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Latest comment: 13 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion
Perhaps using the term "Polish mob" is a bit disparaging and overly general. Typically and historically, there have always been small percentages of any immigrant population who, feeling marginalized by any number of circumstances, have unfortunately gotten involved in criminal activities as a means to gain some sort of access to main stream society so that they might enjoy a small part of the so-called "American Dream" as it were. The fact that these immigrant populations stuck together is completely natural given the circumstances, what with them being newcomers in a strange, new country. While in certain cases, as with the Italians for instance, it can be argued that the early versions of the North American Italian crime syndicates were in fact extensions to the various criminal apparatus that existed in the "old country", for the most part these groups were thrown together with very little planning and foresight and were merely naturally occurring products of the social and cultural situation of the day.
"Polish mob" is the proper term for the Polish American criminals who joined it. The organization of the Polish mob is official, and not every Polish American criminal is a member, but every member is a Polish American criminal. The groups banded together in neighborhoods similar to their "old country" (Italian Americans went to Little Italy, Russian Americans went to Brighton Beach, etc.). The main reason the mafias started in the United States is because they wanted to continue the way things were in the "old country", and back "home" they had little clans, and organizations, and secret societies. But unfortuanately, America went through serious economic problems in the past, and even currently. These economic problems made food and money scarce, and the various mafias were pinned against each other for neighborhood and city domination. It was like being a survivalist, trying to get more money than the other guys. The Polish mob was one of those organizations. Hope this sums it up. TomUSA20:16, 15 August 2011 (UTC)Reply
