Italy's Most Powerful Mafias: The History and Legacy of the Cosa Nostra, La Camorra, and 'Ndrangheta

by Charles River Editors

*Includes pictures *Includes a bibliography for further reading The word “mafia,” Sicilian in origin, is synonymous with Italy, but Italy is home to several different mafias, with three being particularly notorious. While the Cosa Nostra of western Sicily is the most infamous, other powerful groups include the ferocious ‘Ndrangheta of Calabria and the Camorra, the third-largest mafia, which is active in Naples and the Campania region. A “mafia” is loosely defined as a criminal organization that is interested in social, economic and political power, combining elements of a traditional secret society with those of a business, but further levels of nuance are necessary in order to understand these groups. In a general sense, this is because each mafia creates a myth about the development of the organization, which becomes like an unquestionable truth. In essence, part of what makes its members so completely loyal to it is also what makes outsiders so utterly afraid of it. Over the course of the 19th century, the people of Sicily found themselves at the center of a struggle for freedom, one that ended up being long and often very bloody. It was during these crucial years of struggle that the Sicilian mafia, La cosa nostra (“Our thing”), started to take shape. The original word “mafia” was a part of Palermitan slang, and although the origins of the word are not completely certain, some linguistic historians believe it originally meant “flashy.” One historian of the mafia, Salvatore Lupo, helpfully suggests that it was used in its earliest iterations to vaguely refer to a “pathological relationship among politics, society and criminality.” In the particular case of the Camorra, the difficulty of understanding an underground criminal association is made all the more intense because it is so heterogeneous in terms of its development, its different functions, and the diversity of economic sectors in which it operates. To reflect that diversity, some scholars like to refer to it as Camorre, the plural version of Camorra. This decision is more than just a question of semantics, because using the plural form helps emphasize the internal differences and conflicts within the Neapolitan mafia, which, in turn, helps explain the very nature of the organization itself. The Neapolitan mafia is famous for its pervasive nature, which is due to the fact that it is organized in a horizontal, decentralized way. This means there is not one single “boss” who dictates policy and can be more strategic in how and when violence is deployed. Unlike other mafias, in the Camorra there has been no long-term reigning family, nor extensive coordination between families to form an alliance and function as a unified mafia for their shared benefit. The ‘Ndrangheta (pronounced an-drang-et-ah) is a close neighbor of the Cosa Nostra and currently considered the most powerful (and difficult to spell) criminal organization in Italy. The ‘Ndrangheta is centered around Calabria, the most southwestern region of Italy, almost touching the Sicilian city of Messina. Though it began as far back as the late 19th century, it was not until the 1950s that the ‘Ndrangheta started to spread its tentacles throughout Italy and then across the entire globe, forming an empire that now ranges from Australia and Turkey to Chile to Canada. The fact that the ‘Ndrangheta is overshadowed by the Sicilian Cosa Nostra, as well as by the Neapolitan mafia, the Camorra, allowed it to grow and develop outside of the public eye. For years, people actually considered the Calabrian mafia to be part of the Cosa Nostra as a mere appendage, rather than its own entity.

106 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 4, 2019

About the author

Charles River Editors is an independent publisher of thousands of ebooks on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Apple iBookstore & provider of original content for third parties.

Reviews

[Anil Swarup]

"Mafia" may have once meant "flashy" in slang but the word came to function as a catchall phrase evoking a "pathological relationship among politics, society and criminality". The book outlines the emergence of mafia in Italy, how it first spread within the country and then to the US where prohibition during the post World War 1 facilitated its growth across the Atlantic. It makes for a fascinating read.

[Sirin Nabokov]

An interesting, if too short, history of Italy’s crime families. The Ndrangheta, Comorra and Cosa Nostra unfurl over time within the context of history, culture and region. While the names are important it is the origins, rules and crimes that both fascinate and horrify. I hope the author published a more fully fleshed out 2nd edition. Worth a read though I listened on Audible.

[Jerry Jares]

What an eye-opening book; I had no idea there was more than one type of 'mafia' in Italy. They seem to have evolved in different areas. Reading other books, I've noticed that many Italians look down upon Sicilians (both historically and today). This book takes the time to explain where this prejudice comes from and what it has spawned. The mafia code requires its members to be subtle, submissive and especially violent.

The Cosa Nostra (our thing), started with the Sicilian fruit growers -- of all things. As the country of Italy unified, they looked down on the Sicilians, just wanting the island for 2 things: tax income and mandatory military service.

The Camorra of Naples seems to be the most violent group; they were generally illiterate. They tended to have short lifespans because of their violence. Amazingly, this group emerged from the weak prison system where the inmates literally ran the prisons. When they got out of jail, they were already organized.

The 'Ndrangheta emerged in Reggio Calabria, where the population had little faith in the governing authorities. This organization is based on ties of kinship, and each family unit is part of a larger clan. This is the only mafia that is centralized; no matter how far out in the world they work, they report back to Italy. They started when Calabrian criminals emerged from prison, they formed a loose confederation until an economic crisis came to the country and they were able to take advantage of it.

It is surprising to hear that Benito Mussolini waged war on organized crime. He did it to get support in Sicily, where organized crime was rampant. Mussolini's work drove the mafia underground until after his death. When the Allies landed in Sicily, they purged the fascists, which also happened to help the mafia gain back power.

After reading this book, I have no more questions about why so many Italians emigrated from Italy in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Their lives were (and are) very difficult. 4.5 stars