Examine how successful recent attempts have been to curb the power of the mafia c1980 to the present day.

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Examine how successful recent attempts have been to curb the power of the mafia c1980 to the present day

In this essay I will examine the Mafia and their deep rooted influence inside the State.    I will then describe the background and the nature of the mafia, its history and its aims. I will also explore some of the methods used to curtail the power of the mafia.

There are three main types of Mafia in Italy, namely, the Sicilian Mafia (Cosa Nostra), the Neapolitan Mafia (Camorra), which is centred on the city of Naples and the surrounding region of Campania, and the Calabrian Mafia (‘Ndrangheta).  For most people when they hear the word Mafia, it is the Sicilian Mafia that comes to mind.  Those who belong to the Cosa Nostra, prefer to call themselves ‘men of honour’ or ‘men of respect’ rather than Mafia.  The original Mafia finds its roots in the local land protection and thuggery but during the Fascist years they were repressed and in many areas contained, but in 1945, the Mafia developed an alliance with the United States armed forces.  This alliance worked at the time due to the mutual desire of both in eradicating communists from Italy.  It is within this environment that they began to develop again.  Over time the Mafia formed a relationship with the Christian Democrat party and were not particularly interested in reforming laws that would ultimately lose their advantages.  The Mafia served the government by ensuring votes and successful campaigns and in return concessions were made by the Christian Democrats in favour of the mafia.  It was the mafia, who had the control and legitimacy of violence and as such began the mafia state within a state.

It was the state that bestowed authority on Mafia families so that they might collect the taxes from the people. This was lucrative as 10% commission was taken by a few leading mafia families; this money was invested in part in legal enterprises, or sent to Swiss and Latin America banks.  This began to provide a substantial income for the Mafia.  Other arrangements were made such as the development of business contracts, the control of water supplies for agriculture and the lack of state action, tantamount to turning the blind eye being given when the mafia developed protection rackets.  The state allowed the Mafia to grow in power until the hold of the mafia was so strong the state could no longer control it.  The economic problems of the 1970’s showed that the political elite could not fulfil the commitments of law and order, which the mafia had been allowed to control by the use of protection rackets and intimidation. There solution to the problem was to throw money at the South, which bred violence and it was at this time that the mafia gained real economic power and ‘became its own master.’ From them they received contracts and invested in real estate and controlled the water supply and the government turned a blind eye to their protection rackets.

Even though it was prior to 1980, The Antimafia Commission of 1963– 76 was setup to “examine the Origins and characteristics of the Mafia phenomenon in Sicily, to propose Measures to repress it and to eliminate the causes.” The preliminary findings were to become the basic framework of the next 30 years legislation:

  • the criminal law should be modified to incorporate provisions against the Mafia;
  • all institutional agencies should be coordinated to combat the Mafia;
  • all the vacant posts in the Sicilian judiciary should be filled;
  • the selection of public officials in Sicily for regional and national responsibilities should be made with particular care;
  • the collaboration of all three police forces, namely the State Police, Carabinieri and Finance Police, should be ensured;
  • Controls over public works contracts and wholesale markets should be improved.

1n 1994, the Parliamentary Antimafia Commission linked poor education to crime and therefore a possible connection to the Mafia. This trend was found to be increasingly relevant in southern Italy where the misuse of educational funding resulted in a greater majority of children failing to achieve a basic educational diploma. Their research also indicated that the majority of juveniles committing crimes in this area were those with a poor education, and those whose backgrounds that of a lower socio-economic background. Though antimafia programmes were available to schools in the previous decade their implementation on a wider scale did not begin until 1992. It was the aim of antimafia organisations to develop in the nation’s youth a sense of national pride, respect for others and a respect for law and authority, qualities which were contrary to the principles held in the mafia. Instilling knowledge of the origins, goals and methods of the mafia was also important in educators’ efforts to promote an ability among their students to think for themselves.  Projects were initiated to assist in these goals such as the ‘schools adopt a monument’ project which enabled students to care for and learn about their heritage. Businesses also played an important role to remove youth from a mafia mentality by working with educational establishments to provide training opportunities and work prospects in the industrious north giving students an incentive to achieve their school qualifications.

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These measures had an undeniable effect. Antimafia groups recognised that the law could combat the mafia but only a change in the mind set of society could conquer and destroy the mafia.   For Italian antimafia associations, both of the judiciary and civic authorities, one of the highest priorities is to prevent the children from becoming influenced by a Mafia criminal mentality.  Many ideas are deep rooted.  In some areas of Sicily children and adults have family or friends, who are involved with the Mafia, which make it harder for them to make the break. In 1983, some teachers and ...

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Examine how successful recent attempts have been to curb the power of the mafia c1980 to the present day.
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