Steubenville has had a mob history as part of it's culture for some time...

[Earth_First]

With ties to the mob, Steubenville has been referred to as "Little Chicago" by locals, plays host to the Dean Martin Festival and is part of a plot in the Hollywood made for television hit The Sopranos.

So it's no wonder why local law enforcement and everyone involved from the top down believe that this ordeal can be swept under the rug.

They feel a mafia sense of entitlement to being untouchable, not matter how heinous the crime.

It's time that local law enforcement was stripped of their investigative power and the federal government was brought in...

[PoliticAverse]

1. 1997 Justice Department - Steubenville consent decree

http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/spl/documents/steubensa.php

See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steubenville,_Ohio under Political corruption

[limpyhobbler]

2. I don't think mafia connections or history have any bearing on this at all.

I think the football culture and old fashioned ideas caused it.

Old fashioned ideas that rape is that not so bad, boys will be boys, she was asking for it, all that stuff.

Many rapes and rape cover-ups happen at lily white fraternity houses, or in the army, or in prison.

This could have happened anywhere in America, or at least many places.

The particular history of criminal gangs in the city is not an issue in my opinion.