History of the Sicilian Mafias

     The very first mafias originated in the Italian town of Sicily. Each "cosca" or clan operated a certain territory and racketeered the area for profit. Mafia boss Francesco Cuccia became enemies with Benito Mussolini once Mussolini declined his protection. After the reign of Mussolini, the different mafia groups began to form and vie for control of Italy. Through the use of mafias, a small minority of people could control masses through terror and crime. The mafias wreaked havoc on Italy and as they became more powerful and  attained more members, many dominant mobster families expanded into other regions. At the time, America was a rapidly developing country, and many mafioso sought to take advantage of the newly available opportunities.

-Xander Norman and Keenan Fleming