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Image for event: The History of Organized Crime

Registration now closed

The History of Organized Crime

Presented by Debra Dreisbach

2025-03-26 18:00:00 2025-03-26 19:00:00 America/New_York The History of Organized Crime Cape May Court House - Presentation Room

Wednesday, March 26
6:00pm - 7:00pm

Add to Calendar 2025-03-26 18:00:00 2025-03-26 19:00:00 America/New_York The History of Organized Crime Registration requested. Cape May Court House - Presentation Room

Cape May Court House

Presentation Room

Registration requested.

All events are tentatively scheduled and may change. Please see the CMCL Events Calendar on our website, follow us on social media, and subscribe to our weekly eNewsletter for any and all updates.


Lemons, Sicily, and John Gotti: The History of Organized Crime, Italy to present day

In Sicily, the Mafia began as a way of life; a way to protect one's family and loved ones from the injustice of the government.   Sicily's long string of judicially inept governments fostered an environment where those who were shrewd enough could manipulate the system to their advantage, creating wealth, power, and prestige.

For many years, Italy turned a blind eye to the activities of the Mafia, which is not the case anymore.  Throughout Italy, there is a concerted effort among all factions of society to address and eradicate the Mafia’s influence.  The Mafia not only operates illegitimately, but also infiltrates legitimate businesses. For years, politicians, judges and citizen groups have collectively mobilized to remove the Mafia’s influence and intimidation. 

Between 1880 and 1920, a wave of Italian immigrants, including many Sicilians, arrived in the U.S., fleeing poverty, political instability, and limited economic opportunities. The Prohibition Era provided a turning point for Sicilian organized crime.

 

Professor Dreisbach currently teaches at PSU-LV and came to PSU-LV from the PSU Berks campus, where she helped grow and develop the Criminal Justice program, from 2016 to 2022. Prior to teaching full-time, Professor Dreisbach worked in the federal government, where she was employed as a Special Agent/Criminal Investigator, from 1987 through 2013. As an investigator, she specialized in financial crime, money laundering, public corruption, and counterterrorism. Throughout her time as an investigator, Professor Dreisbach was stationed in Maryland, Richmond, Virginia, and Philadelphia, PA.  She served on the Joint Terrorism Task Force, at the FBI office in Philadelphia, from 2008 through 2013.

While an investigator, Professor Dreisbach was also a firearms instructor and was responsible for qualifying agents quarterly on the use of handguns and semi-automatic weapons. She spent time in dignitary protection and was responsible for protecting members of the President’s cabinet and members of Congress when they traveled overseas. Her work in dignitary protection in foreign countries inspired her love of travel overseas.

In her role at Penn State, she created and leads the course Organized Crime in Film & Society, in Palermo and Rome, Italy, for three weeks each summer.

Professor Dreisbach is currently appointed to, by then Attorney General, Josh Shapiro, the Governing Board of the Commonwealth Investigator Training Program (CITP), which was created to provide professional, standardized training to Agents in various Pennsylvania investigative agencies. She also serves on the advisory board for Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, a social-service fraternity, at West Chester University.

She enjoys the beach, reading, and crime documentaries.


Please review our Adult Events Attendance Policy.

Have feedback? We'd love to hear from you! Fill out our online feedback form here!

AGE GROUP: | 18 or older |

EVENT TYPE: | Education |

TAGS: | mafia | history | government | crime |

Cape May Court House

Phone: 609-463-6350

Hours

Cape May Court House

Mon, Apr 21 8:30AM to 9:00PM
Tue, Apr 22 8:30AM to 9:00PM
Wed, Apr 23 8:30AM to 9:00PM
Thu, Apr 24 8:30AM to 9:00PM
Fri, Apr 25 8:30AM to 4:30PM
Sat, Apr 26 9:00AM to 4:30PM
Sun, Apr 27 Closed

Upcoming events

Tue, Apr 22, 9:30am - 10:30am
Cape May City - Events Room North,Events Room South

Tue, Apr 22, 10:00am - 11:00am
Sea Isle City - Public Meeting Room

Tue, Apr 22, 10:00am - 11:00am
Stone Harbor - Events Room

Tue, Apr 22, 1:00pm - 4:30pm
Cape May Court House - Teen Area

Tue, Apr 22, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Sea Isle City - Public Meeting Room
Registration is now closed

Tue, Apr 22, 1:00pm - 2:30pm
Stone Harbor - Kitchen Area
This event is full

Tue, Apr 22, 2:30pm - 3:30pm
Woodbine - Children's Room

Tue, Apr 22, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Lower Township - Joseph Millman Room

Tue, Apr 22, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Cape May Court House - Storytime Room

Tue, Apr 22, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Cape May Court House

Tue, Apr 22, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Cape May Court House - TLC Makerspace

Wed, Apr 23, 9:15am - 10:15am
Wildwood Crest - 2nd Floor Events Room

Wed, Apr 23, 10:00am - 11:00am
Lower Township - Public Meeting Room

Wed, Apr 23, 10:00am - 11:00am
Sea Isle City - Children's Room

Wed, Apr 23, 10:30am - 11:30am
Cape May City - Events Room North,Events Room South

