italian mafia & ethnicity?

[Isleño]

It says his maternal ancestors fought the Ottomans , it doesnt exclude that his paternal side werent Albanian. Piana degli Albanesi is an Albanian settlement.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piana_degli_Albanesi

Matranga and Cuccia were related families.

Matranga and Cuccia are common Italian-American names in the US. I know several Italian-Americans from the New Orleans area in Louisiana in the US.

[Journeyman26]

I think the clan was from roma, so maybe the rules were different.

I read to enter cosa nostra (sicilian mafia) you must be sicilian. But what sicilian mean? Being an ethnic sicilian or born in the island?
Because recently sicilian mafia start to work withh africans gang.

You don't have to be ethnic Italian to join the families... however many require full blood to be in any positions of leadership. Errand boys and goons would no doubt be from all sorts.

[Laberia]

A few were also Arbereshe in origin. Atleast some of the first ones founded in America.

Bilingual signs in Piana degli Albanesi, Sicily

[Laberia]

Matranga and Cuccia are common Italian-American names in the US. I know several Italian-Americans from the New Orleans area in Louisiana in the US.

They are Arbëreshë. Both surnames are Albanian. Cuccia or Kuçi in Albanian, is a very common surname in Albania and among Albanians from Montenegro, Kosova, servia, Greece and Albania proper, North and South.

[Lek]

They are Arbëreshë. Both surnames are Albanian. Cuccia or Kuçi in Albanian, is a very common surname in Albania and among Albanians from Montenegro, Kosova, servia, Greece and Albania proper, North and South.

Yeah, Cuccia is the Italianised version of Kuqi/Kuci.

A lot of Arbereshe have Italianized Albanian names

[Laberia]

Yeah, Cuccia is the Italianised version of Kuqi/Kuci.

A lot of Arbereshe have Italianized Albanian names

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enrico_Cuccia
The mastermind of Italian bank system.

[Isleño]

They are Arbëreshë. Both surnames are Albanian. Cuccia or Kuçi in Albanian, is a very common surname in Albania and among Albanians from Montenegro, Kosova, servia, Greece and Albania proper, North and South.

Interesting. Good to know. I'm sure the Italian-Americans I know with those surnames have no idea those names are of Albanian origin. They always claim to be of Italian descent and never anything about Albanian descent. Ever.

[Laberia]

Interesting. Good to know. I'm sure the Italian-Americans I know with those surnames have no idea those names are of Albanian origin. They always claim to be of Italian descent and never anything about Albanian descent. Ever.

There are three settlements of Albanians in Sicily who continue to preserve the Albanian identity:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arb%C3...h.C3.AB_people
Sicilia
Province of Palermo
Contessa Entellina: Kundisa
Piana degli Albanesi: Hora e Arbëreshëvet
Santa Cristina Gela: Sëndahstina
The most oldest settlement is Contessa Entellina:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contessa_Entellina

Contessa Entellina (Albanian: Kundisa; Sicilian: Cuntissa) is a small comune of 2,184 inhabitants in the province of Palermo, in Sicily, southern Italy.
Is located in the "Valle del Belìce" to 571 metres (1,873 ft) above sea level in the mountains called Brinjat, is situated 80 km from Palermo. The country, along with Piana degli Albanesi and Santa Cristina Gela, is among the three ethnic communities of Arbëreshë of Sicily, who still speak Albanian, carefully preserve the Orthodox rite, the Albanian costumes, musical and gastronomic traditions of the ancient Albania.
History[edit]
The foundation is attributed to about 1450 on the ruins of a remote farmhouse seniority, the "Comitissa", but the chapter officers, the granting of fiefs, were built in 1520, when he start the rebuilding, upgrading and restocking of Albanians from Albania and subsequently also by the southern Morea, from Albanian communities where they lived from 1300.
In ancient times it was near them the ancient Elymian city of Entella, in fact, with the discovery of archaeological ancient site, to give relief to the old site, you would add the name of the country, even the term Entella.
Today Contessa Entellina keeps the Albanian language, the culture of their ancestors, and holds the Byzantine-Greek rite; but lives a very difficult period. From earthquake of Belice to date have followed many migrations, halving the population and depopulating the city center, the Albanian language is also taught to fewer and fewer young people, so the community is constantly lost and stolen the identities.
Notable people[edit]
Nicola Chetta (1741–1803), Byzantine-Greek rite priest, ethnographic, writer and poet.
Antonino Cuccia (1850–1938), popular poet whose work represent an important testimony of the Arbëreshë language spoken in Contessa Entellina.
Vaccaro brothers
Lorenzo Tardo (1883–1967), Basilian priest and scholar of Byzantine music.
Vincenzo Scramuzza (1886?–1956), historian.
Leonardo Lala (1906–2000), writer and expert of Arbëreshë language, history and folk traditions.
Matteo Sciambra (1914–1967), Byzantine rite priest, university professor and writer, whose work focuses on the study of the Arbëreshë language and on the preservation of the Byzantine liturgical heritage of the Arbëreshë communities in Sicily.
Bino (singer) (1953-2010), pop singer

http://www.contessaentellina.com/ind...s/page0017.htm
CONTESSA ENTELLINA SOCIETY
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Founded in 1896

HISTORY
After immigrating to New Orleans, the Contessioti flourished and they became a successful, but still a smaller part of the growing City of New Orleans, they became acutely nostalgic for their village of Contessa Entellina and nostalgic about their ancient language, traditions and heritage. Therefore, to reunite friends and family in this Crescent City where they now lived, on the morning of September 8, 1886, several Arbreshe New Orleanians joined together and formed the Contessa Entellina Society. In the early years, the Society provided dental and medical services and initial orientation to its members and new immigrants

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luca_Matranga

[MINARDOWICZ]

The majority must be ethnic Italians.

I have some family that had connections to the Siderno group, and they were ethnic Italians from Siderno, Reggio Di Calabria, which is at the very base.

[Mortimer]

In my opinion the mafia should stay native italian thats their trademark