The Origins of the Mafia

 

 

 

The origins of the term                                                                    

I mafiusi della Vicaria (1863)

A successful play (in which the term mafia appears just in the title) written by Giuseppe Rizzotto    

  set in the Palermo prison (Vicaria)

The Origins of the Mafia

Two main interpretations:

1)      800’s (Either in the first half, or in 60’s-70’s when the word came out)

2)      Modern History

The Sicilan mafia has been a continuative phenomenon that has produced through the centuries a system of power from which the mafia generated.

An island without State:

Power formally has always belonged to foreign dominators:

-          Vandals

-          Arabs

-          Normans

-          French

-          Spanish

-          Austrians

-          Spanish

The representative of the king (vicerè) had always to negotiate power with the Sicilian leading classes – landowners (or barons) - organized in the Sicilian Parliament; barons wanted to keep the land, Spain collecting taxes

Spain administrated all its territories in different ways

Already at the beginning of 1200s, at the time of Federico II, nobles, in the absence of laws, were appointing GODFATHERS to coordinate bandits and form their private polices; bandits had the impunity (until they were not considered useful anymore and betrayed)

 

2        Kinds of Comuni (Administrations)

a)      Feudal (the jurisdiction belongs to the noble)

b)      Demaniali (controlled by the State)

 

1569: reform called: biennalità of the judges

Inquisition (Another Tribunal, Controlled by Spain)

   The members of this tribunal (called familiari), and their friends and relatives could:

    - Not pay taxes

    - bring weapons

    - Avoid the Ex Abrupto procedure

(so the nobles knew when were accused, and with fake testimonies they could demonstrate their ‘innocence’); the corruption of this tribunal was justified with today would be called “reason of State”

 

So…:

   In any case impunity to the nobles and their criminals was the rule

   People never testified because they perfectly knew what side justice was on; omertà: the cultural acceptance of mafia values, the refusal to collaborate with the Authorities of the State

    + Extortions at the Palermo market are documented

        since the 1500’s

 

In Conclusion:

   1861: the mafia emerges as a national problem            BUT:

It was born long before it was given its name, through a long historical process in which the administration of justice was extremely fragmented and corrupt, guaranteeing impunity to the criminals

n  4 Essential Aspects:

1) Symmetry between crime and justice (Mafiosi and criminals were often members of the police bodies at the same time)  

2) Discriminatory trait of the judicial

3) Privatization of the public functions

4) Criminalization of the law