Mafia is the term used for the non-hierarchical organization of hardened criminals with Italian or Sicilian origin.  The Mafia is actually an all-male society that started in Sicily when the government failed to provide protection to its constituents at the end of feudalism in the 19^th century. Most of the members came from mafia or private armies hired by wealthy landlords to protect their plantations. These private armies were so successful in providing protection against theft and other heavy crimes that overtime they resorted to making the crimes themselves or forcing other landlords to buy protection from them. Mafia eventually rose to power through extortion and bootlegging. Members of the Mafia families though have legitimate businesses as fronts for their more illegal activities.

By early 1900s, Mafia families are controlling the economy of Western Sicily. It was in the 1920s when Benito Mussolini jailed most of the members of the “family”. They were released after the Second World War and resumed their criminal activities. Rivalry between clans become very heated indeed and it was in the 1970s when their fierce rivalry came to a stand still in their desire to control the heroin trade.

In the 1980’s government officials renewed their efforts in imprisoning members of the family. There were about 3000 members of the Mafia distributed to about 100 families in Sicily. Sicilian immigrants fled to the United States and started similar operations which expanded from bootlegging in the 1920s to prostitution, narcotics and gambling to present years. There are about 24 Mafia families operating throughout the US with five of these families operating solely in New York and dividing their jurisdiction basing on sectors of the economy. Dons of large families have created a commission with judicial function capable of overriding a don’s authority. Mafia’s power was significantly reduced at the start of the 21^st century due to convictions of their leaders, defections and warring families.