Gang vs Mafia

Explain Why this is Important? A mafia is an organized secret criminal organization that engages in illegal activity such as gambling, drug dealing, protection, and prostitution. Mafia’s started in the 19th century in Sicily and migrated to the United States. They are still popular in the United States and in Italy. The members of a mafia are usually people of the same race nationality. A gang is a group of members who form together to commit street crimes. These crimes can be murder, assault, theft, etc. They use intimidation to gain control of neighborhoods or territories. They are usually identified by colors, tattoos, hair styles, hand signs, or graffiti. It is important to know the difference between gangs and mafia so those in the criminal justice field can distinguish between the two groups. Each group has their own actions and crimes that they commit and knowing how to separate the two will help in knowing which has committed the crime.
State Your Research Problem: The problem with not knowing the difference between mafia’s and gangs is not being able to distinguish how to determine which created the crimes. Mafia members can be an array of people such as government officials, actors, business owners, etc. In mafia states, government officials enrich themselves and their families and friends while exploiting the money, muscle, political influence, and global connections of criminal syndicates to cement and expand their own power. Indeed, top positions in some of the world's most profitable illicit enterprises are no longer filled only by professional criminals; they now include senior government officials, legislators, spy chiefs, heads of police departments, military officers, and, in some extreme cases, even heads of state or their family members (National Institute of Justice, 2011).
Justify the Study There are approximately 1.4 million gang members in the United States. These numbers climb every day, while the number of mafia’s