Comic creatorScott Shaw believes that the Maggia were created to avoid offending the real-lifeMafia, as some comic book distributors had Mafia ties in the 1960s.[2] WriterEd Brubaker says the renaming as Maggia is part of a Marvel policy of referencing the real-world but "one step removed", similar to their fictional companyRoxxon inspired by the real-lifeExxon.[3] Since their debut in comics, the Maggia have been adapted into several forms of media, including television series and video games.
The Maggia is an international crime syndicate that is the world's most powerful organization dedicated to conventional crime (as opposed to subversive activities). Originating in southern Europe, the Maggia spread throughout non-Communist Europe and the Americas. The Maggia in the 13th century was under the influence ofSatannish. Its presence in the United States first came to public attention in the 1890s, and the Maggia's widespread bootlegging of illegal liquor during theProhibition Era has become legendary.[5] Today the Maggia controls most of the illegal gambling, loan-sharking, and narcotics trade in the United States, as well as many legal gambling casinos inAtlantic City,New Jersey andLas Vegas,Nevada. It also has great influence within various labor unions, and controls politicians on every level of government. Especially in recent years, the Maggia has invested many of its illegal gains into legitimate businesses.[6] However, the Maggia enforces a strict code of secrecy among its members, and does not hesitate to punish betrayals and failures with death. The Maggia is not a monolithic organization but is instead a coalition of many virtually independent groups known as "families." The leading members of each family are usually connected through familial or marital ties. The Maggia also has affiliations with other criminal groups such as the Morgan organization in New York City's Harlem.
It was revealed thatBushmaster became the leader of the Maggia's European branch.[7]
With Bruno Karnelli's terrible leadership, the loss ofSilvermane,Count Nefaria pursuing his own agenda, andHammerhead siding withMister Negative, the Maggia is thrown into chaos untilMysterio appears and uses robot duplicates of the dead Maggia members.[8] When the HawkeyesKate Bishop andClint Barton attempted to make a difference in the lives of everyday people by fighting organized crime, several New York crime families, including the Maggia, struck back against them.[9]
During the "Gang War" storyline, Count Nefaria visits Hammerhead's group after hearing about what happened to Madame Masque. While mentioning that he will take the blame for what happened to her daughter, Nefaria tells Hammerhead that the other crime lords will bow to the Maggia once again.[10] The Maggia are shown to be assisting Hammerhead in runningAstoria.[11] Having defeated Hammerhead and revealed to still be alive, Masque takes control of the Maggia.[12]
Its leader isSilvio "Silvermane" Manfredi,[13] one of the last of the legendary gangsters who came to notoriety during the 1920s and 1930s. This group conducts its activities along traditional Maggia lines, and is heavily involved with the narcotics trade. Silvermane uses unusual scientific means only for the personal goal of staving off his own death, and not for the family's activities. Although Silvermane has a son,Joseph, also known as Blackwing, his successor as family head will probably be his longtime rival, top Maggia lawyer Caesar "Big C" Cicero. Silvermane initially retained control of his organization after being turned into a cyborg, but most recently his failing health, in both human and cyborg bodies, have left him a figurehead leader at best.
The following characters have been members of the Maggia's Silvermane family:
Blackie – Rank unknown. First appeared inThe Amazing Spider-Man #75.
Caesar Cicero – The Silvermane family'slawyer.[14] First appeared inThe Amazing Spider-Man #73.
Man Mountain Marko (Michael Marko) – Silvermane's top lieutenant. First appeared inThe Amazing Spider-Man #73.
Rapier – A one-time friend and partner of Silvermane named Dominic Tyrone, who sought revenge after being betrayed. Rapier used an electro-stun rapier as his main weapon. First appeared inThe Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #2. Killed byScourge of the Underworld.[15]
Dominated by middle-aged Maggia traditionalists, this family first became notorious under unusual circumstances. Perhaps in imitation of the Nefaria family, its leader known as the "Top Man" outfitted his family hit men with costumes and advanced weaponry. He then gained ownership of theBaxter Building through questionable means, thinking that doing so would somehow give him legal title to the technology of the building's famed occupants, theFantastic Four. The Fantastic Four defeated and captured the "Top Man", his claims to owning the Baxter Building were dismissed by the courts, and the "Top Man" was reportedly assassinated by order of his own family. The family then sought a new leader who would direct operations along thoroughly traditional lines and chose a newcomer known only asHammerhead, an amnesia victim whose new ruthless persona had been shaped by his love for gangster films. Hammerhead uses methods from the Prohibition era, including gang wars, although he will use advanced technology for personal ends, such as the exoskeleton that magnifies his strength. In light of Hammerhead's recent loyalty shift toMister Negative, the status of his Maggia family remains undetermined. They very normally ally withTombstone andChameleon.
The following characters have been members of the Maggia's Hammerhead family:
Top Man – Former leader of the Hammerhead family. First appeared inFantastic Four #101 (Aug 1970). Assassinated by an unknown member of his Maggia group.[16]
Big Rock – Rank unknown. First appeared inFantastic Four #101 (Aug. 1970).
