The Italian Mafia and the American Dream
In the correlation between the Italian mafia and the American dream, three people stand out who achieved the American dream. The mafia’s view of the American dream and how they achieved it differ from the average citizen. The Italian mafia was a monarchy that ran primarily in New York City during the 1920s through 2000s. Lupollo, Ignazi, and Avello are three people who achieved their version of the American dream through their own methods. The first family would be the Lupollos, their head was Giuseppe, and he ran a “Italian bank” which was used for his loan sharking activities. (Gladwell 1) Giuseppe’s stature outside the family was one of fear and respect, within he was greatly respected and admired,…show more content… They would threaten merchants with bodily harm if protection money was not paid. Saietta was thought to be the leader of more than sixty murderers. People in little Italy would never mention his name in fear of being cursed with misfortune.(Gladwell 3) In any event that a mobster was sent to court, he could expect to walk, “Between 1960 and 1970, forty four percent could expect to walk without even appearing in court. In the same ten year period, five hundred and thirty six mobsters were arrested but only thirty ended up in prison. (Gladwell…show more content… They weren’t trying to smash everyone; they created alliances and maintained equilibriums. Oddly never extending their reach. The mafia was compared to the founding settlers of America in Goffman's epilogue: The early settlers and founding fathers, as well as those whom won the west and built up cattle, mining and other fortunes. Often did so by shady speculations and a not inconsiderable amount of violence. They ignored, circumvented, or stretched the law, when it stood in the way of America’s destiny and their own-or were the law themselves when it served their purposes. This has not prevented them and their descendants from feeling proper moral outrage when, under the changed circumstances of the crowded urban environments, late comers pursued equally ruthless