Thesis - This paper will inform the reader of what the Mafia is, famous mobsters in the Mafia, and mob moneymakers.

Conclusion - In conclusion, the Mafia is made up of "families" or gangs led by bosses who organize crime in order to make money. Three of the most famous bosses include Al Capone, Frank Costello and John Gotti. These three men were famous mobsters and famous money makers. For a while some people refused to admit that there was a Mafia in America, but this evidence proves the power and strength of the Mafia in America.

Power, money, and honor are three important values in American society. Nowhere are these three values more important, however, than to the American Mafia. The Mafia is a "structured organization with crime families, an order based on a leader or boss, an underboss or two . . ., a number of capos

In order for them to be successful they had to make money. One big moneymaker for the mob was Prohibition. During the early 1920's Congress made it illegal to make, sell, or transport intoxicating beverages. The way the Mafia made money during this period was simple. They would make,transport, and sell liquor. Amendment 18 was making it easy for the mob to make money at that time. The liquor business for the Mafia lasted until 1932 when the amendment was repealed.

First of all, in order to understand the rest of the paper, the reader must first understand some general terms associated with the Mafia. The terms Mafia and mob are often used interchangeably. The term laundering refers to a way to make money that was earned illegally look as though it was earned legitimately to the government. An example of how the mob launders money would be to buy a string of car washes, report they are washing cars, and then spend some of their illegitimate money. Another term used in reference to the Mafia is hitmobile. A hitmobile is a "mob car for assassination missions" Sifakis (154). It has a button to push that will cause guns to come down. A hitmobile makes it easy for the Mafia to kill people. Money laundering and hitmobile are some general Mafia terms.

Equally important as knowing terms is knowing a little bit about the history of the Mafia. The Mafia originated in Sicily in the 1600's. It was created to establish manliness. They unofficially ruled west Sicily in the 1800's and early 1900's. The mob appeared in America during Prohibition in the 1920's. After Prohibition the mob just stayed around. The mob used violence to gain respect, but the most successful mobsters were also shrewd businessmen.

John Gotti is sometimes even called the new Godfather. Gotti be

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Approximate Word count = 1208
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)