I was initially planning to write about food and elderly people (admittedly the topic from last week which I skipped) however in light of the horrific terrorist attack in Puglia, I thought it might be a good time to write about organized crime in Italy.

De Niro & co doing their best to combat Italian stereotypes

It's a topic I've shied away from only because I have had no direct experience with it and I didn't really feel the need to reinforce the somewhat tired cliché of the Italian Mafia running rampant throughout the country. Nevertheless I have in fact learned a fair amount about organized crime in this country and how it differs in many cases from my assumptions and expectations prior to dating an Italian and moving to this country. Apologies to any readers who may find these 'revelations' obvious, but I thought it best to assume little to no knowledge of the organizational structure of these groups.

Despite the fact that the term is used synonymously with organized crime, 'Mafia' refers specifically to the crime syndicate which emerged in Sicily. I guess the name is so widespread because it has been the most successful, had the greatest impact in the US, or simply was the easiest of the four groups to pronounce!

In fact there are four major organized crime syndicates divided by region in the south of Italy. (Incidentally you might want to check out the film Gomorrah based on the book of the same name which is supposed to be quite good)

Sicily - Mafia (or Cosa Nostra)
Campania - Camorra
Calabria - 'Ndrangheta
Puglia - Sacra Corona Unita 

I think the following map which I took from this website paints a nice picture of the spread of organized crime in Italy (including spinoff foreigner led syndicates)

A very revealing breakdown of the spread of organized crime in Italy

Personally I have always associated organized crime with the drug trade (at least in Vancouver this is accurate), booze smuggling during prohibition, and other such dangerous activities. Of course the reality can often be far less glamorous and one of the greatest challenges posed by organized crime is how deeply embedded it has been in the functioning of everyday life. Certainly Pizzo, the policy of collecting protection money from small businesses and residents is a great example of the stranglehold these gangs can have on communities.

But the meddling nature of these gangs is not always so overtly threatening. I remember hearing a story of a couple of Spanish exchange students in Napoli who were introduced to the local customs by a young man who knocked on their door shortly after arriving. He very casually welcomed them to the neighbourhood and informed them of the stores they should shop at if they needed anything.

These gangs have been almost completely omnipresent in local economic activity for so many years, which has gone a long way to ensuring their longevity. Crackdowns on distribution of counterfeit and illegal goods at ports is particularly threatening to the livelihood of these organizations.

In the little that was known following the terrorist attack in Puglia, most pundits were pointing the finger at the Sacra Corona Unita. Some suggested that it was a means for the group which has seen its power wane in recent years to remind everyone just how powerful they are. The school, Morvillo-Falcone, is named after a prosecutor and his wife who were killed in a bombing near Palermo airport nearly 20 years ago for taking a hard line stance against organized crime.

The bomb in Brindisi detonated just after the first group of students arrived by bus. One 16 year old girl, Melissa Bassi, was killed and five others seriously injured as they were struck by shrapnel while waiting outside the doors of the school. Even for Sacra Corona Unita, this attack is particularly gruesome and as you might imagine, Italians are outraged at the targeting of children.