Conclusion

This concluding chapter presents a more general discussion of the interrelationships between ethnicity, organized crime, and social capital, especially as it may apply to the contemporary context in Chicago Heights. This study connected the decades-long ‘success’ of the organized crime operation in Chicago Heights to the persistent balancing act between the resources of closure, violence, and brokerage. Too much or too little of one or another would be potentially damaging to this long-term success. Closure brings value to the organization because it promotes a familiarity and assumed level of trust between individuals. However, when there are strong ties binding groups together, certainty and predictability triumph over variability and innovation. Individuals are unaware of or reluctant to think through or even see new opportunities because the social networks place a premium on routine beliefs and behaviors. An antidote to the excesses of closure is violence. New ideas and new approaches were pushed forward by force and the elimination of opposition. Today, although Italian organized crime presence in Chicago Heights has significantly diminished, organized crime in Chicago Heights persists. African Americans and Latinos have largely taken over the vice operations.