9781422284100

Words to Understand Cede: to yield or grant, typically by treaty Cortege: a funeral procession Deportation: the act of returning a person to his or her country of origin Extortion: the act of obtaining money or property from a person using force or in- timidation Ghetto: a quarter of a city in which members of a minority group live, especially be- cause of social, legal, or economic pressure Indict: to charge with a crime Loan-sharking: the practice of loaning money at very high rates of interest Mafioso: a member of the Mafia Racketeering: the act of conducting a fraudulent scheme or activity Vespers: a service of evening worship The Mafia The word “mafia” is often used as a generic term to describe a wide range of criminal organizations that proliferated in the United States during the 20th century. In reality, many legendary gangsters and racketeers, including Al Capone, Bugsy Siegel, Myer Lansky, Johnny Torrio, John Dillinger, “Machine Gun” Kelly, and “Baby Face” Nelson, were never members of the Mafia. Most of them were not even Italian, let alone Sicilian, which was and is a prerequisite

Since Mario Puzo wrote The Godfather in 1969, the Mafia has been the basis for countless books, motion pictures, and made-for-television movies. The most recent of these is the award- winning television series The Sopranos .

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