S_C's advice column

Hey Everyone :) I'm Kate and a level 2 mod on here. I've had this account since July 2004, so I've been on here since I was 13! Wow ... crazy for me to think how long ago that was. I will admit I don't check in as often as I once did, but being away at college, being in a sorority, and having a job when I'm not at school is very time consuming. I still try to help out as much as possible, and if you send me a question I WILL answer it. This site helped me a LOT when I was in high school and had a lot of questions, and I'm here to help anyone who needs it :) Feel free to write in my forum or send me a question any time!

advice

So, not too long ago, I was watching a movie in the local theater called American Gangster (stars Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, just for reference). I know there are plenty of movies about the mafia, gangsters, and mobsters but one question really hit me during the movie:

Is the mafia actually real?
I mean, seriously, does the mafia exist?

Was the mafia made up for television and movies by Hollywood?

In some movies you hear about the Russian mafia, the Italian mafia, etc. I even know there are also television series based on the mafia like The Sopranos. So, IF the mafia is real--they must be lots of different kinds, right? Would that mean that the Russian mafia is located in Russia, the Italian mafia is located in Italy, and so forth?

Any information is appreciated because I'm pretty clueless. Thanks!

Yes, the mafia is very real. Now, I'm not how sure their activity currently is compared to how it once was. You don't really hear much about mafia activity anymore... at least I don't.

If you do a quick google search on the term mafia

, then you will find anything and everything you could want.

Just because they're the Italian, Chinese, Spanish, etc. Mafia does not mean they are located in said country. It just means that the race of its members is what type of Mafia it is.

My grandparents told me that one of my great uncles was in the mafia decades ago. If that's true, I have no idea. I am Italian...
I'm pretty sure the Italian Mafia is who people hear of the most. It's actually all I knew existed for one point in time. But, there are other types with other people.
You can get information on the history channel or just by surfing the net.
Good luck.
If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask!

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(Rating: 5) Thank you so much for the help!

That's crazy that you may have had a family member in the mafia--but so neat too!

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