The development of Corsic crime in Marseille and beyond

The history of organized crime in Marseille is characterized by a long tradition in which criminal structures were closely intertwined with political power games. The Corsican mafias, who played an important role in the first third of the 20th century, had a significant impact on the city’s image. This text follows the development of these criminal networks, theirConnections to politics, their international activities and the impact on the local society. The main actors, their strategies and the political circumstances, which made it possible for the underworld to play such a central role in the city’s public life, are examined. It becomes clear how the criminal structures have changed over the decades,Their interdependencies became more and more complex and they ultimately not only determined the downsides of the city, but also significantly influenced their development. This story is characterized by power struggles, political intrigue, illegal business and the recurring attempts to retain or gain control of the urban environment. The boundaries were blurredIncreasingly between crime and politics, so that the underworld has long become an integral part of urban politics.

The beginnings: Corsican roots and the first connections to politics

The connections between the Corsican mobster structures and the political scene were established at the beginning of the 20th century when Marseille developed into an important hub for smuggling, illegal business and organized crime networks. During this time, the first figures that can be considered the modern gangsters, including personalities such asFrançois Spirito and Paul Bonnaventure Carbone. Before their ascent, the criminal milieu of Marseille was characterized by a large number of colorful figures, which mostly acted in small, uncoordinated groups. These figures were mostly pimps, gunslingers or simple crooks whose life goal was to earn an income through the sale of alcohol, drugs or through prostitution toto live a comfortable life. Their values were characterized by short-term profit and ambition to rise above the others was hardly there. For her, investing in one or two prostitutes was the safest and most lucrative source of income. Most of these criminals strove for a life of peace, without any major ambitions, to embrace political power structuresto interfere or gain influence. But with the rise of Carbone and Spirito, both of which began to build up their structures in the 1920s, the attitude changed fundamentally. These two men, who had a close friendship, formed a partnership that was to change the entire criminal scene in Marseille forever. They brought a new, more professionalDimension in the milieu, which was previously characterized by chance, petty crime and uncoordinated activities. Their collaboration marked the beginning of a new era in which organized crime was increasingly intertwined with political networks to protect and expand their business.

Spirito and Carbon: The pioneers of a new era

The man, later known as François Spirito, was born in Marseille in January 1900, at that time still as Charles Henri Faccia. His original name was later only half legibly noted in the files, since Spirito always tried to cover up his true identity. He distinguished himself with his extraordinary inventiveness, his feeling for organization andits ability to coordinate illegal business across the Atlantic. His criminal career began smuggling, making him one of the most active and well-known transatlantic smugglers of his time. Before the outbreak of World War II, he was convicted twice in Boston. The first time in 1929 due to illegal entry, the second time in 1939 because he was aboard the “SSExeter” had smuggled 28 kilograms of opium. His activities went far beyond drug trafficking and also included smuggling weapons, alcohol and other illegal goods that were central to the criminal networks in Marseille, the US and beyond. Paul Bonnaventure Carbone, who also came from Marseilles, was eventually passed through in 1943The French Resistance murdered. Nevertheless, Spirito lived on until the late 1960s and with its influence in the underworld retreated to the French Riviera. He ran a restaurant in Sausset-les-Pins, which served as a retreat and meeting place for his confidants. Despite his withdrawal, his influence remained, which was carried out by an investigation by the FrenchFederal Intelligence Service was confirmed in 1965. It was found that Spirito still had active criminal partners who ran from heroin trade in Marseille to transatlantic smuggling and drug deals in New York. These findings underline the enormous importance of his influence and the intertwining of his criminal networks, which are well over Marseille.went out.

Building an international smuggling and prostitution empire

One of the first major Carbone and Spirito operations was the establishment of a brothel in Cairo that was operated by French staff in the late 1920s. This step marked the beginning of their international activities in the field of prostitution, smuggling and organized crime. After returning to Marseille, they continued their expansion andorganized prostitution to a previously unknown extent. They recognized the importance of political influence at an early stage in order to protect and expand their business. They understood that corruption at the local level played an important role in protecting their business from police action. Their activities increasingly merged with political power structures, whatallowed them to secure protection and influence in the city. They used their connections to gain advantages from local politicians and officials, which in turn gave them control over the sex and smuggling market in Marseille and beyond.

