In the sixties, a new battle against organized crime and corruption was declared, yet the Kennedy administration remained unaware that they were targeting some of America's most powerful figures. These men, hailing from the Prohibition era, led by Luciano Joe Adonis, Frank Costello, Benjamin Siegal, Red Levine, Vito Genovese, Santo Trafficante, Carlos Marcello, Tommy Lucchese, and others, formed a formidable criminal syndicate. As the decade unfolded, the French Corsican mafia, known for its long history and political prowess, aligned with the Sicilian and Italian American mafia, bolstering their strength.
This partnership signified the Sicilian mafia's acknowledgment of American power, as they controlled the most influential nation. Despite perceptions of Sicilian dominance, it was the American mafia that held sway in the forties, fifties and sixties, post-World War two. However, by the eighties, the landscape shifted. The old guard, who had held power since the fifties and sixties, began to lose their grip, paving the way for a stronger Sicilian-Italian mafia to emerge.
Prohibition marked a pivotal shift in American history, as highlighted in my earlier documentary featuring Frank Costello. By criminalizing alcohol, the government inadvertently transformed small-time bootleggers into wealthy kingpins. Alcohol, a staple in every social class, became the forbidden fruit, driving its demand underground. This created a lucrative opportunity for organized crime figures like Costello and Luciano, who capitalized on the newfound demand. They expanded their operations, utilizing shipping routes and partnerships with leaders in places like Newfoundland and Cuba to smuggle alcohol into the country.
This illegal trade burgeoned into a billion-dollar industry, fueling the rise of powerful crime syndicates. However, with the end of Prohibition, the landscape shifted once again. Vito Genovese, recognizing new opportunities, ventured to Italy and orchestrated the heroin trade, cementing his influence in the criminal underworld.
The transportation routes once used for smuggling alcohol now facilitated the influx of heroin into America, whether by boat, car, ship, or plane. With the emergence of larger ships and the absence of advanced screening technology, it became increasingly difficult to intercept these illicit goods. Thus, organized crime figures held a firm grip on the flow of narcotics into the country, birthing the era of narco-trafficking. As the sixties unfolded, the aftermath of wars like Vietnam exacerbated the situation. Many returning veterans, grappling with physical and psychological trauma, turned to heroin for relief. This surge in demand, coupled with its use among jazz musicians and as a medicinal aid, fueled the heroin epidemic sweeping through America during the sixties and seventies.
The consequences were devastating, with addiction and overdose rates skyrocketing, leaving a profound impact on society. The leaders of this organized syndicate were not just mere criminals; they were influential power brokers, entrenched in unions, wielding control over vast territories across America. From the Cuban mafia to the French Corsican syndicates, their reach extended far and wide. Some of these groups even funneled weapons into extremist factions, fueling far-right activities aimed at toppling regimes like Castro's in Cuba.
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