Where The Mafia Operates In Italy

The maps on this page show where the Mafia operates in Italy including where different Mafia groups are strongest and weakest.

They all come from the The Transcrime report L’espansione ed il peso dell’economia criminale. Published 8 Novembre 2013.

Where The Mafia Operates In Italy By Region

Where Different Mafia Groups Operate

The image illustrates the geographical presence of five major organized crime groups in Italy:

Cosa Nostra (Sicilian Mafia):

Origin: Sicily.
Characteristics: A hierarchical structure, deeply rooted in Sicilian culture, history, and society. Known internationally due to significant media attention and high-profile trials, especially the Maxi Trial in the 1980s.
Activities: Extortion, drug trafficking, public contracts manipulation, money laundering, political influence.

Camorra:

Origin: Campania, notably around Naples.
Characteristics: Looser, clan-based structure compared to the more hierarchical Cosa Nostra. Highly territorial, fragmented into many competing clans.
Activities: Drug trade, extortion, illegal waste disposal, counterfeiting, and public corruption.

‘Ndrangheta:

Origin: Calabria, southern Italy.
Characteristics: Extremely secretive and family-oriented. Widely regarded as currently the most powerful Italian mafia organization globally due to their extensive drug trafficking networks and control over cocaine importation into Europe.
Activities: Cocaine trafficking, money laundering, extortion, public contracts manipulation, global infiltration.

CO Pugliese (Sacra Corona Unita):

Origin: Apulia (Puglia).
Characteristics: Youngest and smallest of Italy’s major mafia groups, founded in the 1970s. Less centralized, influenced by nearby Balkans criminal groups.
Activities: Human trafficking, drug and arms smuggling, extortion, prostitution, cigarette smuggling.

Altre OC (Other Organized Crime Groups):

Characteristics: Includes localized and less famous mafia-like groups across various Italian regions. These groups operate on a smaller scale, yet still significant in their locales.
Activities: Typically smaller-scale extortion, drug dealing, and localized corruption.

General Summary of Mafia’s Role in Italy and Beyond:

The Italian mafia groups deeply affect economic, social, and political landscapes in Italy.

Historically rooted in conditions of poverty, weak governance, and mistrust towards state institutions, the mafias have grown into highly organized entities with significant local and international influence.

Inside Italy, their roles include:

Economic Manipulation: They heavily influence the economy, through businesses both legitimate and illicit.
Political Influence: Historically infiltrate local and regional governments, affecting policies and public contracts.
Social Impact: Promoting a culture of silence (omertà), creating fear and undermining social trust.

Outside Italy, mafias are notably internationalized, especially ‘Ndrangheta:

Global Networks: Active in Europe, the Americas, and Australia, operating robust trafficking routes, particularly cocaine.
Financial Influence: Deeply embedded in international money laundering, exploiting financial markets and businesses worldwide.

Overall, while law enforcement and judicial systems continue to combat them, these groups remain highly adaptive, sophisticated, and resilient.

And finally here’s a map showing all the different Mafia groups power on one map: