Got to get over the hump

Been reading this awesome book called The first family about the first Mafia boss and family in the US. Its a fascinating read both in its subject matter and how the author sets the historical context for all the events he describes. For example the tenements in New York and how there would be these large immigrant families all living in one small apartment. This was before a lot of building codes were in effect and thus the tenements were packed. At the turn of the century some of these neighborhoods in New york had a high population density than Bombay. Also he describes how the Mafia came about from its origins in Sicily which had been plagued by a succession of foreign rulers which in turn bred a disdain for authority. The mafia thrived in this setting which in also led them to gain such a foothold in America. Whats interesting for me is as I read more about these guys is really what reprehensible characters they really are. While I do find aspects of they're lifestyle glamorous I can't deny their horrible nature. In Naples for example the Camorra controls the garbage collectors and recently something happened where they went on strike or something and the garbage has been piling up all over the city. In facts its gotten so bad that Italy has had to send their trash over to Germany to incinerate it. Because of the Mafia's control of the construction unions in New York all of the construction and public works costs went up because of the Mafias inflated prices on the projects. Also the overall cost of living in New york went up because of mafia price gouging. Talk about a drain on society. Still I cannot look away.