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Mafia Life: Love, Death and Money at the Heart of Organised Crime
We see mafias as vast, powerful organisations, harvesting billions of dollars across the globe and wrapping its tentacles around everything from governance to finance. But is this the truth? Travelling from mafia initiation ceremonies in far-flung Russian cities to elite gambling clubs in downtown Macau, Federico Varese sets off in search of answers. Using wiretapped conversations, interviews and previously unpublished police records, he builds up a picture of the real men and women caught up in mafia life, showing their loves and fears, ambitions and disappointments, as well as their crimes. Mafia Life takes us into the real world of organised crime, where mafia henchmen worry about their bad managers and have high blood pressure, assassinations are bungled as often as they come off, and increasing pressure from law enforcement means that a life of crime is no longer lived in the lap of luxury. As our world changes, so must the mafia. Globalisation, migration and technology are disrupting their traditions and threatening their revenue streams, and the mafiosi must evolve or die. Mafia Life is an intense and totally compelling look at an organisation and the daily life of its members, as it gets to grips with the modern world.
Out now in paperback.
Out now in paperback.
288 pages, Paperback
Published April 5, 2018
41 people are currently reading
478 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 9, 2017
Mafia Life is one of those books which got my attention just by the book cover. Mafia movies and documentaries are my guilty pleasure. The Sopranos and movies like Goodfellas, The 25th Hour and of course The Godfather trilogy offer up old school code, flashy, trashy suits and women, with double crossing heists and dodgy deals. Even if bodies do end up gruesomely buried in cement, or hanging in freezer trucks, there is a certain glamour and allure, but does the life of a real gangster live up to that of popular culture?
Author Federico Varese has infiltrated and studied organised crime across the globe for many years as a professor of criminology and offers a detailed insight from his own interviews along with a wide range of documents, books and other journalists input. Mafia Life takes us across continents and into the underbelly of the Russian and Sicilian Mafia, the Yakuza and the Triads, from initiation ‘birth’ to death.
Is Mafia Life Worth The Read?
If you are interested in how the main mafia families were started, how the money train works and just how far up the tree they go, then yes, this book is definitely for you. What I found interesting was that these criminal organisations are run more like religious sects than businesses. The rules and rituals are adhered to even today with little change and most old school rules still apply. However, the business and money side does need to grow and change if it is to survive. Where once illegal and fake goods could be shipped and sold in stores and street corners, they are now readily available on eBay. Even illegal and prescription drugs can be purchased online if you know where to look and anyone these days can become a small-time drug dealer, so how do the mafia keep ahead of the curve? What really fascinated me was just how such large sums of money can, and is, laundered through private and national banks across the world. Our own Commbank has hit the headlines recently for such investigations and makes you think just who knows who, and who is buying who.
Mafia Life is an interesting read for those who not only have an interest in the global criminal underbelly and old-school mafioso but those who are keen to follow the finances and money trail right up to the top, all adding up to billions of dollars of wealth.
Author Federico Varese has infiltrated and studied organised crime across the globe for many years as a professor of criminology and offers a detailed insight from his own interviews along with a wide range of documents, books and other journalists input. Mafia Life takes us across continents and into the underbelly of the Russian and Sicilian Mafia, the Yakuza and the Triads, from initiation ‘birth’ to death.
Is Mafia Life Worth The Read?
If you are interested in how the main mafia families were started, how the money train works and just how far up the tree they go, then yes, this book is definitely for you. What I found interesting was that these criminal organisations are run more like religious sects than businesses. The rules and rituals are adhered to even today with little change and most old school rules still apply. However, the business and money side does need to grow and change if it is to survive. Where once illegal and fake goods could be shipped and sold in stores and street corners, they are now readily available on eBay. Even illegal and prescription drugs can be purchased online if you know where to look and anyone these days can become a small-time drug dealer, so how do the mafia keep ahead of the curve? What really fascinated me was just how such large sums of money can, and is, laundered through private and national banks across the world. Our own Commbank has hit the headlines recently for such investigations and makes you think just who knows who, and who is buying who.