Political influence and power in Marseille

In 1931, Carbone and Spirito managed to conclude a kind of informal understanding with Simon Sabiani, the then fascist vice-mayor of Marseille. This alliance opened the gates to political power by making Sabiani the brother Carbones director of the municipal stadium and the city administration for employing people from their criminal environmentopened. These favors made it possible for the two to further expand their criminal networks and to secure political influence at local level. In turn, Carbone and Spirito organized a group of violent gangsters who appeared as a violent spearhead at fascist demonstrations in the 1930s. These demonstrations were often fromaccompanied by considerable riots, in which the underworld played a crucial role. While fascism and National Socialism gained strength across Europe, Marseille and his underworld were part of this development. Mussolini ruled in Italy, Hitler came to power in Germany, and in France fascist groups were established who tried to get the republicto overthrow violence. The city of Marseille became a focal point of these developments, with the connections between the underworld and the political forces becoming ever closer. In February 1934, massive left-wing protests against the fascist marches, which were brutally crushed by the violent thugs around Carbone and Spirito, occurred on the Canebière, the main boulevard.were. The police intervened, the demonstrators were expelled and injured were taken to the hospital. Despite these conflicts, after several years of street fighting, the left-wing forces were able to forge a joint election list with the fascists to elect a socialist mayor. This election victory was just a short episode in the eventful history of politicalInfluence of the underworld, but he showed how closely linked the criminal structures were with politics in Marseille. The underworld became a political factor that had a lasting impact on the city and significantly influenced its development.

The influence of the underworld on society and politics in Marseille

From the perspective of international politics and local power structures, it may seem unusual at first that organized crime in Marseilles took on such a central role in urban politics. But in France, the power of the road, mass mobilization and political demonstrations had always been a central force. Already in the first half of the19th century, in the uprisings against monarchical rule, up to the political crises at the end of the 19th century and the social-revolutionary movements of the 1960s, it was repeatedly shown that the ability to mobilize and control the masses on the boulevards was decisive for political success. The control of public space becameMeans of exercising power, which significantly strengthened the influence of criminal networks in Marseille. Although Carbone and Spirito lost control of the official city government after their defeat at Sabiani, their economic power remained unbroken. The drugs, weapons and smuggling trade continued to flourish, and the links to political actors continued to exist. theStarted in the US organized drug trade in the early 1930s, Carbone offered the chance to establish a heroin laboratory, which further consolidated its power. The outbreak of the Spanish Civil War also enabled him to enter the arms trade, which expanded his possibilities for influence. The criminal networks in Marseille have long been part of the politicaland economic system, which was constantly on the move and was constantly being re-formed. With the beginning of the German occupation of France in 1940, the situation intensified dramatically. The German troops that controlled Marseille were faced with the challenge of smashing the resistance movement. They turned to the leading figures of the underworld who were readywere to collaborate with the occupiers. The cooperation between Gestapo and criminal structures became everyday life. On July 14, 1942, the French National Day, the Résistance demonstrated its strength by attacking the headquarters of a pro-German organization in Marseille. The building of the Parti Populaire Français, of which regional director Simon Sabiani was, wasmachine gun fire taken. The next day, Carbone and Spirito provided the Gestapo with a complete list of those involved, which earned them significant rewards. But this phase was short-lived. In 1943, Carbone died in a Resistance attack when his train was blown up near Marseille. Spirito, who was still active, fled after theAllies landed in 1944 to Spain to avoid persecution. After the war he returned to France, was arrested several times and tried for collaboration with the Germans. After a few months in prison, he retired to private life, opened a restaurant on the French Riviera and lived in the shadow of his past from then on.Although he remained active in drug trafficking, his influence in Marseille had clearly disappeared. Occasionally, criminal gangs asked him to use his prestige to settle bloody feuds, but in public he was only a respected citizen who lived in Toulon until his death in 1967. His past and influence are part of the complex history ofCorsican criminals in Marseille whose shadows still have an effect today.