Free Paper - Shadows of Detroit: Unraveling the Mafia Menace and Community Struggles

Introduction

The events that transpired in Detroit concerning the Mafia group's interaction with the community members can all be compiled to form a great movie. Indeed, many misconceptions have gone out concerning the composition, foundation, and activities of the group. Like all places, Detroit has a history of its own, but its history is quite interesting, and what is more, it has been distorted to fit into a specified and regulated context. Detroit’s history has continued to be disputed over because one of its key elements is a matter that has largely been taken into account subjectively and strong arguments made in that prospect. The mafia in Detroit, though extreme, acted justly and with reasons which deserve attention.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Before the mafia and the purple gang groups were formed, Detroit was a peaceable community with little innovation and industrialization. Surrounded by waters, it was both lucrative and presented itself as an attractive opportunity for trading activities. Therefore, it attracted a lot of immigrants, mostly from Italy, France, European countries, and the Southern part of America (Karibo 20). It was not until this happened that industrialization began to get appreciated and embraced in Detroit, which led to further migration into the state. Later on, the development would bring about a profound increase in the population, and civilization, and an entire change in the leadership structure of the community. Detroit was also an attractive colonial area, and therefore, amongst the immigrants, most of them can well be termed as colonialists.

Important to note is the underlying fact that even before the people came into this city and began to grow industries in that region, people were living within that location. The people had cultural practices, forms of trade in which they engaged, and their very own legal and justice systems, which were efficient in their functioning (Schneider 625). However, in response to immigration, there was diversity in terms of culture and innovation, and therefore, freedom was paramount. That was the beginning of the expression of that diversity, and this was channeled through the erection of museums, libraries, industries, religious places, and educational structures. The random civilization affected the indigenous community members in that they were forced to change their way of living and fit into the new community.

MAFIA IN DETROIT MOVIE

One of the greatest events that occurred thereafter was the revolt that the newly founded Detroit community experienced. As is to be discussed below, the event is fit to be captured in a movie that will clearly depict events as they rightly and justly occurred over time. When there is a continually changing environment of culture, behavior, and economy, the Detroit community’s indigenous members continue to be pushed to the edge. In the year 1910, foreign-born migrants from England, Italy, Canada, Russia, Poland, Belgium, Scotland, and Hungary made up an estimated quarter of Detroit’s total population. More to this, the black population had risen from one percent all the way to seven percent (Karibo 27). In number, the total population rose from 15 198 in 1901 to 55 935 in 1921.

The automotive industry was one of the fast-growing industries and brought with it vast employment opportunities, therefore, more expansion to the community. Local industries grew along in regards to this. Windsor was the state that neighbored Detroit, and therefore it grew equally fast, as expected. Both these communities had similar population and economic factors. Constant trips would be made daily between them because of the settlement patterns and employment opportunities. At first, there was a ferry, but later on, as inspired by the authorities, there happened the erection of a bridge and tunnel in the years 1929 and 1930 (Karibo 26). From this moment onwards, there began to be a change in the policies and the guiding laws of Detroit.

In response to the fast-growing illicit liquor trade within this region, new policies were enacted to illegalize such trade. That was the Damon Act and the Eighteenth Amendment, which set out to prohibit alcohol production and distribution (Karibo 38). That, coupled with a large and growing workforce in the automobile industry, brought about the Mafia and organized crime groups within the community. It started small but later on, bringing about such great menace to the community and the leaders thereof.

It is recorded that in July 1929, Detroit had the highest number of murders in the country; this earned that season the title “Bloody July.” Aside from the killings that occurred within that season, there was also the ongoing intimidation directed towards the local business owners through legitimate practices of gambling, prostitution, and narcotics trade. All this erupted with the revolt (Karibo 35). As if that was not harmful enough, the authorities saw it fit to increase security and law enforcement within those regions. It only resulted in an escalation of gun violence with the courage to confront law enforcers.

As expected, forms of trade were affected, and the normal activities of the populace were always disrupted. New structures were deterred from being established, and therefore development was at a standstill. As a result, the state was hit by an economic downturn, which led to further criminal activities and practices. An example of this would be prostitution, which grew significantly. With the growth of this came a continuous reduction in the number of customers in the prostitution houses, which brought the act to the streets (Schneider 625). Street prostitution, therefore, became the new order of the community so much so that the industries which were still functioning began to adopt the practice into their sales mechanisms.

The once great and mighty community changed like that and turned unwelcoming. The event, as stipulated above, is worth to be pondered over. More attention ought to have been given to the community members, and any reforms made should have been inclusive of the community members. It is ironic how the leaders emanated from the community, yet the policies and laws did not include the opinions and ideas of the community members.

ASSUMPTIONS CONFIRMED

Terrorism is a word that cannot be used to describe such groups. The members did not feel included and welcomed, and this resulted in them airing their views using the means with which the leaders would listen. In as much as people have gone out of their way to base the definition of terrorism on the activities that result from the groups, it should not be solely looked at from the action point of view. It takes action for a reaction to occur.

Social justice is a concept that should be taken with utmost seriousness and incorporated into the running of communities (Schneider 627). It matters what opinion members of a community hold concerning a certain topic, and though it may appear impractical, the leaders should find a way of being inclusive with that group. When people are cut off from a larger community, more usually than not, they end up embracing deviant behavior as a means of communication and seeking both attention and inclusivity.

Attention should always be given to such a minority; else, revolts and rebellions are to be expected. All change carries good with it, but when there is resistance, the relevance and necessity of such change should be considered. Mafia and all other syndicate groups indeed have logical reasons for their existence, and the fact that they keep being in existence proves how unwilling community members and leaders are to make amends for the harm caused by all entities involved.

Works Cited

Karibo, Holly M. Sin City North: Sex, Drugs, and Citizenship in the Detroit-Windsor Borderland. 2nd ed., vol. 20, University of North Carolina Press, (2015): 15-39

Schneider, Jane. “Mafiacraft” and mafia activity: A dynamic and changing interaction.” HAU: Journal of Ethnographic Theory 9.3 (2019): 625-630.