The Sicilian Mafia -- sound familiar?

[JDPriestly]

Sicily Mafia watches and waits for Italy to vote - Reuters item on Yahoo.

. . .

The Mafia makes its money from ensuring that companies it controls directly or indirectly get a share of services and construction contracts, especially public works contracts.

. . .

Mafia money also comes from the illegal drugs trade, human trafficking and that old, ubiquitous cash flow booster -- extortion and protection, which investigators say most businesses in Sicily pay.

"The Mafia has returned to dominate the landscape and become more of an economic presence instead of an armed presence. It has returned to make its presence known in the social circles that count," Ingroia said.

. . .

In the 2001 general election, all of Sicily's 61 seats in the national parliament went to Berlusconi's supporters.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060329/wl_nm/italy_elections_mafia_dc

Corruption in the award of public works contracts (think Halliburton), drug manufacturers (think the drug industry and the Medicare drug plan scam), human trafficking (Guantanamo, the guest worker program that offers low pay, menial work and no future), extortion and protection (Abramoff, Delay, Diebold and friends). Sounds to me like your friendly Republican party at work. If our current federal government is not controlled or infiltrated by the Sicilian Mafia, it sure seems to have learned a lot from the Mafia.

[rusty_parts2001]

1. Don't forget Fat Tony Scalia

He speaks Sicilian, with his fingers.

[Binka]

2. Sicily Has Pulled Left In The Past 5 Years ( I Live Here)

Berlu and his Mafia buddies are gonna take it in the tail pipe. Go Prodi Go Borsellino!

[RaleighNCDUer]

3. Actually, IMO, it's the other way around.

The Sicilian Mafia learned its lessons from the American Mafia, which learned in the 20s and 30s that the way to go was to go corporate.

The mafia realized they were small timers compared to international corporations, so they decided to emulate the big guys. Instead of breaking the law, you write the law so you can do whatever you want.