Search - The Mafia DVD Set on DVD

Thorough, historical, meticulous in telling the XXth century

Pork Chop | Lisbon, Portugal | 12/18/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mafia - The History Of The Mob In America (1993) is essential for

anyone wanting to get a historical grasp of gangsterism in the

USA, without turning to a book. This series aired originally on

the HISTORY channel (digital TV), with Bill Kurtis as host.



The first DVD comprises 3 episodes, running over 45 minutes each,

with professors and book authors commenting on various historical

turning points. There's a modest amount of rare, vintage footage,

mostly assisted by Hollywood movies of the past.



The film is sympathetic to gangsters Jewish, Italian or Irish, for

the simple reason that historically, each group had an axe to

grind, whether it were Gentiles, the Italian central government on

the mainland or the British Orangemen.



It also suggests viewers accept the phenomenon, or at least, be

neutral to it, the argument being that all those gangs did was

meet a demand of the general public for entertainment, alcohol,

narcotics, showgirls, prostitution and gambling. Those are the

ends that the public demanded, and justified the means used to

achieve them (contraband, mayhem, murder, corruption, payoffs,

etc.)



Booze operations are explained, centering around the independent

but nearby island St Pierre Miquelon, with numerous swift boats

importing goods into the USA under various circumstances. The

Canadian arm of those operations is also mentioned, with a

higher quality of merchandise. The Bahamas and Cuba were

further supply hubs.



There was transportation of goods from the marshes in Delaware to Philadelphia, mainly by truck, although sustaining losses from ambushes to cargo, etc.



A long stretch of film centers around that city - the

manufacturing center of the USA, machinery, assembly lines,

products, with a long tradition of a wealthy social class and

influential Republican party- that partied as hard as it worked.

Some originally involved in boxing competitions and

the bookie business - diversified into liquor distribution, from

his pre-existing influence in saloons, political circles,

prostitution, eventually completing the vertical integration

between producer and consumer.



The bullying sustained by renowned performers, dancers, comedians

and musicians was the case in playing for specific nightclubs as

opposed to others in that, the most famous, notorious and

prestigious clubs were all mob operated and owned and fought for the best attractions.



Task forces created to deal with the problem often ended in

failure. This stemmed from the overall indifference of

the population to Prohibition, despite a few successes, such as

the arrest of dozens of high-ranking law administrators taking

money, or 138 officers fired, the destruction of barrels of booze

or raiding hideouts. Perhaps 8% of agents turned to the other

side, joining gangs for more pay.



Originally intended by Protestants to control other ethnic

groups' behavior, it failed despite increasing liquor prices by a

factor of 15.



The birth of modern-day gangsterism centered around the 60

unloading docks in Brooklyn in 1920-25, controlled originally by

Irish ethnic workers that extorted money for cargo and ships to

operate safely, without interference or destruction.



The lack of entitlements from the State by the population,

allowed those groups to earn the gratitude of the destitute and

poor from soup kitchens, vigilantism, and a helpdesk for various

injustices. Al Capone earned his chops at this time, with Yale,

later moving to Chicago.



An analysis of Sicily is made, in terms of many well known

criminals on that Island. At the same time, the Island had

its own masterminds and head honchos, deciding on rules,

justice, marriages, judges, law officers, loans, enforcing

contracts, independently of mainland Italy or the central

government's delegates, who not rarely were taken out. The poverty

of the land was an issue, with a sulfur mine one of the few local

job creators.



The New Orleans story is briefly touched upon, as well of arrivees

hired on the docks and fruit and vegetable open markets."