In my master thesis, I aim to examine the Italian-American Mafia (specifically the five families in New York) and its depiction in three literary works. The Italian-American Mafia has been present in the United States since the early 20th century, where it increased its power and profit during the Prohibition era. In the following decades, it expanded its operations in size and throughout the country. Because of its effective organization and relatively discreet activity, law enforcement agencies had difficulties successfully prosecuting them until the late 1970s. With the introduction of the RICO act and the concentrated joint efforts of various agencies and individuals, New York families and the Mafia across the states have been successfully prosecuted since the 1980s. The Italian-American Mafia is weaker today than it was during the 20th century, but it still exists and operates more covertly. The three literary works I have chosen (The Godfather, Gangster and The Fall of South Bridge) all depict the Italian-American Mafia and its members to varying degrees and across different time periods. I was particularly interested in how accurately they portray it and how many parallels can be drawn with real life. All works mention real people and events, but The Godfather most extensively includes various events and actions that have a greater impact on the story than the other two books. It also offers the most accurate portrayal of the Italian-American Mafia (Cosa Nostra), its organization, operations and rules. All three works, however, depict to a fairly similar extent the variety of businesses the mafia has been involved in throughout the decades.
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