Introduction- Power, money, and honor are three important values in American society. Nowhere are these three values more important, however, than to the American Mafia. .

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

             I Breakdown of Mafia.

             A. General Mafia Terms.

             B. History of the Mafia.

             II Famous Mobsters.

             A. Al Capone.

             B. Frank Costello.

             C. John Gotti.

             III The Mob Moneymakers.

             A. Prohibition.

             B. Loan Sharking.

             C. Hijacking.

             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 or lieutenants, and then a group of soldiers" Sifakis (207). The Mafia became leaders in organized crime and that's how it made money and gained power.

             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).