The Mafia is a multi-faceted group of families who use illegal means and tactics in order to control business, territory and certain vice trades. Generally the mafia is seen as originating in Italy and arriving in the United States along with Italian immigrants, who banded together and looked to the mafia organization for help in the new world where frequently they were discriminated against because of their racial origin.
Generally mafia families do their best to co-exist, but inevitably conflict arises between families concerning the control of certain territories, businesses or actions taken by members of the various organizations.