◆ SpookStack

ra ¥ peony Persons in this Mafia operation had immigrated to the United States about 12 years before from the Castellammare arca of Sicily. They became 80 noted for their tzlents that their services were widely sought and highly paid | for. They specialized in the murder of individuals for any reason, but their : activities also included the robbery of successful Itallan merchants and the | control of the Italian policy vame. . . One method utilized by the "Good Killers’ was to force or hire other Italian gangsters to do the actual killings and then murder them as a coyer up. Tho "Good Killers’ gang was reported to have accumulated a "war chest" of $290,009. Several leaders of that murder band established thomsclves in business in the Jtalian con munities of cities ia order to conceal the criminal manner in which they acquire? thelr wealth. (76-81) €. Modernization of Mafia Until after “ orld War I, the Mafia in the Unfted Stateg was led by old-time Mafiosi who were extremely clannish and adamantly refused to associate with any but their own Sicilian-born countrymen. But a change was stonified when Guiseppe Masseria declared himself the leader of the Mafia in New York City afler Ignazio "Lupo the Wolf’ Seictta was given a long prison term for coumterfetting, Masserla, who wis nicknamed "Joe the Boss, " was as clannish as his preeccessors, but he did permit his associates eis 4 fricndships and establish contacts with groups of different nationalities. — - 49.