The Italian-American Mafia originated in New York City in the late 19th century and grew during Prohibition. The Castellammarese War saw the Mustache Petes, who wanted to uphold Sicilian Mafia traditions, pitted against younger rivals. The Mafia is organized in families headed by a patriarchal leader, with underlings and associate members. The organization gained political clout through bribing public officials and controlling the production and distribution of bootleg liquor. The Mustache Pete era is now discouraged, and the Mafia is considered distinct from the Sicilian Mafia.
The term Mustache Pete typically refers to members of the Italian-American Mafia during the early part of its existence. It is widely believed that the Italian-American Mafia has its roots in the Sicilian Mafia, although the two organizations are today considered distinct and separate. The organization is believed to have developed in New York City in the later years of the 19th century as thousands of Italian immigrants entered the United States. The Mafia in America began as small gangs that practiced racketeering and other criminal activities within the confines of their own neighborhoods. Prohibition allowed these gangs the opportunity to become more powerful and sophisticated, and in the late 1919s, a gang conflict known as the Castellammarese War pitted the older, more established members of the gang, known as the Mustache Petes, against rivals younger.
The ban allowed Italian-American Mafia gangs to take control of the production and distribution of bootleg liquor. The illegal distribution of liquor generally proved quite lucrative for these groups, such that they were able to increase their power and gain political clout through bribing public officials. As individual gangs grew stronger, they began fighting each other for control of various areas of the territory. In the Castellammarese War, two of New York City’s largest gangs fought not only over control of territory, but over differing ideas about how the organization as a whole should be administered.
The term Mustache Pete originally described those members who believed in upholding the traditions of the Sicilian Mafia. The Mustache Pete gangsters wanted to organize the entire Italian-American mafia under one boss, Salvatore Maranzano. A rival faction led by the young Lucky Luciano eventually deposed Maranzano and formed an organization consisting of many gangs, led by a commission of leaders who would serve as joint administrators. It is now believed that members of the Italian-American Mafia are discouraged from wearing mustaches, as they are considered reminiscent of the Mustache Pete era.
The Italian-American Mafia has typically been organized in families headed by a patriarchal leader. This leader is believed to possess absolute authority over all family members under him and generally receives a share of everyone’s profits. The head of a Mafia family usually selects underlings, known as grown men, who are then normally initiated into the organization as members of the family. They are considered to have more status than minor, or associate, members who participate in the organization and its activities but are not considered family members. There have historically been many such crime families operating in various parts of the United States.
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