Italy's biggest business: the mafia

[Strengthandhonour]

Italy's biggest business: the Mafia


By Malcolm Moore in Rome
Last Updated: 4:32pm BST 23/10/2007


The Mafia is now Italy’s biggest “business”, earning more than £63 billion a year and committing 50 crimes every hour, according to a new report.
Organized crime now represents seven per cent of the Italian economy, as members of the country’s four main Mafia organisations branch out from extortion and drugs-running into previously legitimate industries, such as food.
According to the tenth annual report from Confesercenti, a small-business union, “Mafia Inc” has now leapfrogged the state-owned energy giant, Eni, as Italy’s largest firm. Because of a lack of firm evidence, the report did not include an estimate of the Mafia’s annual income from drugs, which could be as high as £35 to £40 billion.
Italy’s huge number of small, family-owned, businesses is particularly at risk of having to pay a “pizzo”, or protection money, to the Mafia. Around 80 per cent of Sicilian businesses cough up a pizzo, of as much as £350 a month.
However, the burgeoning power of Cosa Nostra in Sicily, the Camorra in Naples, the ’Ndrangheta in Calabria and the Sacra Corona Unita in Puglia, has led to the infiltration of bigger businesses as well.

“Companies listed on the stock market with headquarters in Milan and Turin” are among the victims, not just “small shops in the Naples suburbs,” said the report.
Tano Grasso, the head of Italy’s anti-racket commission, said businesses “increasingly prefer to collude with the Mafia”. He added: “It is more convenient for them to pay up than to report them”. The report said the Mafia was particularly active in public works, where gangs control many of the workmen on construction sites.
The report alleged that Impregilo, Italy’s biggest engineering company, Condotte SpA, a water pipeline company and Italcementi, Europe’s largest cement group, all pay off the Mafia. Spokesmen for all three companies denied the charges.
“There is no confirmed fact that links us and the deduction that Italcementi has paid off the ’Ndrangheta is baseless,” said Italcementi. However, Francesco Forgione, an anti-mafia prosecutor, said the report was “hard-hitting”.
The omnipresence of the Mafia was underlined yesterday in Rome by a police raid on the headquarters of “Made in Italy” a company charged with illegally laundering £300 million. Its office was discovered to be directly in front of Palazzo Chigi, where government cabinet meetings take place.
The Mafia made £21 billion from extortion last year, with 160,000 businesses, mostly in Italy’s south, paying up. Mr Grasso said that as a result, only one-in-ten foreign investors set up businesses in the south.
Theft, racketeering and contraband goods bring in another £15 billion, while pirated handbags and DVDs account for £5 billion and the food industry nets £5.2 billion.
In Naples, the Camorra runs 2,500 illegal bakeries, while Cosa Nostra and the ’Ndrangheta have been quick to spot the profits that can be made from illegal fishing, especially of endangered bluefin tuna.
Coldiretti, the farmers’ union, said the Mafia was adding flavouring to colza oil, which is often used to lubricate machinery, before relabelling it as olive oil. It is also making mozzarella from milk powder imported from Colombia and brewing beer with forbidden genetically-modified ingredients.
Hundreds of false Parma hams, 6,000 litres of fake olive oil and fake cattle, marked as from the gourmet Chianina breed, have been seized so far this month.
The report also highlighted the large number of children now working for gangs, since those under-14 are safe from prosecution “From weaving factories, to tourism to business and personal services, from farming to public contracts to real estate and finance, there is now a criminal presence in every economic activity,” said a spokesman for Confesercenti.




source: Italy\'s biggest business: the Mafia - Telegraph

[Kernunnos]

Working for the mafia or the camorra at the lowest level will earn you much more than you would from a decently paid salary job.

I remember that people selling smuggled cigarettes on the streets of Naples on makeshift stalls would earn three or four times the salary of an office worker.

[Savorgnan]

My father, who lives in Padova, tells me for years that the country is totally falling apart. And he lives in the wealthy North-East, not in Naples... The only motto seems to be "ognuno per se"...

