Organizing the Families
While the various families spread their wings across Sicily and Italy, they still maintained a loose confederation and warfare between them did not promote the unity needed for creating an well-organized organization. It would be in the 1860's that one Don would present organizational plans that would bring many of the families together. His plans would also become more business-like creating branch offices through Europe and the United States.
Don Vito Casio Ferro, prepared and suggested these business practices allowing the Mafia to find a place in the modern world. As the businesses they protected made profits the families would take their fees for the protection provided. In many cases the fees demanded were so high that businesses could not survive. The closing of businesses cut into the profits expected by the Mafia. To make up for the losses higher demands were then placed on the businesses that still survived. These higher demands could lead to the closing of more businesses and begin a cycle that could bleed a local economy dry. Don Vito realized that the protection offered for a fee could only allow money to flow into families so long as the businesses thrived. And if a business was successful and expanded its market renegotiations could be opened to deal with an expanded protection fee for an expanded business. The profits realized by a family were equal to the well being of the economy and its possible expansion. Too often the various Families bled their business connections dry and were forced to move on to fresh opportunities. Vito warned that there was limit to which businesses could be bled through extortion and still provide a growing economy that would continue to provide family profits. The approach he suggested was to bleed the businesses but only to the point of still allowing for their well being. One could "wet their beak", but not drink too fully as to destroy the vessel that provided the drink. Instead help the business to prosper and it will gladly pay a "reasonable" fee to maintain its expanding status. Allow the businesses to feel that they are in a partnership with the family and they will simply pass the extra costs of protection on to their consumers. This concept fit in well with the raising of big business concepts that were emerging in economies throughout the world. And if the connections to a family could be used to open even new doors in relation to business expansion so much the better for the families and the business. An accommodation was soon reached in which such connections between the families and businesses were accepted and those that refused to take part in such an accommodation would be expected to pay a price aside from the cost of protection.
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