NCJ Number
15539
Date Published
1973
Length
242 pages
Annotation
THE AUTHOR CONTENDS THAT THE MAFIA, PER SE, IS SIMPLY A COLLECTIVE TERM FOR NUMEROUS MORE-OR-LESS INDEPENDENT GROUPS OF MAFIOSI, IN THIS HISTORICAL LOOK AT ORGANIZED CRIME STRUCTURE IN SICILY.
Abstract
BASED ON ORIGINAL RESEARCH, PARTLY IN PALERMO'S CRIMINAL ARCHIVES, THIS BOOK STUDIES THE PHENOMENON POPULARLY KNOWN AS THE MAFIA AND DESCRIBES IT AS A DISTINCT SUBCULTURE WHOSE BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS HAVE BEEN LARGELY DETERMINED BY THE SPECIFIC POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL HISTORY OF SICILY. MAFIOSO ATTITUDES ARE ANALYZED: PRIDE IN A SOCIETY ORGANIZED ON THE BASIS OF SELF-HELP; CONTEMPT FOR THE AUTHORITY AND FOR THE REPRESENTATIVES OF AN ALIEN ITALIAN GOVERNMENT; A FUNDAMENTAL BELIEF IN INTIMIDATION AND; ULTIMATELY, IN HE USE OF PHYSICAL VIOLENCE TO ACHIEVE PERSONAL GOALS. DR. HESS STUDIES THE INTERRELATIONSHIPS OF INDIVIDUAL MAFIOSI AND OF MAFIOSI GROUPINGS, AS WELL AS THE RECIPROCAL ARRANGEMENTS MADE WITH LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO ENSURE THEIR SURVIVAL. HE ILLUSTRATES HIS FINDINGS BY DISCUSSING THE CAREERS OF A NUMBER OF WELL-KNOWN AMERICAN AND SICILIAN MAFIOSI OF THE NINETEENTH AND TWENTIETH CENTURIES. A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND INDEX OF NAMES ARE PROVIDED AS WELL AS AN APPENDIX THAT CITES SELECTED REFERENCES IN ORIGINAL ITALIAN. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)