The Effects of Narcotics on La Cosa Nostra

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the Italian mafia otherwise known as La Cosa Nostra, its structure and operations and analyzes how the narcotics business led the Mafia to a lower prestige and began its downward spiral. Tony Accardo, the Godfather of the Chicago crime family foresaw the problems and issued an edict outlawing narcotics. This led to a rift between the different factions that did not agree with his policy which eventually led to greed, rivalry and a rise in the level of crime. The Mafia went from being a much revered organization who helped people get things prohibited by the government to a group who preyed upon weak-minded, drug addicted people.

From the Paper:

"Another crime that was outlawed by La Cosa Nostra was the killing of a federal agent. Agents were rarely killed in the pre-drug era, however drugged up soldiers would kill federal agents, which would make the FBI follow La Cosa Nostra and put heat on them until some one was arrested for the murder (O?Brien 21). Soldiers who were stoned would notice a federal agent following them, and would just turn around and kill them. Then the FBI would not take the pressure off of the Mafia until Mafioso were behind bars. Again, agents were almost never killed before drugs because the soldiers knew better than to kill one, and would just tolerate the tailing agent."

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