Mafia life in the 1940's was not all Pinstripes and Tommy Guns. There were actually aspects of the Italian Mafia that
operated outside of the realm of the criminal underworld. The Mafia was responsible for advances in Literature, Music, Entertainment,
and other aspects of life that people enjoyed. The Mafia surprisingly even shared ideals with Zen Buddhists.
The Italian Mafia of New York city also had an open relationship with what would later come to be known as the Beat Generation.
Such prominent names as William Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg worked with members of the criminal underworld on several occasions.
Allen Ginsberg even mentions his time spent around the Mafia in his most famous poem "Howl".
Counterculture refers to the values and norms of a group or subgroup that operate counter to the standards of what we
consider to benormal society. The Beats and Mafia are closely related in this aspect as the Beats celebrated nonconformity
while the Mafia operated as their own independent society.