Mafia Life is an interesting read for those who not only have an interest in the global criminal underbelly and old-school mafioso but those who are keen to follow the finances and money trail right up to the top, all adding up to billions of dollars of wealth.
November 20, 2018
Libro muy interesante sobre algunas mafias del mundo
April 13, 2020
Książką,na której stronach ukazane jest życie mafii sycylijskiej,włosko-amerykańkiej,Yakuzy,Triad,worów czy nowych worów. Zainteresowana twórczością kryminalną zdecydowałam się na pewniejszą literaturę,która mnie nie zawiodła. Autor prostym językiem objaśnia zasady przyjmowania nowych członków mafii,wojny,które odbywały się między nimi oraz szczegóły śmierci,jakie wykonywali na swoich wrogach. Książka zdecydowanie dla ludzi o mocnych nerwach. Polecam tym,którzy oglądali film Ojciec chrzestny i są zainteresowani życiem gangsterów.
November 3, 2022
Das Mafia Leben und ihre Strukturen. Wer sich schon immer gefragt hat, was das Ziel von der Mafia ist, welche Gruppierungen es weltweit gibt und wie sie sich organisieren, für den ist dieses Buch recht interessant.
Man lernt viel darüber, welche Auswirkungen es auch auf die Politik hat und wieso sie kaltblütige Morde in der Öffentlichkeit begehen.
Man lernt viel darüber, welche Auswirkungen es auch auf die Politik hat und wieso sie kaltblütige Morde in der Öffentlichkeit begehen.
May 19, 2019
The book is simply fascinating, the way it drags us into the intricacies of the Mafia world. The separation of the chapters by the themes that raise us biggest curiosity, the diverse cultures and their influence in the own rules of each Mafiosi brotherhood. The rules, the punishments, the initiations, the religiosity of all of them, but mostly the light form as the author transports us through the hardness of these world it is extraordinary. The several oficial documents that he had to read, the travels that he had to make, the interviews with those who relied on him to allow an approximation. Fantastic.
January 17, 2020
In the early hours of today, I finished reading Federico Varese's book - Mafia Life Love, Death and Money at the Heart of Organised Crime. Federico is a Professor of Criminology at Oxford University.
In Mafia Life, we are shown what it means to be a Mafiosi - a member of the Mafia. Touching key mafia groups originating in Russia, Italy, Hong Kong and Japan the reader gets insights into the ordinary life with its complex challenges faced by these criminals as they run their organizations.
For some people, a Mafioso is a big man living in a faraway place enjoying the good life, yet as the example of a recent event in Greater Manchester shows they indeed can nest in our midst, and often do lodge amongst us.
#DoYouKnow There is a Mafia in Italy with a revenue stream of around US$72 billion (more than twice Nigeria's annual budget)?
While there is a general tendency to see the mafia as demonic sociopaths with no care in the world, the reason for the entrenchment of some of the longest-serving Mafia in the world is because of failed or inadequate justice system. Rather than be subjected to extortions by police officers and other gangsters, citizens may seek protection from the Mafia. The Mafia often help with the collection of informal loans and the settling of a variety of social disputes as well. Mafia states have developed in the past, funding infrastructures and state institutions: schools, roads, and power plants exist thanks to the black economy.
Right now, there is a Mafia state in existence. They are trying to build a viable state, even though they do not allow free elections. They have created an elaborate administration, comprising fifteen ministries and seven local administrations. Although there is no Western-style rule of law, even family members and relatives of its leaders are arrested if they blatantly break the law. They have a professional fighting force, run by a general staff. Want to know this state? Read the book.
