The son of a Mafia leader in New York City has offered protection to the people of the city against Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists.
Giovanni Gambino told NBC News that the Sicilian Mafia is working to protect New York City neighbourhoods from terrorists.
"The Mafia has a bad reputation, but much of that's undeserved," said Gambino. "As with everything in life, there are good, bad and ugly parts – the rise of global terrorism gives the Mafia a chance to show its good side."
He said the ISIS fears the Sicilian Mafia such that there's no underground cells being formed in Sicily and the island has not recorded any terrorist incidents.
"The world is dangerous today, but people living in New York neighbourhoods with Sicilian connections should feel safe," he added. "We make sure our friends and families are protected from extremists and terrorists, especially the brutal, psychopathic organisation that calls itself the Islamic State."
Gambino said the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security are limited to what they can do and they often act too late or fail to see what's really happening due to lack of "human intelligence."
He said the Mafia and its allies are connected to neighbourhoods in a meaningful way.
His offer came in the wake of the Paris attacks that killed at least 130 people and injured hundreds.
CIA Director John Brennan warned that the ISIS is planning to launch more attacks.
"I certainly would not consider it a one-off event," he said, according to Fox News8.
"It is clear to me that ISIL has an external agenda, that they are determined to carry out these types of attacks," he said. "This is not something that was done in a matter of days. This was carefully planned over the course I think of several months, in terms of making (sure) they had the operatives, the weapons and the explosives with the suicide belts."
A new ISIS video recently surfaced online threatening attacks on the U.S.
"A similar day that France went through, you will go through," an ISIS member said in the video footage. "I swear to God just as we struck France in its stronghold Paris, we will strike the U.S. in its stronghold Washington."
