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the final case i examine is the 2015 prosecution of 69 gang members, some of whom were members of the ms-13 gang, for conspiracy to murder and other crimes. us attorney eileen m. decker for the eastern district of california organized the investigation. she states that the prosecution is the largest the federal government has ever undertaken against a street gang (usa today network 2015). the government is pursuing the gang members on charges that include attempted murder and racketeering (united states department of justice 2015).
the gang, based in los angeles, california, was formed in the 1990s as a response to perceived police overzealousness and violence in the area. this type of gang has been known to be involved in violent crimes, including murder, and has an intense allegiance to the gang (associated press 2015). in addition to killing rival gang members, ms-13 has murdered other people for reasons such as stealing from the gang or disrespecting a gang member (usa today 2015).
the gang members involved in the prosecution were arrested in the los angeles area between april and september 2015. the 69 gang members who entered the government-ordered plea deal include 10 gang members from a gang that had been operating in the area since the 1990s. some of the arrested gang members were convicted of crimes in the 1990s and the 2000s, including two gang members who were convicted of murdering four people. the government accused the gang of participating in at least 46 murders. the gang members are facing life sentences. the case was prosecuted by the eastern district of california and the los angeles us attorneys office. the gang members had entered the government-ordered plea deal in june 2016. d8a7b2ff72
in february 1931, maranzano gained control of the new york cosa nostra crime family. he continued the bonanno tradition of respect for the familys elders, agreeing to limit himself to the position of acting boss. under maranzanos guidance, the new york family became the largest in the country and the most powerful (reuter 1985, p. 68). maranzanos murder of mangano gave him total control of the cosa nostra family. in the early 1930s, bonanno began a major expansion of the new york crime family (reuter 1985, p. 69). he brought the colombo crime family into the new york city area, leading to the formation of the gambino crime family. the bonanno family and the gambino family eventually merged in the 1950s (block 1983 ).
from 1930 to 1942, the bonannos and manganos murder-for-hire operation was carried out under the direction of joe masseria, a sicilian, who had organized crime in new york city for years. eventually, masseria wanted to assume a more public role as a boss. masseria was arrested in 1942, but he was not charged with murder. instead, he was accused of tax evasion. he was convicted, but he appealed the conviction. in 1952, he was acquitted and became the boss of the bonanno crime family. masserias rule was marked by a continued expansion of the bonanno crime family (reuter 1985, p. 73).
the goal of the commission is to ensure the safety and stability of the italian american community. the organization protects itself by controlling criminal activity in the united states. it regulates gambling, prostitution, loan-sharking, and extortion activities. illegal gambling by the italian american community has been a serious problem since the 1920s, when the mafia was a small, invisible group controlled by the sicilians who ruled new york city. in the 1930s and 1940s, there were numerous gambling rackets operating within the italian american community. gambling leaders, including tommaso buscetta (19341979) and joe bonannos (19392000) brother, joseph, were eventually jailed for their crimes. after world war ii, the mafia became more powerful, as crime organizations from other ethnic groups, such as the sicilians, the genovese family, and the gambino crime family, joined forces with the bonannos. the war generated fear among the italians and resentment toward the sicilians, particularly after the sicilians murdered new york citys mayor, salvatore decello (19131944), in may 1944 (porzio 2004).