Yet Mafia rule has devastating collective consequences on economic development. In a world controlled largely by the Mafia, legitimate businesses do not want to “attract attention,” and opportunities are forgone in order to avoid complications and genuine danger. Mafia interference acts as a deterrent against expansion, every attempt at which involves time-consuming negotiations and a cut in profit margins. Those who expand their business know that it is thanks to Mafia support rather than the quality of their services or goods.
Federico shows how politics sometimes doesn't care about these devastating consequences. In a curious account, a Georgian opposition tipped off the Mafia to an anti-mafia government raid, so they could enlist the Mafia to rig votes. The opposition won the election in 2012. Similar cases of connivance abound all around the world, including Hong Kong. They are used to target labor movements and trade unions. Even the US government partnered with the Mafia in World War II.
And this is an important reason the Mafia love democracy. There is a strong connection between democracy and the emergence of mafias. Totalitarian regimes, such as Stalinist Russia or Nazi Germany, do not allow the emergence of alternative sources of authority. In such regimes, the authorities don’t need the Mafia – they can harass the people and protestors directly.
But even in democracies where Mafias operate the best, things are not as rosy as outsiders think. Criminal competitors have emerged from migrant groups, making their lives difficult - good examples are the Eiye and Black Axe fraternities from Nigeria who have made their homes in traditional mafia strongholds in Italy. Even though they are developing sophisticated means of hiding illicit money, sustained police scrutiny has increased the likelihood of being cheated by bankers and financial professionals. How can they trust that someone who is specialized in complex commercial transactions will tell them the truth?
A fine point made in the book is about movies about the Mafia. Most movies made about the Mafia end up enhancing their reputation, as they are depicted as people with a respectable moral code, or as bloodthirsty evildoers. Yet seeing how devastating their activities can be, certain producers/directors have taken it upon themselves to cast them as unpleasant dwarfs and perverts. Others have used parody and farce to describe their world. These works demystifying the Mafia help to undermine it.
A quick fact: Mario Puzo's The Godfather contains some inaccuracies because he never met a single Mafioso when writing the classic.
Poser: Why do women not feature prominently in Mafias around the world? You are treated to really interesting discussions about women, sex and love in the book.
In the end, Mafia Life shows us that Mafiosi are merely humans; people no smarter than the rest of us, who make mistakes and occasionally get swindled, almost always ending up dead or behind bars. It is easy to imagine them living a very different life if they had a different starting point or turn of events.
Professor Federico has managed to write a compelling book which will appeal to anyone interested in what goes on in the underworld, and even more importantly those who are interested in how to prevent the emergence of a Mafia or accelerate its end.
In Mafia Life, we are shown what it means to be a Mafiosi - a member of the Mafia. Touching key mafia groups originating in Russia, Italy, Hong Kong and Japan the reader gets insights into the ordinary life with its complex challenges faced by these criminals as they run their organizations.
For some people, a Mafioso is a big man living in a faraway place enjoying the good life, yet as the example of a recent event in Greater Manchester shows they indeed can nest in our midst, and often do lodge amongst us.
#DoYouKnow There is a Mafia in Italy with a revenue stream of around US$72 billion (more than twice Nigeria's annual budget)?
While there is a general tendency to see the mafia as demonic sociopaths with no care in the world, the reason for the entrenchment of some of the longest-serving Mafia in the world is because of failed or inadequate justice system. Rather than be subjected to extortions by police officers and other gangsters, citizens may seek protection from the Mafia. The Mafia often help with the collection of informal loans and the settling of a variety of social disputes as well. Mafia states have developed in the past, funding infrastructures and state institutions: schools, roads, and power plants exist thanks to the black economy.
Right now, there is a Mafia state in existence. They are trying to build a viable state, even though they do not allow free elections. They have created an elaborate administration, comprising fifteen ministries and seven local administrations. Although there is no Western-style rule of law, even family members and relatives of its leaders are arrested if they blatantly break the law. They have a professional fighting force, run by a general staff. Want to know this state? Read the book.
