The Mafia began in the ninth century. It began on an island named Sicily. At this time Sicily was not yet a part of Italy. Sicily at this time was under the control of Arab forces. The native Sicilians formed a secret society. The idea was to unite against the invaders. The name Mafia comes from the Arabic word for refuge. The original intentions were to create a sense of family based on Sicilian heritage.

Over time things changed. In the 1700s, pictures of a black hand were distributed to the rich. This was an unspoken request for money in exchange for protection. If the money was not paid, kidnappings, bombing, and murder could be expected. By the nineteenth century the Mafia became more criminally and politically based. People were forced to vote for Mafia members at gunpoint.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s Italians started coming to America. Most of them moved to New Orleans and New York. The Mafia came with them. Mafia leaders joined forces with gangsters already in America. They helped organize crime here in this country. Known Mafia members include John Torrio, Charles Luciano, Myer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel, Dutch Schultz, John Gotti, and Al Capone. A Mafia meeting in New York in 1956 was attended by 35 known criminals.

At the turn of the century the American Mafia was very different from the European Mafia. The European Mafia was founded on loyalty and heritage. This Mafia tried to protect interests of its members in exchange for loyalty. The European Mafia believed in the secret society. This Mafia was only open to those with Sicilian blood. The American Mafia was quite different. The American Mafia was mainly glorified criminals. It consisted of well known thieves and murderers. Although the original ideas were like those of the Sicilian Mafia, the American Mafia came to only want money.