La Cosa Nostra: Structure, Hierarchy, and Influence
This paper examines La Cosa Nostra (LCN), the American-Italian organized crime network that dominated U.S. criminal activity from the Prohibition era through the early 1990s. The paper describes the LCN's internal hierarchy — including the boss, underboss, consigliere, capo, soldiers, and associates — explaining the roles and responsibilities at each level. It then analyzes the organization's sphere of influence, covering its former political power in major American cities, its most profitable illegal ventures such as gambling and drug trafficking, and its penetration of legitimate businesses. The paper also notes the gradual weakening of the LCN due to law enforcement pressure and competition from other organized crime groups.
- Introduction: Origins and overview of La Cosa Nostra
- Hierarchy and Structure: Overview of LCN's six-tier command structure
- Roles Within the Ranks: Detailed duties of boss, underboss, consigliere, capo, soldiers, associates
- Influence and Criminal Operations: Political influence, illegal ventures, and business infiltration
- Conclusion: LCN's decline and lasting significance
✍️ How to write this paper — guide, tools & examples ▾
What makes this paper effective
- Provides a clear, systematic breakdown of the LCN's chain of command, making a complex criminal organization accessible to readers unfamiliar with the subject.
- Moves logically from organizational structure to real-world influence, connecting internal hierarchy to external criminal and economic impact.
- Uses consistent citation of specialized sources, grounding claims about criminal operations in documented research rather than speculation.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates descriptive organizational analysis — applying the same framework used to analyze legitimate corporate structures to an illicit organization. By mapping LCN ranks (boss, underboss, consigliere, capo, soldiers, associates) against their functions, the writer shows how criminal enterprises mirror formal bureaucracies, a technique common in criminology and sociology literature.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a brief historical introduction identifying the LCN and its significance. It then devotes its largest section to a rank-by-rank description of the hierarchy, covering responsibilities and selection criteria for each position. The final section shifts to the organization's external influence — political, economic, and criminal — before noting its contemporary decline. The structure moves from internal organization outward to societal impact, a classic funnel pattern suited to organizational case studies.
Introduction
The name La Cosa Nostra — also known as LCN — refers to a network of American criminal brotherhoods composed largely of individuals with Italian backgrounds. These organizations have existed in America since the early 1920s. The group is also known by other names such as "the outfit," "the mob," "the office," or simply the Italian Mafia. For over 75 years, particularly during the Prohibition era and through the early 1990s, no criminal organization held more power than the LCN. The name became synonymous with organized crime in the United States. In recent decades, however, LCN operations have been greatly weakened by law enforcement, and the organization now competes for dominance with several other organized crime groups (Finckenauer, 2001).
Hierarchy and Structure
The hierarchical system through which the LCN operates closely resembles the formal structure found in many legitimate corporations. At the top of the hierarchy sits the boss — commonly called the Godfather — followed by the underboss, the advisor or consigliere, the caporegime (also referred to as the captain or capo), the soldiers, and finally the associates. Each rank carries specific responsibilities and privileges within the organization.
Create your account
Always verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.