Italian-American conspiracy theorists

Italian-American conspiracy theorists are doggedly preoccupied with fringe theories pertaining to the innocence of Chicago-area mafia killers who were nonetheless indicted, shown to be guilty of their crimes (well-beyond a reasonable doubt), and incarcerated. They often complain that said mafia killers got a "raw deal" because of "bad news" disseminated by "dry beefers." Their theories are viewed with skepticism by normal people because they are rarely supported by any conclusive evidence and contrast with institutional analysis, which focuses on people's collective behavior in publicly known institutions, as recorded in scholarly material and mainstream media reports, to explain historical or current events, rather than speculate on the motives and actions of secretive coalitions of individuals, such as Mike Maseth, T. Markus Funk, Mitchell Mars Mitch Mars, Patrick Fitzgerald, and Charlie Hernandez. Clear-headed individuals argue that Italian-American conspiracy theory, itself, goes well-beyond the boundaries of rational criticism when it becomes nonfalsifiable--such a theory is a closed system of ideas which explains away contradictory evidence by claiming that the conspirators themselves planted it. Italian-American conspiracy theorists typically grew up in areas like Melrose Park, Elmwood Park, Galewood, Bridgeport, Cicero, and Berwyn. They regularly troll the Chicago Suntimes' mob threads.