Yet Mafia rule has devastating collective consequences on economic development. In a world controlled largely by the Mafia, legitimate businesses do not want to “attract attention,” and opportunities are forgone in order to avoid complications and genuine danger. Mafia interference acts as a deterrent against expansion, every attempt at which involves time-consuming negotiations and a cut in profit margins. Those who expand their business know that it is thanks to Mafia support rather than the quality of their services or goods.
Federico shows how politics sometimes doesn't care about these devastating consequences. In a curious account, a Georgian opposition tipped off the Mafia to an anti-mafia government raid, so they could enlist the Mafia to rig votes. The opposition won the election in 2012. Similar cases of connivance abound all around the world, including Hong Kong. They are used to target labor movements and trade unions. Even the US government partnered with the Mafia in World War II.
And this is an important reason the Mafia love democracy. There is a strong connection between democracy and the emergence of mafias. Totalitarian regimes, such as Stalinist Russia or Nazi Germany, do not allow the emergence of alternative sources of authority. In such regimes, the authorities don’t need the Mafia – they can harass the people and protestors directly.
But even in democracies where Mafias operate the best, things are not as rosy as outsiders think. Criminal competitors have emerged from migrant groups, making their lives difficult - good examples are the Eiye and Black Axe fraternities from Nigeria who have made their homes in traditional mafia strongholds in Italy. Even though they are developing sophisticated means of hiding illicit money, sustained police scrutiny has increased the likelihood of being cheated by bankers and financial professionals. How can they trust that someone who is specialized in complex commercial transactions will tell them the truth?
A fine point made in the book is about movies about the Mafia. Most movies made about the Mafia end up enhancing their reputation, as they are depicted as people with a respectable moral code, or as bloodthirsty evildoers. Yet seeing how devastating their activities can be, certain producers/directors have taken it upon themselves to cast them as unpleasant dwarfs and perverts. Others have used parody and farce to describe their world. These works demystifying the Mafia help to undermine it.
A quick fact: Mario Puzo's The Godfather contains some inaccuracies because he never met a single Mafioso when writing the classic.
Poser: Why do women not feature prominently in Mafias around the world? You are treated to really interesting discussions about women, sex and love in the book.
In the end, Mafia Life shows us that Mafiosi are merely humans; people no smarter than the rest of us, who make mistakes and occasionally get swindled, almost always ending up dead or behind bars. It is easy to imagine them living a very different life if they had a different starting point or turn of events.
Professor Federico has managed to write a compelling book which will appeal to anyone interested in what goes on in the underworld, and even more importantly those who are interested in how to prevent the emergence of a Mafia or accelerate its end.
September 27, 2021
Mafia Life is a book that I decided to buy in an impulsive decision, it's not the kind of book I usually read however, the cover caught my attention as did the subject.
Having just re-watched the movie Godfather a few weeks before seeing this book, I immediately jumped on the opportunity to read about the subject and find out if the movie had some truth to it or if it was all Hollywood inventions. And there is no denying that most people find the mysterious nature of these organizations fascinating, there is a certain intrigue about it, and we all imagine that there is also a certain level of glamour, or at least that is what the movies want us to believe.
Author Federico Varese has studied organized crime across the globe for many years as a professor of criminology, and his book showcases a detailed insight into the many different criminal organizations. We can also find in this book many interviews, documents, other journalist's input.
We find ourselves crossing continents and cultures in this book and yet finding people that at their core are at times surprising alike, Federico showed us criminal organizations such as the ones found in Russia, the famous Sicilian Mafia, and the Yakuza, but also lesser-known organizations such as the Triads. We learn about them as they are now but also how they came to live.
Mafia life is a book for those interested in the subject but also for those curious to know what is true about famous Hollywood movies and Tv shows. It's an easy book to read and understand, hard to put down once one starts to read it.
