A Prelude to the Mob: the Making of the Pre-Modern Mafia

In this episode, Pettengill explores the emergence of a new but vitally central group of Europeans who would eventually reinvent organized crime in the U.S. - the Italians. Pettengill underscores the concept that the Italians existed on the margins of the American underworld throughout most of the 19th century. But the structure of organized crime in Italy was very complementary to the local circumstances in the U.S. As Italian immigrants began to arrive on American shores, they brought with them their culture and social norms. Part of this Italian tradition involved a shunning of state power and law enforcement. As Pettengill notes, this cultural norm manifested itself in a form of organized criminal activity that helped establish the modern day mafia.