Mafia Chapters Flashcards

Questions and Answers

Who is Dr. Galati?

A doctor who inherited a farm from family.

What is the process of initiation?

Smearing blood on a holy picture; there is Catholic symbolism.

How do you introduce yourself as mafia?

You don't; you never do.

Who is Baron Turrisi?

A Palermo elite, landowner, MP. Signup and view all the answers

What did Baron Turrisi do?

Wrote a book in 1864 describing the sect, outlining how the mafia was involved in the citrus industry and smuggled goods. Signup and view all the answers

Which researchers traveled to Sicily to independently research the mafia?

Franchetti and Sonnino. Signup and view all the answers

Which story involved a priest?

A priest was shot dead by his cousin; a tax inspector witnessed it. Signup and view all the answers

Why is violence valuable?

Violence is a form of capital. Signup and view all the answers

What is the 'violence industry'?

Under the leadership of the bosses, mafia bands invest violence in various commercial spheres to extort protection money and guarantee monopolies. Signup and view all the answers

How did 'maffia' get its name?

Popularized by the 1860s play, 'I Mafiusi De La Vicara'. Signup and view all the answers

What happened in the play?

It took place in a Palermo prison, showing how society in the prison reflected the values/hierarchy of the mafia. Signup and view all the answers

What does the chapter show about mafia and politics?

It shows how the mafia ingrained themselves in Italian politics. Signup and view all the answers

Who are the two main political parties discussed?

Left = South/Sicilian MPs who favor higher government spending and democracy; Right = Conservative rich Northern landowners. Signup and view all the answers

How did the political situation intensify?

Members of the right accused the left of being mafiosi; Diego Tajani's speech led to the parliamentary inquiry commission, which was a failure. Signup and view all the answers

Who was Nicotera Giovanni?

The New Minister of the Interior who claimed to crack down on crime but made a bargain with mafiosi. Signup and view all the answers

What is Favara and what's in it?

A town south of Palermo that has sulfur mines. Signup and view all the answers

Who are the fratellanza?

The brotherhood that ran the sulfur mines because the government wasn't involved. Signup and view all the answers

Who is Cesare Lombroso?

A lead criminologist and regarded as the most intelligent man in Italy. Signup and view all the answers

What did Cesare Lombroso do?

Stated criminals could be identified by their physical attributes (low foreheads, long arms); mafia is socially primitive. Signup and view all the answers

Who is Giuseppe Alongi?

A policeman who labeled Sicilians as extremely egotistical. Signup and view all the answers

What did Giuseppe Alongi do?

Noticed the trickle-down of money to mafioso families and how luxuriously they used it. Signup and view all the answers

Who was Notarbartolo?

Mayor of Palermo who tried to uncover mafiosi activity within the bank. Signup and view all the answers

Who was Palizzolo?

A politician who had ties with the mafia. Signup and view all the answers

What did Palizzolo do?

Used favor to secure votes in exchange for political support, kidnapped Notarbartolo, who was later killed on a train. Signup and view all the answers

What were the outcomes of the trial related to Notarbartolo?

Palizzolo and other mafiosi were condemned; Palizzolo commits suicide before the trial was moved to Florence. Signup and view all the answers

What are the fasci and the gabelloti?

Fasci = unions of Sicilian peasants; Gabelloti = middlemen, wardens, mafia, connecting peasants to farmers. Signup and view all the answers

Where was the fasci popular?

It was popular in Corleone because there was a lot of inequality there. Signup and view all the answers

What did the Italian government do about the fasci?

Made it illegal to be a part of it; the military went to Corleone and arrested members. Signup and view all the answers

Who are the two characters in 'The Man with Hair on his Heart'?

Mussolini and Mori. Signup and view all the answers

Summary of Mussolini?

Began as Prime Minister of Italy, marched on Rome in 1922 with fascists and won power. Signup and view all the answers

Summary of Mori?

Begins career by working with army and police; tends to abuse power. Signup and view all the answers

What was the Siege of Gangi?

Forces bandits into the hills, ending with over 400 people arrested. Signup and view all the answers

What happened to the mafia under Mori/Mussolini?