Having just re-watched the movie Godfather a few weeks before seeing this book, I immediately jumped on the opportunity to read about the subject and find out if the movie had some truth to it or if it was all Hollywood inventions. And there is no denying that most people find the mysterious nature of these organizations fascinating, there is a certain intrigue about it, and we all imagine that there is also a certain level of glamour, or at least that is what the movies want us to believe.
Author Federico Varese has studied organized crime across the globe for many years as a professor of criminology, and his book showcases a detailed insight into the many different criminal organizations. We can also find in this book many interviews, documents, other journalist's input.
We find ourselves crossing continents and cultures in this book and yet finding people that at their core are at times surprising alike, Federico showed us criminal organizations such as the ones found in Russia, the famous Sicilian Mafia, and the Yakuza, but also lesser-known organizations such as the Triads. We learn about them as they are now but also how they came to live.
Mafia life is a book for those interested in the subject but also for those curious to know what is true about famous Hollywood movies and Tv shows. It's an easy book to read and understand, hard to put down once one starts to read it.
November 17, 2024
La obra da lo que promete: ni más ni menos que algunos rituales de las mafias, cómo funcionan entre ellos, códigos de honor, etc. Se centra mucho en la mafia italiana, pero también pasa por la americana, la Yakuza y alguna otra variopinta que puede arrojar algún dato interesante.
Sin embargo, antes que este libro yo ya había leído Crónicas de la Mafia, del periodista Iñigo Domínguez, y para mí, su obra describe más detalles sobre estos delincuentes que Mafia Life, trayéndolo a un terreno más actual, y además recuerdo que lo hace de una manera más entretenida.
Por todo ello, he abandonado la obra de Varese a medias.
Sin embargo, antes que este libro yo ya había leído Crónicas de la Mafia, del periodista Iñigo Domínguez, y para mí, su obra describe más detalles sobre estos delincuentes que Mafia Life, trayéndolo a un terreno más actual, y además recuerdo que lo hace de una manera más entretenida.
Por todo ello, he abandonado la obra de Varese a medias.
August 26, 2020
l'autore ci porta attraverso le sue interviste-ricerche a conoscere come vive un mafioso togliendo quella patina di fascino oscuro da sempre trasmessa nelle trasposizioni cinematografiche
l'inserimento di foto aiuta a capire anche i molti passaggi delle cosiddette iniziazioni
il libro fin'ora che ha riscosso più letture tra i miei studenti e che suscita più curiosità riflessive
l'inserimento di foto aiuta a capire anche i molti passaggi delle cosiddette iniziazioni
il libro fin'ora che ha riscosso più letture tra i miei studenti e che suscita più curiosità riflessive
March 28, 2021
Um livro sobre vários grupos criminosos como Yakuza, Vori, Cosa Nostra e a Máfia Georgiana, onde mostra como gerem, a estrutura desses grupos e influências que afetam na nossa economia.
Foi interessante, mas nada de revelante e surpreendente o que autor descreveu.
Foi interessante, mas nada de revelante e surpreendente o que autor descreveu.
February 26, 2024
Great book diving into multiple mafia groups. It is quite important to know what could be going on inside politics, finance and cafes you might be visiting every day. You never know what could be going on, and this book reminds you just of that.
October 4, 2017
Vetäviä tilannekuvauksia ja kattavaa analyysiä, mutta jotenkin jäi sekavaksi kokonaisuudeksi, ei vähiten maantieteellisen hajanaisuuden vuoksi. Ei yllä intensiteetissä lähellekään Savianoa.
October 11, 2019
Casa Nostrasta Yakuzaan ja kaikki siltä väliltä.
Hyvä katsaus mafioihin ympäri maailman.
Hyvä katsaus mafioihin ympäri maailman.
December 24, 2019
Dla osoby zainteresowanej tematem, Życie mafii będzie wyśmienitą, bogatą merytorycznie lekturą.
Cała opinia:
http://www.kacikzksiazka.pl/2019/09/z...
