American Mafia

Ciaccio looked over his files, researching his new clients. What he found did not impress him. Hostia Bontade was a young man who was, apparently very active in the black market. Well, at least he had quite a bit of money, as he was an heir to a powerful sicilian familia, and a lack of wits of accompany them, shown by the very obvious tracks he left behind his lawless undertakings. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “You can cheat him out of his wits,”…

Italian crowdfunds UK Mafia research Disgruntled doctoral student Marco Trifuoggi is giving up on Italian academia and has decided to crowdfund a Sociology PHD in the UK - he just needs €31278 Trifuoggi left a fully funded PHD programme in Trento because his academic supervisors – a husband and wife couple – wouldn't let him carry out research on the Mafia in his hometown of Naples. “British Academia is more sensitive to power relation issues between students and staff when it comes to…

ya horses Vito, I’m goin I’m goin.” “Next time I see ya give money away like that, I’m gon be pissed!” “Please, relax will ya.” “Get the hell outta here.” Henry Tomasino and Vito Scaletta, two childhood friends, are middle aged men in the Italian Mafia. Besides drinking and killing, these two friends gamble on everything. It started in 1933 when Henry and Vito’s friend, Carlo Falcone, got them into gambling at the age of 19. Two men began brawling at bar and Carlo had them bet money on who…

Clipping makes the party music for the "club you wish you hadn 't gone to, the car you don’t remember getting in, and the streets you don’t feel safe on." Clipping first bled into the modern rap scene with a twisted combo of radical lyrics and minimalistic production. The trio maintains a fearless approach to hip hop, taking a classic West Coast sound, flipping it, and then distorting it into a warped vision of "twenty different rappers looking into one broken mirror". They stunned audiences…

Italian-American Culture When most people hear the term Italian-American, they begin to think of the Godfather, Rocky, the mafia, or even Fonzie from Happy Days. But, Italian-America is much more than the characters portrayed in films. Italian-American culture is a culture that has evolved through history despite discrimination and hardships. While they faced prejudice at first, they are now seen as a monumental contributor to the immensely diverse culture of the United States of America known…

Negative stereotypes of Italian Americans have gone through several changes. None the less, the more prominent stereotypes have found their way into modern day society. Similarly to other immigrant groups, Italians were seen as an inferior race and they were often compared to black Americans since they were accustomed to the same work skills. There were many stereotypes that applied to the Italian American, this group of people was often categorized as dangerous, inferior, disloyal, etc. Even…

hopes of a new life with them, they also brought age old traditions and formalities. Unfortunately organized crime was included in these traditions. In Italy there is officially five recognized mafia-like gang systems including: Stidda, Sacra Corona Unita, 'Ndràngheta, Camorra, and the well known Sicilian Mafia or Cosa…

How cinema created the Italian American mobster stereotype Migrating to the United States because of economic opportunities, Italians faced many discriminations and stereotypes about their culture. Stereotyping is having a generalized idea of a certain group of people. The American cinema portrayed Italians as mobsters, pasta loving people, or thugs. We choose to accept and believe these stereotypes. Although Italians have made their way in America, they are still affiliated with many cultural…

The Cosa Nostra formulated the Sicilian Mafia Commission or “La Cupula” to resolve intermafia issues. In 1962, La Cupula was formed between all of the Cosa Nostra bosses. La Cupula was instrumental in ending the first Mafia War. Keeping the peace between the Mafia bosses was a tough task, but it was necessary in order to complete political actions. As long as the mafiosos could cooperate and not give up other mafiosos positions, the entire operation would benefit. This was all that was…

Gordon Parks Shaft (1971) started a phenomenon known in the film industry as blaxploitation. Parks created this with his extensive knowledge of the African American community, he had worked for Life magazine as the first African American to join the company, he cofounded Essence magazine and was even the godfather of Malcom X’s daughter. However, Melvin Van Peebles released the film Sweet Sweetback’s Badaaaaass Song (1971) shortly before Shaft. A film that also helped to create the…