Wed, Apr 23, 11:30am - 12:30pm
Lower Township - Public Meeting Room

Wed, Apr 23, 1:00pm - 4:30pm
Cape May Court House - Teen Area

Wed, Apr 23, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Sea Isle City - Public Meeting Room

Wed, Apr 23, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Woodbine - Children's Room,Events Room

Wed, Apr 23, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Lower Township - Joseph Millman Room

Cancelled
Wed, Apr 23, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Cape May Court House

Wed, Apr 23, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Sea Isle City - Public Meeting Room

Wed, Apr 23, 5:30pm - 8:00pm
Cape May Court House
This event is full

Wed, Apr 23, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Wildwood Crest - 2nd Floor Events Room

Wed, Apr 23, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Cape May Court House - Storytime Room

Thu, Apr 24, 10:00am - 11:30am
Sea Isle City - Public Meeting Room

Thu, Apr 24, 10:00am - 11:00am
Wildwood Crest - 2nd Floor Events Room

Thu, Apr 24, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Lower Township - Public Meeting Room

Thu, Apr 24, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Cape May City - Events Room North,Events Room South

Thu, Apr 24, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Cape May Court House - Presentation Room

Thu, Apr 24, 1:00pm - 4:30pm
Cape May Court House - Teen Area

Thu, Apr 24, 1:30pm - 2:30pm
Cape May City - Events Room North,Events Room South

Thu, Apr 24, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Woodbine - Children's Room

Thu, Apr 24, 2:30pm - 3:30pm
Lower Township - Public Meeting Room

Thu, Apr 24, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Stone Harbor - Kitchen Area

Thu, Apr 24, 3:00pm - 4:30pm
Stone Harbor - Events Room

Thu, Apr 24, 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Upper Township - Events Room

Thu, Apr 24, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Lower Township - Public Meeting Room

Thu, Apr 24, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Cape May Court House - TLC Makerspace

Thu, Apr 24, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Cape May City - Events Room North,Events Room South

Thu, Apr 24, 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Cape May Court House - Storytime Room

Fri, Apr 25, 9:15am - 10:15am
Wildwood Crest - 2nd Floor Events Room

Fri, Apr 25, 10:00am - 11:00am
Lower Township - Public Meeting Room

Fri, Apr 25, 10:00am - 11:00am
Sea Isle City - Public Meeting Room

Fri, Apr 25, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Cape May City - Events Room North,Events Room South

Cancelled
Fri, Apr 25, 11:00am - 1:00pm
Upper Township

Fri, Apr 25, 1:00pm - 4:30pm
Cape May Court House - Teen Area

Fri, Apr 25, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Wildwood Crest - 2nd Floor Events Room

Fri, Apr 25, 1:30pm - 2:30pm
Lower Township - Public Meeting Room

Sat, Apr 26, 9:30am - 10:30am
Lower Township - Public Meeting Room

Sat, Apr 26, 10:00am - 11:00am
Cape May Court House - Children's Room

Sat, Apr 26, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Sea Isle City - Public Meeting Room

Sat, Apr 26, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Wildwood Crest - Children's Room

Mon, Apr 28, All day
Cape May Court House - Presentation Room,Storytime Room

Mon, Apr 28, 10:00am - 10:30am
Lower Township - Joseph Millman Room

Mon, Apr 28, 11:00am - 1:00pm
Lower Township - Public Meeting Room

Mon, Apr 28, 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Cape May City - Events Room North,Events Room South

Mon, Apr 28, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Cape May Court House - TLC Classroom
Please contact the library to register for this event.

Mon, Apr 28, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Cape May Court House - Teen Area

Mon, Apr 28, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Cape May City - Events Room North,Events Room South

Mon, Apr 28, 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Upper Township - Events Room

Mon, Apr 28, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Sea Isle City - Conference Room

Mon, Apr 28, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
CMCL Online - Zoom

Mon, Apr 28, 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Wildwood Crest - 2nd Floor Events Room

Mon, Apr 28, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Stone Harbor - Events Room

Mon, Apr 28, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
CMCL Online - GoToMeeting
Registration is now closed

Cancelled
Mon, Apr 28, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Cape May Court House

Tue, Apr 29, All day
Cape May Court House - Presentation Room,Storytime Room

Tue, Apr 29, 9:30am - 10:30am
Cape May City - Events Room North,Events Room South

Tue, Apr 29, 10:00am - 10:30am
Stone Harbor - Events Room

Tue, Apr 29, 10:00am - 10:45am
Upper Township - Events Room

Tue, Apr 29, 10:00am - 11:00am
Sea Isle City - Public Meeting Room

Tue, Apr 29, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Sea Isle City - Public Meeting Room
Registration is now closed

Tue, Apr 29, 2:30pm - 4:00pm
Woodbine - Events Room

Tue, Apr 29, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Cape May Court House - Teen Area

Tue, Apr 29, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Cape May Court House

Tue, Apr 29, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Cape May Court House - TLC Makerspace