, National Geographic p.33). The word came to mean "manly", or "proud". In the Italian dictionary Devoto-Oli, the Mafia is defined as "a complex of clandestine gangs in control of some business activity and of party patronage in the administration of the Region of Sicily."(Voci per un Dizionario del Pensiero Forte, The mafia, Domenico Airoma, www.alleanzacattolica.org) But according to all the experts, the Mafia grew to encompass all of Italy and eventually, the world.
             From the beginning of its creation until the late twentieth century, the Mafia enjoyed great success and exercised its vast amount of power. Even after the feudal lords disappeared, the Mafia lived on, taking upon itself a new role in society, the takeover of Sicily's government and economy. They introduced a new way of extorting money from the wealthy: protection. If a wealthy businessman received a picture of a black hand, he knew that payments were due. In return for those payments he received protection in a sense, the Mafia won't destroy any of his stores. If he did not agree to these payments, his stores and warehouses would be destroyed until he gave in to the Mafia's demands. They even went to such extreme measures as to kidnap someone dear to the owner and even resorted to murder. (Omerta? The History of the American Mafia, users.aol.com/whizkid01) Eventually, the Mafia tried a new tact. It enforced a violent takeover, taking control of the businesses themselves and doing away with the former ownership. As they gained more power in Sicily, they started venturing out into other spheres of influence, namely the government. By the end of the nineteenth century, the Mafia had one of its dons, Don Rafael Palizzolo elected to political office, coercing the voters to vote for him at gunpoint. After he was elected, he gave the vacant Prime Minister position to another high-ranking Mafia member, Don Crispi. They joined forces and used their political influences to...