'Mafia goes into hibernation'; many mafiosi were arrested and given maximum sentences without trial. Signup and view all the answers

Setting the scene (1901-1913) regarding Joe Petrosino?

800,000 Sicilians emigrated to the US; mafia arrived with mass migrations. Signup and view all the answers

Who was Joe Petrosino?

Italian/American police hero who rose through the ranks after immigration. Signup and view all the answers

What was found in the body in the barrel?

Body belonged to Madonia; 9 members of Morello's gang were arrested. Signup and view all the answers

How did the mafia operate in NYC?

Did not have the same power as in Sicily; fought other gangs. Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the Mafia boss in the 'violence industry'?

A capitalist, impresario, and manager. Signup and view all the answers

What were MP Tajani's main revelations on the existence of the Mafia in the 1875 parliamentary debate?

The right had encouraged the police to work with the mafia. Signup and view all the answers

What were the two reasons why the Sangiorgi report was a 'missed opportunity'?

Prosecution failed; government ignored the report. Signup and view all the answers

What was the role of the mafia in the 1860 Italian revolution?

Supporting the revolution. Signup and view all the answers

What were the Fasci Siciliani, and when and by whom were they suppressed?

Unions of Sicilian acting as socialist cooperatives suppressed by the government. Signup and view all the answers

What was the Black Hand and what character does he represent in The Godfather II?

Don Fanucci. Signup and view all the answers

Why did the interpretation of the Mafia as 'mirror of a traditional society' prove to be wrong according to historian Salvatore Lupo?

The mafia infiltrated modern, rich societies (U.S.) and remained when Sicily modernized. Signup and view all the answers

How did the Mafia get its name?

The popular play about a Palermo prison that reflected Mafia values, released in the 1860s. Signup and view all the answers

Why did Franchetti argue that the Italian State was 'untrustworthy'?

Because it failed to establish its monopoly on the use of violence. Signup and view all the answers

What kind of response did the Italian government give to the problem of organized crime between 1860 and 1876?

Just military response. Signup and view all the answers

What was significant about 1943?

Operation Husky; allies invaded Sicily with the help of the mafia. Signup and view all the answers

What happened during the Italian civil war from 1943 to 1945?

It led to political struggles and further upheaval in Italy. Signup and view all the answers

What happened in 1945?

End of WWII, start of separatist war. Signup and view all the answers

What did Sicily achieve in 1946?

Sicily wins autonomy. Signup and view all the answers

What significant events occurred in 1947?

Beginning of the Cold War, elections in Sicily, communists win, and Portella della Ginestra. Signup and view all the answers

What occurred in 1948?

Elections in Italy; Democratic Christians win. Signup and view all the answers

What happened in 1950?

Guiliano killed. Signup and view all the answers

Why does Sicily want to be autonomous?

Feared the spread of communism. Signup and view all the answers

Why did Guiliano's bandits kill people at Porta Della Ginestra?

It was a celebration of communism; there was a convergence of interests against it. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Dr. Galati and the Lemon Garden

Dr. Galati is a doctor who inherited a farm from his family.

Initiation

The initiation process involves smearing blood on a holy picture, symbolizing Catholic rituals.
Introductions are avoided in the mafia; members do not formally introduce themselves.

Baron Turrisi Colonna and the 'Sect'

Baron Turrisi Colonna was an elite landowner and MP from Palermo.
He authored a book in 1864 detailing the mafia's role in the citrus industry and smuggling activities.

The Violence Industry

Researchers Franchetti and Sonnino independently studied the mafia in Sicily.
A notable story recounts a priest who was murdered by a cousin, witnessed by a tax inspector who later faced accusations.
Violence is considered a valuable form of capital within the mafia.
Mafia groups, under boss leadership, invest violence in commercial ventures to extort protection money and create monopolies.

So-Called Maffia: How the Mafia Got its Name

The term "maffia" became popularized by the 1860s play "I Mafiusi De La Vicara," which depicted prison society reflecting mafia values, such as protection and hierarchy.