Blackwing (Joseph Manfredi) – The son of Silvermane. Rank unknown. First appeared inDaredevil #118 (Feb. 1975).
Eel (Edward Lavell) – One-time employee and representative of the Maggia's Gulf Coast operations. First appeared inPower Man and Iron Fist #92 (April 1983).[18]
Gimlet – The Top Man's lieutenant who aspired to become the next Top Man. First appeared inFantastic Four #101 (Aug. 1970).
Tombstone - He briefly usurped the leadership from Hammerhead inSpectacular Spider-Man #204.
This group bears little resemblance to the rest of the Maggia. The Italian noblemanCount Luchino Nefaria, a scientific genius, was the world's most powerful Maggia leader until his initial defeat by the Avengers. Afterwards, he moved his base of operations to the New York City area, and then imprisoned Washington, D.C. within an impenetrable force-dome and held it for ransom. After his defeat and capture, his daughter Giulietta, also known as Whitney Frost, succeeded him as family head and led an unsuccessful attempt to capture the advanced weaponry of Tony Stark. She was eventually succeeded by a costumed criminal, the Masked Marauder, who demanded complete control of New York City or else he would detonate a nuclear device there. After his capture, the family again apparently came under control of Whitney Frost, by then known as Madame Masque.[19] Contrary to standard Maggia practice, the Nefaria family, principally consisting of men under 40, has employed futuristic weaponry and even robots (like theDreadnoughts),[20] as well as costumed super-powered agents (Unicorn,Whiplash,Gladiator, etc.),[21] and has launched open attacks on society. Its leader is always known as "Big M". With Count Nefaria and Masque now pursuing separate agendas, it is not known who, if anyone, currently heads the Nefaria Family.
The following characters have been members of the Maggia's Nefaria family:
The Costa family is associated with the Maggia and was responsible for the death of Frank Castle's family, which led to Castle becoming the Punisher. At one point, they used William Russo (a.k.a.Jigsaw) as an enforcer and hitman.[25]
The following members are seen in the Costa family:
Luis Allegre – Member of the Costa family. First appeared inMarvel Super Action #1. Killed by the Punisher.
Bruno Costa – Enforcer of the Costa family and brother ofFrank Costa. First appeared inMarvel Preview #2. Killed by Frank Costa's assassin Audrey.
Byron Hannigan – Member of the Costa family. First appeared inMarvel Super Action #1. Killed by the Punisher.
Leon Kolsky – Member of the Costa family. First appeared inMarvel Super Action #1. He was killed when the Punisher tricked him into firing on an aquarium tank that contained a shark.
Matt Skinner – Member of the Costa family. First appeared inMarvel Super Action #1. Killed by the Punisher.
Jimmy-6 (Giacomo Fortunato) – The son of Don Fortunato and his top enforcer. First appeared inSpider-Man #70.
Angelo Fortunato – The youngest son of Don Fortunato, who briefly became the host forVenom. First appeared inMarvel Knights: Spider-Man #7. Killed when he fled from a battle with Spider-Man and was abandoned by the Venom symbiote for his cowardice.
The Karnelli family that had a marriage that once united their crime family with the Silvermane family.
The following members are seen in the Karnelli family:
Bruno Karnelli - The leader of the Karnelli family. First appeared inAmazing Spider-Man #547.
Ando Karnelli - Member of the Karnelli family. First appeared inAmazing Spider-Man #547.
Carmine Karnelli - An adoptive member of the Karnelli family. First appeared inAmazing Spider-Man #547. He was killed inAmazing Spider-Man #619.
Joe Karnelli - Member of the Karnelli family. First appeared inAmazing Spider-Man #618.
Robert "Bobby" Karnelli - Member of the Karnelli family. First appeared inAmazing Spider-Man #547. He was mentioned inOld Man Logan (vol. 2) #43 to have been killed by Bullseye after being driven into a murderous frenzy by Old Man Logan.
Vincenzo Karnelli - Member of the Karnelli family. First appeared inAmazing Spider-Man #618.
The Libris family is a crime family that specializes in counterfeiting, extortion, gambling, gun sales, and union shakedowns. They no longer take part in the drug business when their leader's daughter O.D.'d on drugs.
The following members are seen in the Libris family:
Isabelle Libris - The alleged crime boss of the Libris family. First appeared inDaredevil (vol. 6) #7. She was killed inDaredevil (vol. 6) #33.
Lavinia "Lavita" Libris - The crime boss of the Libris family during the 1970s. First appeared inDaredevil (vol. 6) #8.
The following members do not fall under the category of the other five Maggia families:
Bobby Peculo – First appeared inPunisher: No Escape #1. Killed by thePunisher.
Bushmaster (John McIver) – First appeared inIron Fist #15. He was killed when the process that gave Luke Cage his powers proved to be too much for him.
