Introduction

The mafia in Italy is an economic, social and political problem of considerable magnitude. Of this there is no doubt. Most striking is the murder of two anti-mafia crime-fighters in 1993, following the earlier murders of anti-mafia government officials, which demonstrates the willingness of the mafia to use violence and intimidation at the highest levels.

The term ‘mafia’ has been adopted internationally, most recently in the countries of the former Soviet Union. Russians refer, for example, to the Red Mafia. Economists prefer to talk about organised crime, but a mafia is more than a criminal gang willing to use violence and implies more than criminal activity that happens to be organised. Even a small criminal group, such as a gang that robs banks, has some organisational structure; someone drives the getaway car and someone else rides shotgun. Violence and some division of labour, or even a relatively elaborate organisational structure with positions that may be vacant and need to be filled, do not describe a mafia. The term is not applied to terrorist groups.

An organised criminal group engaged in illegal market activity – drugs, illegal liquor, gambling – is more likely to warrant the use of the term mafia. One of the critical features of such activity is that arrangements and agreements are made among participants that are not legal contracts. To go beyond personal relationships in which deals are completed at face-to-face meetings, participants need some larger structure or organisation that is able to enforce agreements and punish or redress violations thereof.