Mafia is a crime group working in many parts of the world and was created in Italy more than 200 years ago. They make billions of dollars a year from such crimes as selling illegal drugs, stealing, gambling, and other illegal activities.
There are many other groups, like the Italian mafia all over the world. The Yakuza is the name given to the crime group in Japan. The Triad is a name given to all crime groups in China. In Latin America, the largest crime groups are called drug cartels. They compete for control of the drug trade, which makes them huge amounts of money. The main drug cartels are in Mexico and Colombia, where most of the drugs are produced and sent north into the United States.
The American mafia began at the time when many Italians flocked to the United States in the 1800s to search for better economic opportunities. They decided to earn money from crime, which was easier than making money by working. They were divided into different groups or “families.” Al Capone, for example, was one of the most famous American gangsters who founded the Chicago family. Just like in a company, each mafia family is organized in a hierarchy—some people are bosses, and some are workers. However, everyone can always work his way up the ladder of power and respect. The boss, sometimes called Godfather, controls everything that goes on in the mafia family. It is the boss who decides if someone should be killed or if someone should become a member. Each family has an underboss, an advisor, some captains, and many soldiers, each with their own duties. At the bottom of the chain are the associates—the people who do business with the family but aren’t members.
All of the following are mentioned as crime groups EXCEPT … .