Chic DiAngelo - A Maggia crime lord who was behind the experiments that led to the origins ofCloak and Dagger andMister Negative. First appeared inPower Pack #6.
Cyclone (Pierre Fresson) – He served as a speaker for the European branches of the Maggia. First appeared inThunderbolts #3.
Gideon Mace – First appeared inHeroes for Hire #3.
Goldbug – One-time employee. First appeared inPower Man #41.
Grim Reaper (Eric Williams) – First appeared inAvengers #52.
Guido Carboni – A crime boss. First appeared inMarvel Spotlight #20 where he was depicted as a big time crime boss who held operations all across New York. One night, a cat burglar named Monty Walsh attempted to rob him, but Guido and his men shot and killed him as he was trying to escape. Unbeknownst to Guido and his men, Monty was saved by the Uni-Power and becameCaptain Universe. Guido found his operations falling apart due to Monty's use of the power. Guido was finally confronted by Monty, who planned to kill him and then use the power for his own selfish needs; unfortunately for Monty, the Uni-Power left him because of this and Guido was arrested by the police, raving about how a dead body had superpowers.
Joey Tartaglione - A Maggia family member who operated out ofEllis Island and assisted in obtaining runaways for Chic DiAngelo and Simon Marshall's experiments that led to the origins of Cloak and Dagger and Mister Negative. First appeared inPeter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #64. He and his men were tricked into running out a high window to their deaths by Cloak.
Mind-Master – Ruffio Costa is a crime lord who once kidnapped Robert Mallory's son Keith. First appeared inDaredevil Annual #4.
Mysterio (Quentin Beck) – First appeared inThe Amazing Spider-Man #13.
Nautilus – An enforcer from Chicago. First appeared inSpider-Man Unlimited #6.
Photon (Jason Dean) – First appeared in a crossover story inNova #12 andAmazing Spider-Man #171. He was responsible for murdering Nova's uncle Ralph Rider.
Razorwind – An enforcer from Chicago. First appeared inSpider-Man Unlimited #6.
Shigeru Ichihara – A Maggia member who handled all Maggia activities on the Pacific Rim. First appeared inAvengers (vol. 3) #31.
Simon Marshall – A Maggia chemist who Chic DiAngelo used in the experiments that played a part in the origins of Cloak and Dagger and Mister Negative. Marshall is later killed by Cloak and Dagger.
Smuggler (Erik Josten) – First appeared inAvengers #21 (Oct. 1965)
T.B. Smithson – A Maggia member who controls all Maggia activities in Texas. First appeared inAvengers (vol. 3) #31.
Tapping Tommy – First appeared inDefenders #30.
Trapster (Peter Petruski) – First appeared inFantastic Four #38. He was a member of the Maggia inThing #4.
Vic Slaughter – Assassin. First appeared inMorbius the Living Vampire #6.
Vincent Mangaro – A crime boss who set up a drug-dealing operation in New York. First appeared inPunisher: No Escape #1. Killed by thePunisher.
Although the Maggia organization is, for the most part, analogous in the Marvel Universe to the real-life Italian and Italian-AmericanMafia or La Cosa Nostra, there exist in the Marvel Universe other Italian crime families that resemble more closely the real Mafia or La Cosa Nostra. Some of these families and organizations have been referred to as "the Mafia" in recent comics, but it is unknown whether or not these families ultimately operate under Marvel's Maggia organization or are a part of a separate, more realistic La Cosa Nostra organization in the Marvel Universe. These more realistic Italian Mafia organizations are often featured inPunisher comics. As most of these organizations operate on a crew-based street level and specialize in traditional organized crime rather than superpowered organized crime, it is possible they are not connected to the more powerful Maggia. Examples of these organizations include:
Angelone family -
Gnucci family – It was known for the infamousMa Gnucci.
In theHouse of M reality, the Maggia is a criminal organization that was led by Count Nefaria. The Maggia were annihilated byMagneto'sSentinels for plotting against him.[26]
The Maggia appear inIron Man (2008). This version of the group is a weapons manufacturing company and former partner ofStark Industries. When Tony Stark announces that his company is no longer producing weapons, the Maggia attempt to seek revenge, but Iron Man cripples their production capabilities and forces them into bankruptcy.[31][32] In an article forIGN, game director Jeffrey Tseng explained that adapting theIron Man film script into a game was the perfect opportunity to include characters and groups from Iron Man's history to fill it out. He declared "...we were looking through Iron Man's history to find characters and groups that would resonate with dedicated fans. [The] Maggia,Advanced Idea Mechanics,Titanium Man, and other characters in the game all came from this extensive research."[33]
The New York branch of the Maggia appears in theSpider-Man DLCThe City That Never Sleeps,[citation needed] consisting of the Fortunato, Costa, Cicero, Mauchio, andHammerhead families. Following the arrest of the Kingpin andMister Negative in the main game, the Maggia attempt to fill the power vacuum and engage in a brutal gang war. Hammerhead tries to force the other families to submit to him before he is defeated by Spider-Man andSilver Sable.
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