The 1920s American Mafia

The American Mafia is an Italian-American secret organized-crime network that rose to its power through its success in the illicit liquor trade during the nineteen twenties Prohibition era. It emerged in New York's Lower East Side and eventually spread to other major metropolitan areas in the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. Its roots came from Sicilians whom immigrated to the United States. They created small ethnic gang communities which over time evolved into one big Mafia.

After the eighteenth amendment was passed, alcohol was banned throughout the nation. To supply the rich with beverages to party with, street thugs established a bootlegging business. From the enormous profit that they made, the Italians became lavishly sophisticated criminals. Mafioso bosses like Al Capone, Johnny Torrin, and Salvatore Luciano made sixty to seventy million dollars a year. They had so much money, that they were able to bribe politicians and policemen from disrupting the flow of the mafia life.

Although the Mafia is generally referred to as a whole, it was split into many rival "families" that constantly competed to better one another. However, they all commonly engaged in illegal activities like money laundering, gambling, drag trafficking, extortion, hijacking, and murder for hire. The top five were the Lucchese family, the Bonanno family, the Gambino family, the Colombo family, and the Genovese family. Although all were strong, the most powerful was the Genovese, known as the Ivy League and Rolls Royce. These clans of mobsters became the entertainment and interest of many. Soon enough, they grew into the American culture.

http://lifeinthetwenties.wikispaces.com/Mafia+in+the+1920s