Suchergebnisse

After a brief history of the largely grassroots & highly splintered anti-Mafia movement of the 1970s & 1980s in Palermo, touching on key figures, organizations, & events, the article progresses to the establishment of law professor & former Christian Democrat (DC) Leoluca Orlando's La Rete. La Rete's broad-spectrum appeal enabled it to become the second strongest party in Palermo; membership was high & high profile. Mafia assassinations of two judges in 1992 brought anti-Mafia sentiment to its highest point ever; more political groups, an umbrella organization, & mayorships in virtually every Sicilian community -- even Mafia strongholds -- followed. National elections, however, signaled the defeat & eventual dissolution of the short-lived La Rete party, & the anti-Mafia movement quieted. The reasons for this are said to be the tenuous condition of the movement &, more importantly, the social environment that sustains & protects the Mafia. Mafia power & presence in economic & political circles remained unchanged. Legislation passed by anti-Mafia civic governments was never or rarely implemented or enforced. Political favors undermined legislative attempts at reform. Methodological changes within the Mafia are also considered a factor for reduced civic involvement; dramatic demonstrations of power & intimidation were lessened or made less visible. 7 References. C. Houle