Rise Of The Mafia Essay

Even though the mafia had become successful in the early 20th century, the demise of the mafia came in the mid-20th century, a lot quicker than most thought. Stated by the history.com staff “In the early 1950s, Estes Kefauver (1903-1963), a U.S. senator from Tennessee, launched an investigation into organized crime and held televised public hearings that represented the first time any part of the federal government publicly recognized the existence of the American Mafia. “At this time is when the U.S. took action into taking down the mafia. In 1957, police had raided a gathering of more than 60 mafia gangsters from around the country. This raid brought attention to the U.S. government that showed that the mafia was a big problem and more than just local crime gangs. Stated by the history.com staff “In
The mafia was falling to the hands of the FBI and eventually to its own members. In 1963, a convicted New York mobster known as Josseph Valachi betrayed the mafia’s sacred code of silence, and became an informant for the government. For the first time the mafia’s structure and customs had been revealed and started the fall of the mafia. By the late 20th century the government was winning against the mafia. Stated by History.com staff “In 1970, Congress passed the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, which proved to be one of the most powerful tools used to take down mobsters, as it allowed the government to attack criminal enterprises on a broad front, stripping them of their leadership and sources of both illicit and legitimate revenue in one massive prosecution”. The act took down most mobsters and slowed down criminal activities. By the early 21st century, the mafia in America was no more than a shadow of its former self. Cut down to a minimum by the FBI. The mafia still remains active today in the U.S. but has decreased a lot since the