint and this was the time which gave birth to a lot of criminals and turned them wealthy. Not only has this but it leaded to a further affluence and influence of criminals in all over America. With the passage of time, government and the public awareness of the depth of these criminals turned into political action. The year 1951 was the turning point including hearings based on organized crime in the city of “New York”. This further aids to build up a new stereotypical image of Mafia which was developed by a significant Italian gang and their personalities into an average household. Organized crime was later combated by creating some important tools by a vigorous campaign launched by F.Kennedy in the year 1960's. These tools were the basis of federal government's aim and emphasis on organized crime on an international platform.Organized crime and terrorism both go hand in hand as they both are linked to each other in one way or the other. Mafia remains an uncertain deal in United States of America on an international platform. It is because it deals as a secret society with its branches in all over Italy. The term Mafia defines a system representing an organization in the island of Sicily. This involves estates that are individually assigned and families that are grouped in a geographic manner. Other and old sources have defined that “an individual of the mafia, the Sicilian mafioso, suggests a brave man acting with hostility in response to the foreign governing body in nineteenth century Italy” (Repetto 2004).

The hierarchical and closely bonded together structure of Mafia has been given fame by various films and books such as Sopranos, Goodfelles, Godfather etc. These films may have links to other organizations such as Camoras which is near Italy. Mafia, its complications and abstractness are one of the main causes of different issues when killing gangsters under various laws. During the initial times of 20th century, immigrants from Italy ...
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