It takes little effort to realize how Sicilian mafia is being farmed down. A visit to restaurant Villa Pensabene in Palermo is enough. In year 2011, bosses from region want to determine a new management team. In past, one would have come toger in a posh restaurant, but now it is also a secluded economy whose pizza is one of worst in city.
The mafia godparents have to be satisfied with Villa Pensabene but not only with second-class dishes. They're being overheard by police. No new beginning awaits bosses, but prison.
The meeting that has been blown up is one of many setbacks that (un) Honorable society – once one of most powerful criminal syndicates in world – has to plug in se days. More and more often things go wrong with ir businesses, mafias are becoming less accepted in population. But everything had started so well for Cosa Nostra, about 150 years ago.
Chris Mattioliis a freelance journalist and lives in Berlin
The earliest description of mafia can be found in a report by Niccolò Turrisi Colonna, Baron von Buonvicino – a wealthy large landowner who took over leadership of new National Guard in Palermo in 1860. Soon reafter, he became a member of Italian Parliament and dealt with issues of internal security. He realized that in Sicily, networked groups were doing ir undoings, which were responsible for extortion, robbery and murder. The dark digit was high, strikingly few cases had been displayed.
In year 1864, Turrisi Colonna outlined situation in an official report: About twenty years ago, a "sect" was created by merger of enterprising farmers, from guards who were employed on goods around Palermo and from smugglers. He described early mafia.
This text comes from magazine contemporary History No. 1/2018. You can purchase current booklet at kiosk or here.Turrisi Colonna also described her business model. They stole cattle and slaughtered m or demanded ransom for animals. Even n, organization differentiated itself into different gangs that specialized. Also already available: Secret identifiers, traditional rites, reception ceremony and Vow of silence. The Baron also accused intimidation of witnesses: "These people can easily evade criminal justice, y enjoy lack of evidence, also because of pressure on witnesses."
The gangs initially acted as a counter-state to hated regime of Spanish bourbons. But advantages of an interweaving with emerging Italian nation state and its institutions were quickly recognized. Turrisi Colonna also cooperated with criminals: one clan member helped him to become a leader in National Guard, and on one of his estates Mafia was allowed to celebrate admission of new members.
In his standard work on history of Cosa Nostra, journalist and historian John Dickie dates first mention of term "mafia" to time immediately after completion of Turrisi Colonna's report in year 1864. However, it was not yet exactly what word meant.
The clans, however, already operated as we know it today: y invested in new, lucrative trades, in this case in booming citrus business. Lemons from Sicily were shipped to New York. Their production was not easy, plantations had to be irrigated with steam pumps, but profit justified effort. Especially for clans: y branched out fruits and sold m furr.
At same time, y tried to get into production and seize company. The case of a company that was disputed by two clans became evident. One of owner's keeper was shot, his successor also. As it appeared later, both had a mafia background: y had been funneled into company by two gangs – with aim of ruining it so that clans could get under nail.
Date Of Update: 25 February 2018, 12:03