Cała opinia:
http://www.kacikzksiazka.pl/2019/09/z...
Currently reading
January 31, 2020Good
February 12, 2020
Probably the most educational book I've read to date on Mafia initiations and organisation rules. Very helpful.
March 3, 2020
Really good, gives you an inside on all the “Mafias” you have around the world
July 13, 2021
See my review at https://clcjbooks.rutgers.edu/books/m...
Want to read
February 22, 2024___________________________________
FROM BOOK: La Russia in quattro criminali (Federico Varese)
FROM BOOK: La Russia in quattro criminali (Federico Varese)
March 27, 2024
Such a nice research book, I loved the structure and the fluidity with which it was written.
November 14, 2024
Ho letto molto di criminalità organizzata e di lotta alla mafia: testimonianze di magistrati che la combattono ogni giorno, vite votate alla fotografia e al giornalismo spese per tenere viva la memoria delle vittime di quei sistemi. Approccio tecnico-giuridico per i primi ed emotivo-documentaristico per i secondi, mancava una lettura dall’impostazione socio-antropologica, un vuoto che è stato colmato con Vita di mafia di Federico Varese, candidato a pieno titolo come agile e completa antologia sul fenomeno mafioso contemporaneo. Un quadro aggiornato al 2017, che ritrae lo stato dell’arte della criminalità organizzata, in particolare quella europea, nei suoi aspetti più profondi, facilitata anche dalla struttura dei capitoli del libro.
CONTINUA SUL BLOG!!!
CONTINUA SUL BLOG!!!
September 19, 2023
• Para quem goste da temática sobre a máfia e queira ficar a conhecer um pouco mais sobre a realidade destas organizações (aquilo que as séries, filmes ou livros de ficção embelezam um pouco - mas que também têm uma categoria no livro) eu acho que este é o livro certo para vocês.
• O autor é um professor universitário de criminologia que já lançou outros livros sobre a máfia russa e tem vários contactos que o ajudaram a conseguir compilar informações sobre os vários temas do índice em relação a diferentes organizações, nomeadamente:
Russos
Cosa Nostra
Yakuza
Tríades
Cosa Nostra italo-americana
E outros gangues
• O autor compilou entrevistas que deu pessoalmente, casos da polícia com escutas, reportagens e afins. Numa das fotos também podem ver que as referências de tudo mencionado no livro são vastas e ocupando grande parte do final do livro para que possam procurar mais tarde, se vos interessar, esses materiais.
• Tive um ataque de ansiedade para começar a leitura porque sendo um não ficção, ao folhear as páginas não havia diálogos e várias páginas são blocos de texto de letra pequenininha. É deveras intimidante ver isso quando nem sabemos se um livro deste género vai ou não ser aborrecido, mas o autor escreve-o de uma forma fluída, pelo que mesmo sendo uma leitura mais lentas este consegue ser interessante.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• O autor é um professor universitário de criminologia que já lançou outros livros sobre a máfia russa e tem vários contactos que o ajudaram a conseguir compilar informações sobre os vários temas do índice em relação a diferentes organizações, nomeadamente:
Russos
Cosa Nostra
Yakuza
Tríades
Cosa Nostra italo-americana
E outros gangues
• O autor compilou entrevistas que deu pessoalmente, casos da polícia com escutas, reportagens e afins. Numa das fotos também podem ver que as referências de tudo mencionado no livro são vastas e ocupando grande parte do final do livro para que possam procurar mais tarde, se vos interessar, esses materiais.
• Tive um ataque de ansiedade para começar a leitura porque sendo um não ficção, ao folhear as páginas não havia diálogos e várias páginas são blocos de texto de letra pequenininha. É deveras intimidante ver isso quando nem sabemos se um livro deste género vai ou não ser aborrecido, mas o autor escreve-o de uma forma fluída, pelo que mesmo sendo uma leitura mais lentas este consegue ser interessante.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews