Kumadai Course Online Supplementby Rick LavinThe MafiaBookmarksTry this look at Mafia history.. Over the next few sessions, we're going to take a look at the Mafia, and in particular how they're treated in film. The films we're going to look at are Goodfellas and Donnie Brasco, both of which are true stories. Origins of the mafiaThe mafia originates from Sicily. In the 9th century, Sicily was invaded by Arabs. To escape from the Arabs, the local people took refuge in the surrounding hills. They formed a secret society open only to native Sicilians. That was the beginning of the mafia. StructureThe mafia was designed to give a feeling of solidarity to the native Sicilian, and its structure was based on the idea of 'family'. Each mafia chapter would have a 'don', whose word was law, and above them was the don of dons, in the Sicilian capital of Palermo. Oath of initiation: basic principles of the mafiaThe continued existence of the mafia, despite the disappearance of its original raison d'etre, owes much to its strict basic rules, which everyone must take before being allowed to join.
Development into criminal organizationWhen there were no more occupying forces to worry about, the strength of the mafia organization meant that it didn't just disappear. In a sense, it was an organization looking for a purpose, and because of its origins that purpose couldn't be a government-sanctioned one. So its new raison d'etre became crime. One of the Mafia's most-common and best-known methods was the extortion of protection money. Black Hand notes would be sent to rich people, politely requesting money in return for 'protection'. Failure to pay would invite violence, possibly murder or kidnapping. The move to the USAA drive to rid Italy of the mafia in the late 19th century, and no doubt a wish for fresh opportunities, resulted in the export of the mafia to the USA. By the 1920s, when alcohol was officially prohibited in the USA, gangsters like Al Capone and Charles Luciano controlled almost all types of crime, and made millions of dollars selling alcohol and women. The Mafia continued to spread its influence into mainstream or legitimate fields, such as labor unions and casinos. GoodfellasThis movie was made in 1990. It's a true story, based on the life of a man called Henry Hill, who became associated with the mafia as a child, and took part in numerous crimes through the years. The most famous of these is the Lufthansa heist, in which Hill and his partners made off with $5.8 million. Hill is played by Ray Liotta, and his friends are played by Robert de Niro and Joe Pesci (who got an Academy award as best supporting actor). Donnie BrascoThis movie was made in 1997. It's another true story, this time about Joe Pistone, an FBI agent who goes undercover as Donnie Brasco to join the mafia. His work is highly successful, resulting in the devastation of a large mafia network and many arrests. The Godfather showed the top of the mafia world, painting a romanticized and attractive picture. Goodfellas shows the prosperous middle levels. It's not as romantic as the Godfather but still has some attraction. Donnie Brasco, however, shows the boredom and disillusionment of many in the lower levels. Mafia work is just a job like any other, with quotas and strict supervision and often struggling to make a living. What is most fascinating about the movie is the moral dilemma faced by Joe Pistone, aka Donnie Brasco. He's an FBI agent, a husband and father, and a gangster. The other gangsters can't know about the other parts of his life. He can't tell his family about his work. The FBI can't understand fully what it's like for him to be accepted so completely into the mafia. The contradictions at the heart of his life threaten to pull him apart. This movie features fine performances from Johnny Depp as Joe Pistone, and especially Al Pacino as Lefty, the mafia man who becomes Joe's friend. |