Resource Analysis 4

Men of Dishonor by Pino Arlacchi

This is the story of Antonino Calderone, recorded by Pino Arlacchi in Men of Dishonor. He is the younger brother of the late mafia boss Giuseppe “Pippo” Calderone. Antonino is a defector from the Sicilian Cosa Nostra who offers details about the organization of the mafia and dishes all the dirt. Additionally, Calderone warns that the mafia is dangerous to the public, but then closes with a warning to his “family” that the public will have no mercy on them.

It is rare for mafiosi to open up as Calderone did for this book. It is because of the novelty and rarity of the whole thing that draws an audience of readers. There aren’t designated sections to the tale, it is a chronological account of Calderone’s life in the mafia. Although readers often immediately feel the narrator to be a source of truth, we have to take everything Calderone says with a grain of salt. He obviously protected his nuclear family and his close friends, not mentioning their involvement in crimes or declaring their innocence. On the other hand, he also laid out every criminal activity ever committed by his enemies, probably in hopes of having them arrested. No opposing opinions to Calderone’s are offered, so there are no counterpoints or other sources to confirm much of what he says to be true. In general, the big picture seems to have passed a fact checker, but whether or not the details are true is unclear. Antonino Calderone wanted his story to be known, and it is considered one of the most important dialogues about the mafia from a defector. Additionally, it is an overall encapsulating read, full of action and surprises and backstabbing. This book further asserts the danger posed by the mafia.

Resource Analysis 3

Lecture Notes: History of the Mafia by Lorenzo Picchi

Professor Lorenzo Picchi, in his lecture “History of the Mafia,” claims that the Italian Mafia has always been a political entity, even before it was called the mafia, and is now a very powerful political force that has seemingly slipped off the radar of the world. By this, he means, that the mafia has strategically forced many of those in power into an unspoken pact of silence in regard to the mafia. Picchi proves this by referencing a number of newspaper articles printed between the years 2001 and 2008 (aka during Berlusconi’s reign). With the information provided by his lecture, it is easy to believe his thesis, as he does not offer any counter points, but based on his findings, it certainly does seem as though the Italian government has been bending over backward and passing new laws that could potentially aid the Sicilian mafia. For example, the March 21^st, 2001 verdict of the Palermo court decided that making business with La Cosa Nostra is not, in and of itself, a crime. This opens up a whole new market for businessmen who were wary of working with the Cosa Nostra before for fear of being arrested simply for association. Also in 2001, the Rogatorie Law (passed in September 2001) modifies the penal code and makes it difficult for proof to be offered in court in a State trial. This reform is favorable for all criminal organizations operating in Italy. Additionally, in September of 2001, the magistrates of Italy were no longer granted guarded escorts because they were designated as a “status symbol,” and then in March of 2002 two magistrates were assassinated by the mafia, after which the escorts were reinstated. These reforms aided the mafia with their agenda both in making it easier for them to stay out of jail, get to their targets, or simply making their actions legal. Seems quite the coincidence, therefore, it must be planned.

                Unfortunately, I am not positive if Picchi is a reliable source or not. So, even though his findings are interesting and potentially enlightening, they may not be accurate. However, the idea that the Sicilian Mafia, or any mafia for that matter, has infiltrated, threatened, or, at the very least, influenced the political aspects of their country is not new. So there may be truth in Picchi’s statements.

Resource Analysis 2

Italian Organized Crime: Overview by the FBI

On their website, the FBI gives an overview of how the Sicilian mafia infiltrated the United States and established its own separate faction, La Cosa Nostra. Although the article is more of a history lesson, it is obvious that the FBI is attempting to calm any worried readers that they are carefully monitoring the organized crime scene in the United States. Despite their attempts, they manage to paint a picture of La Cosa Nostra in blood. The tangled chain of succession, wrought with murder and backstabbing, is carefully laid out, as is the condensed list of all the criminal activities La Cosa Nostra has been linked to. The FBI’s thesis is simple, “Since their appearance in the 1880s, the Italian criminal societies known as the Mafia have infiltrated the social and economic fabric of Italy and now impact the world. They are some of the most notorious and widespread of all criminal societies” (1). This is fairly self-explanatory warning as well as a statement of fact. As for the information being correct or not, all the information seems to correspond to my own research and I believe it to all be accurate. If it were not accurate, it would not be a very good testament to the FBI, nor to the United States federal government. Back to the point, I agree with their thesis, La Cosa Nostra are dangerous and do, in fact, threaten both social and economic aspects of American life, and, based upon the number of arrests in the 1990s, the FBI is on top of the situation.

Resource Analysis 1

The Decline of the Italian Mafia by Letizia Paoli

In her chapter “The Decline of the Italian Mafia,” Letizia Paoli focuses on the measures taken by law enforcement to weaken the Italian mafia families and on the reactions of the mafiosi to these antimafia actions. She argues that direct antimafia policies, such as those that allow raids on chief meetings and the seizure of illegal assets, are more effective than indirect policies that skirt around the problem and slowly chip away at mafia members. Her conclusion makes sense as attacking the issue directly will yield better results in a more efficient manner than trying to corner the mafia. Paoli uses data gathered from police reports and translations of pizzini, which are notes handwritten by those in the high ranks of the mafia to other high ranking members, both of which are reliable sources. However, just because there has been much change within the ranks of the Cosa Nostra, it does not mean that they are in a rut they cannot get out of, especially since much of the change involves returning to their traditional roots. Paoli, in her conclusion, remarks that there is the possibility of the Cosa Nostra “bouncing back” as they did in the 1920s and again in the 1960s. Yet Paoli does not blame the mafia itself for these reemergences, instead blaming chronic underdevelopment, inefficient public government, an army of unemployed youngsters looking for work, and easily bought civil servants and state representatives. According to Paoli, because of the Cosa Nostra’s position in an economically struggling Southern Italy, a victory against them cannot yet be claimed by the government though it seems the once most powerful mafia family is in shambles. The mafia can quickly reorganize itself so I do not buy into the blame game that Paoli has set up. Additionally, Paoli talks little of actual policies that caused the decline in the mafia, she focused only on the results of supposed policies.

Though informative, Paoli’s text could be improved upon if she were to directly site and analyze specific policies implemented that are directly and indirectly antimafia. She talked about specific actions against the mafia and the reactions of the families to said actions, but her thesis talked about policies which were not expanded upon. Additionally, some counter arguments would be helpful in analyzing the information given by Paoli. Even with these deficiencies though, this chapter was helpful in giving an overview of the problems that the Cosa Nostra is faced with currently.