Organized crime dominated New York City for the late 1800s and most all of the 1900s. Italian – American Mafias and families controlled the underground world of the city. Mafias in New York are based up on race and families. Since a lot of immigrants of were from Italy a big majority of the population at the time were Italians. From 1900 to 1914 almost two million Italians immigrated to America and over a million of those were to New York. Many mafias that had started in Italy were now sending there underbosses and other members to expand control and start criminal empires of their own.
One of those men who came from Sicily, Italy was named Salvatore Maranzano and became known has the one and only official “Boss of Bosses”. Maranzano was born on July 31st 1886 and began his organized crime career in Sicily. He came to the United States in 1925 and starting living in Brooklyn. He fronted as a real estate broker but started growing a bootleg liquor company. Giuseppe Masseria was born on January 17th, 1886 in Marsala, Sicily. He later became known has “Joe the Boss” and “The man who can Dodge bullets.” Giuseppe was one the heads of the American Mafia at the time but in 1927 Don Vito Cassio Ferro from Sicily sent over men, including Salvatore Maranzano, to take control of the American Mob which started the Castellammarese War.
Many crimes committed at this time are still crimes that we see today. A lot of times the heads and member of the American Mafia were charges and convicted on just a small amount a of the crimes that they were a part of. The mafia partook in crimes a violence, financial crime, drug trafficking, and white-collar crime and corruption. Many times the mafia had to murder or assault either citizens or other members in order to save themselves. Also, some families took part in counterfeiting and tax evasion. Counterfeiting did not apply to only money but to jewelry and guns as well. A big part in the income of Mafias was drug distribution. They would often be the source of big drug trades and problems. Finally, many families were convicted on labor racketeering, which is having unfree or cheap labor. Also because of the prohibition movement going on, a big supplier for illegal alcohol was the Mafias. This went hand in hand which corruption of police or government officials that were paid by the mafia.
The Castellammarese war was the turning point in the history of the American Mafia. It was a bloody power struggle between the Salvatore Maranzano and the lesser powerful mobsters, like Giuseppe Masseria. The war lasted from 1929 till 1931 when it ended with the assignation of “the boss of all bosses” himself, Salvatore Maranzano. Tensions between the two factors rose in the mid-1920s when Marzano’s faction was often trying to take the land of the other factions and would hijack each other alcohol trucks in order to gain more profit. In 1929 the factions began to start ordering hits, and killing on the other factions heads. By the end in 1931, with the title of “Boss of all Bosses” being decided to be banished, the breakup of the traditional hierarchy and formation of the new Mafia, five family based, order started.
With a new Organized crimes system in place, the five families of power formed. They were the Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese families. This structure as not changed since 1931 and is what is portrayed in moves today. They still committed the same crimes that were done in the past. The heads of the five families were the ones that planed Salvatore Maranzano and Giuseppe Masseria.
One of those men who came from Sicily, Italy was named Salvatore Maranzano and became known has the one and only official “Boss of Bosses”. Maranzano was born on July 31st 1886 and began his organized crime career in Sicily. He came to the United States in 1925 and starting living in Brooklyn. He fronted as a real estate broker but started growing a bootleg liquor company. Giuseppe Masseria was born on January 17th, 1886 in Marsala, Sicily. He later became known has “Joe the Boss” and “The man who can Dodge bullets.” Giuseppe was one the heads of the American Mafia at the time but in 1927 Don Vito Cassio Ferro from Sicily sent over men, including Salvatore Maranzano, to take control of the American Mob which started the Castellammarese War.
Many crimes committed at this time are still crimes that we see today. A lot of times the heads and member of the American Mafia were charges and convicted on just a small amount a of the crimes that they were a part of. The mafia partook in crimes a violence, financial crime, drug trafficking, and white-collar crime and corruption. Many times the mafia had to murder or assault either citizens or other members in order to save themselves. Also, some families took part in counterfeiting and tax evasion. Counterfeiting did not apply to only money but to jewelry and guns as well. A big part in the income of Mafias was drug distribution. They would often be the source of big drug trades and problems. Finally, many families were convicted on labor racketeering, which is having unfree or cheap labor. Also because of the prohibition movement going on, a big supplier for illegal alcohol was the Mafias. This went hand in hand which corruption of police or government officials that were paid by the mafia.
The Castellammarese war was the turning point in the history of the American Mafia. It was a bloody power struggle between the Salvatore Maranzano and the lesser powerful mobsters, like Giuseppe Masseria. The war lasted from 1929 till 1931 when it ended with the assignation of “the boss of all bosses” himself, Salvatore Maranzano. Tensions between the two factors rose in the mid-1920s when Marzano’s faction was often trying to take the land of the other factions and would hijack each other alcohol trucks in order to gain more profit. In 1929 the factions began to start ordering hits, and killing on the other factions heads. By the end in 1931, with the title of “Boss of all Bosses” being decided to be banished, the breakup of the traditional hierarchy and formation of the new Mafia, five family based, order started.
With a new Organized crimes system in place, the five families of power formed. They were the Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese families. This structure as not changed since 1931 and is what is portrayed in moves today. They still committed the same crimes that were done in the past. The heads of the five families were the ones that planed Salvatore Maranzano and Giuseppe Masseria.