An Instrument of Local Government

The mafia's integration into Italian politics is examined.
The Left consisted of Southern/Sicilian MPs supporting increased government spending and democracy.
The Right included wealthy northern landowners favoring conservative policies.
Tensions escalated as Right members accused the Left of mafia associations, leading to a failed parliamentary inquiry initiated by Diego Tajani.
Nicotera Giovanni, as the New Minister of the Interior, attempted a crackdown on crime while engaging covertly with mafiosi, establishing a model of cooperation.

The Favara Brotherhood: The Mafia in Sulphur Country

Favara is a town near Palermo known for its sulphur mines.
The fratellanza was a brotherhood managing the mines, leveraging government neglect to extort business protection.
Brotherhood loyalty often superseded familial bonds, with members sometimes compelled to kill relatives to prove allegiance.

Primitives

Cesare Lombroso was a leading criminologist in Italy, claiming criminals could be identified by specific physical traits.
He argued the mafia was a socially primitive entity born from Sicily's economic deprivation.
Giuseppe Alongi, a policeman, criticized Sicilians for being egotistical and incapable of maintaining organizations with fixed rules, noting the luxurious lifestyles of mafiosos.

The Notarbartolo Murder

Notarbartolo was the Palermo mayor attempting to expose mafia activities in banking.
Palizzolo, a politician connected to the mafia, secured votes through favors, kidnapped Notarbartolo, and had him brutally murdered by being stabbed 27 times.
The ensuing trial resulted in the condemnation of Palizzolo and other mafiosi. Palizzolo committed suicide to evade further prosecution.

Socialism, Fascism, Mafia

The fasci represented Sicilian peasant unions, while gabelloti served as intermediaries connecting farmers and peasants to the mafia.
The fasci gained traction in Corleone due to significant inequality.
The Italian government outlawed the fasci and used military force to suppress its members.

The Man with Hair on his Heart

Characters include Mussolini, who rose to power by marching on Rome in 1922, and Mori, appointed as prefect of Palermo.
Mori, with a background in the army and police, waged war against the mafia during the Siege of Gangi, leading to the arrest of over 400 individuals.
Under Mussolini, the mafia faced intense suppression, with many members arrested without trials and left with few options like immigration or political bargaining.

Joe Petrosino

Joe Petrosino symbolizes the Italian-American law enforcement heroism during the early 1900s.
He sought to combat mafia influence in America, rising through the police ranks and solving significant criminal cases.
The discovery of a body in a barrel linked to Morello's gang led to witness intimidation and complex mafia maneuvers.

Test Answers

The mafia boss was characterized as a capitalist, impresario, and manager in the 1876 inquiry.
MP Tajani revealed the right's encouragement of police collaboration with the mafia.
The Sangiorgi report faltered due to inadequate prosecution and governmental disregard.
The mafia supported the 1860 Italian revolution.
The Fasci Siciliani were socialist cooperatives suppressed by the government.
The Black Hand, represented by Don Fanucci in Godfather II, highlighted organized crime's influence.
Historian Salvatore Lupo criticized the notion of the mafia as a traditional societal reflection, emphasizing its growth in more affluent societies.
The name "maffia" derives from an influential play reflecting mafia values, released in the 1860s.
Franchetti deemed the Italian State "untrustworthy" for failing to assert monopolistic control over violence.
The government's response to organized crime (1860-1876) was primarily military-based.

Key Dates

1943: Operation Husky, where allies invaded Sicily with mafia assistance.
1945: End of World War II, initiating a separatist war.
1946: Sicily gained autonomy.
1947: Cold War began, significant elections in Sicily with communist victories.
1948: Democratic Christians won Italy's national elections.
1950: Death of Guiliano.
Sicily sought autonomy due to communist expansion fears.
The attack at Porta Della Ginestra was motivated by convergence between the mafia, bandits, and anti-communist interests.

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Test your knowledge with these flashcards covering key concepts and characters from the Mafia chapters. Each card highlights essential terms and definitions related to the Mafia, focusing on initiation processes and important figures. Perfect for students looking to reinforce their understanding of this subject.