The territorial expansion of mafia-type organized crime. The case of the Italian mafia in Germany

Abstract

The present paper deals with the territorial movements of the mafia groups. Dopo aver postulato che il concetto di mafia fa riferimento a una forma di criminalità organizzata con caratteristiche sui generis, il paper presenta: i) un repertorio dei meccanismi sottesi ai processi espansivi delle mafie in territori estranei a quelli della loro origine; ii) una tassonomia delle forme che assume la presenza mafiosa nei territori non tradizionali. By a case study approach, il quadro concettuale delineato viene applicato alla presenza della mafia in Germania, ricostruita mediante il ricorso a fonti di tipo documenatle. Pur trattandosi di un'indagine di tipo esplorativo, emergono alcune chiare acquisizioni: i) il maggiore coinvolgimento della 'ndrangheta rispetto alle altre mafie italiane tradizionali (Cosa Nostra e Camorra); ii) il fatto che anche nelle espansioni di "successo" la mafia non riproduce il radicamento tipico dei territori originari, incentrando la sua presenza intorno prevalentemente all'infiltrazione dell'economia e alla conduzione di attività nei mercati illegali.

A qualitative reading of the ecological (dis)organisation of criminal associations. The case of the ‘Famiglia Basilischi’ in Italy

“…The Calabrian 'ndrangheta is object of increasing scholarship and research in and outside Italy (Varese, 2005;Dickie, 2013;Macrì and Ciconte, 2009;Varese, 2011;Sciarrone and Storti, 2014;Sergi, 2015b;Sergi, 2015a). The debate around the role, the structure and reach of the 'ndrangheta clans is, however, beyond the scope of this paper.…”

“…This is even truer for studies on mafia groups in Italy. Mafia groups are types of criminal associations supported by social prestige and capable of infiltrating the legal economy and politics (Sciarrone and Storti, 2014). Mafia is the prototypical case of criminal structures transcending class divisions and the divide between illegal and legal (Von Lampe, 2008).…”

“…To the north-west there is Campania with the Camorra; north-east Puglia with criminal groups belonging to Apulian criminal families (formerly known as Sacra Corona Unita); south is Calabria with the 'ndrangheta and Sicily with Cosa Nostra is not that far either. In particular, the fact that, geographically speaking, Basilicata is in the middle among such criminal forces -especially the Calabrian 'ndrangheta, today receiving growing national and international attention (Varese, 2011;Sciarrone and Storti, 2014) -has definitely been considered one of the primary reasons for the birth of autochthonous organised crime groups in the region (Sergi, 2003;Sergi, 2013). …”

Accrual management as an indication of money laundering through legally registered Mafia firms in Italy

“…Furthermore, LMFs consolidate their market power by expelling non-mafiosi entrepreneurs from infiltrated markets or taking control of their firms using direct violence and/or asphyxiation through usurious loans (Masciandaro, 1997;Champeyrache, 2004). Specifically, Mafia organizations are able to benefit from situations of economic crisis, by offering financial resources to entrepreneurs who have difficulty in accessing credit, or by taking over troubled businesses as fronts for money laundering (Riccardi, 2014;Sciarrone and Storti, 2014). The tendency of LMFs to establish a monopoly power is consistent with previous studies, finding that the sectors more vulnerable to Mafia infiltration are characterized by low technological level, high labor and cash intensity, predominance of small-medium enterprises that compete on the local market (e.g.…”

“…construction), low international competition and strong public regulation (e.g. competitive bidding) which allows the Mafia to put pressure on policy-makers and gain advantageous positions in accessing public resources (Daniele and Marani, 2008;Lavezzi, 2008;Riccardi, 2014;Sciarrone and Storti, 2014). …”