History of Organized Crime The word mafia is derived from the word mafie. Mafie were a group of soldiers, in Italy, that were basically guns for hire. "The Mafia arose in Sicily during the late Middle Ages, where it possibly began as a secret organization dedicated to overthrowing the rule of the various foreign conquerors of the island"( "Mafia."). Their job was to protect their bosses' land, much like the cowboys of the Wild West …showed first 75 words of 3855 total…

…showed last 75 words of 3855 total…gt;. "Prohibition." 2004. Britannica Student Encyclopedia. 2 Apr. 2004 <http://www.search.eb.com/ebi/article?eu=298627>. "The Capper-Volstead Act: Opportunity Today and Tomorrow." University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives. 12 Apr. 2004 <http://www.wisc.edu/uwcc/info/capper.html>. Woodiwiss, Michael. "Capone to Kefauver: Organized Crime in America." History Today. June 1987: 8-15. EBSCOhost. 15 Mar. 2004 <http://http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=4870268&db=afh>.