While the mafia may be known for dominating organized crime in the United States and Italy alike, this fearsome type of syndicate hasn’t always been at the forefront of the criminal underworld. In fact, it only originated on the island of Sicily in the 19th century. Given this reality, why was the mafia made and why did people feel the need for this kind of organization?
For centuries, the Italian island of Sicily was ruled and conquered by foreign forces. As a result, local Sicilians decided that they needed to band together in order to protect themselves against the foreign invaders. With this understanding in mind, groups of Sicilians formed their own clans, or families, to defend themselves and exact justice. These groups soon evolved into small private armies known as “mafie”.
Although they were primarily involved in defending locals, the mafia decided to take advantage of the chaotic situation in Sicily, extorting landowners for protection money. Thus, the mafia as we know it began to emerge.
By the time Sicily became a province of Italy in 1861, the government called on the Sicilian mafia for help. As the government attempted to establish its rule in Sicily, the rampant crime threatened to derail its progress. The Italian government decided to enlist the mafia’s help to go after dangerous criminals. In return, they looked the other way when the Sicilian mafia performed its protection shakedowns. Just like that, the modern mafia was born.