Basics
The American (Italian) Mafia, aka La Costra Nostra, was founded in the United States on August 24, 1868. A common rivalry was the Italian and Irish mobs, they have a conflict that goes back centuries. The mafia was divided and run by the five families in New York, associated with the five boroughs. The five families include the Gambino, Genovese, Lucchese, Coloumbo, and Boanno crime families.
Italian-American
Irish
Sicilian
The Mob is organized by a hierarchy that is as follows:
The Mafia has been portrayed in numerous movies, television series, books, and video games which can convey a false reality making the life seem "cool" or admirable. The truth is more gruesome than most people have the stomach for, and the organization is responsible for thousands of deaths, many of which have never and will never be solved. Although the lifestyle seems glamourous or fast-paced, many of these seemingly tough mafiosos flipped to become informants out of fear for their own outcomes. Delve into a small glimpse of the dreamy terror known as the mafia through the eyes of an apparent outsider with inside knowledge.