[Strengthandhonour]

It is hard to admit, but sometimes it does seem that the Italian economy is a train wreck waiting to happen. It's rather scary.

[Exeter]

The whole culture behind the mafia seem alien to Europe. Don't you think?

[Lagun]

Why is Mafia concentrated in the South? Is it a consequence of economical underdevelopment or of social and cultural elements?

Is Mafia extending "socially" to the North?

[Menydh]

Originally Posted by Savorgnan

My father, who lives in Padova, tells me for years that the country is totally falling apart. And he lives in the wealthy North-East, not in Naples... The only motto seems to be "ognuno per se"...

Originally Posted by Strengthandhonour

It is hard to admit, but sometimes it does seem that the Italian economy is a train wreck waiting to happen. It's rather scary.

In a certain way, one could speculate that the bulk of the Italian economy is so submerged that it makes it impossible for the political class to destroy it.

While a political crisis in any other country must forcibly have a strong direct influence on the economy, this should not happen the same in Italy.

Originally Posted by Exeter

The whole culture behind the mafia seem alien to Europe. Don't you think?

Originally Posted by Lagun

Why is Mafia concentrated in the South? Is it a consequence of economical underdevelopment or of social and cultural elements?

Some have speculated about an Arabic origin influence in it. However, I believe that this must be an oversimplification.

I would rather point to the fact that Sicily is an island that has been historically exposed to incursions and to a lack of presence of law through isolation, and to latifundism.

[Taurin]

The very word Mafia most probably comes from an Arabic root, possibly mā hias, "arrogance", or mā fī-ha, "there isn't". Other speculations point to mu'afak, "protection of the weak", or maehfil, "place of assembly". Other guesses are nonetheless possible.

Maybe the major explanation is a long-lasting void of power which had to be filled. Mafia is, in a certain way, an interesting social experiment of what happens when human relations are left to themselves, without a higher authority: there emerge spontaneous relationships of protection and obedience.

I agree many of us would instinctively feel its known ways and customs as very un-European.

Originally Posted by Lagun

Is Mafia extending "socially" to the North?

The Mafia phenomenon has some ramifications in the North (especially in larger towns), as it followed mass migration from Southern regions. Many members carried with them their affiliations to the several different clans they belonged to. This is still very evident and visible.

[Sergius]

About the origin: There is also one theory claiming that Mafia is derived from Arabic mahjas, meaning bragging, but perhaps that is what Taurinorum was refering to as well with mā hias.

[Menydh]

Originally Posted by Taurinorum

Maybe the major explanation is a long-lasting void of power which had to be filled. Mafia is, in a certain way, an interesting social experiment of what happens when human relations are left to themselves, without a higher authority: there emerge spontaneous relationships of protection and obedience.

I agree many of us would instinctively feel its known ways and customs as very un-European.

Neither un-European nor European, in my opinion. After all, one of the most significative elements of the Mafia phenomenon is a clan structure. I'm sure that if we look into past societies in isolated regions, we could find some parallelisms.

The Mafia phenomenon has some ramifications in the North (especially in larger towns), as it followed mass migration from Southern regions. Many members carried with them their affiliations to the several different clans they belonged to. This is still very evident and visible.

I understand that the effective center of power nowadays has moved to the North.

[Taurin]

Originally Posted by Mynydd

Neither un-European nor European, in my opinion. After all, one of the most significative elements of the Mafia phenomenon is a clan structure. I'm sure that if we look into past societies in isolated regions, we could find some parallelisms.

That's why I gave a social explanation linked to historical conditions, rather than simply appealing to foreign influences. Clan structure in itself is nothing un-European, but several Mafia customs and features suggest anyway this distinct feeling: most Europeans are just startled by a mentality so outlandish and nonetheless widespread. If we are to seek exotic influences in southern culture, there's no need at all of pointing to mafia: traditional music is a good example. That's also what makes it so fascinating, if we aren't going to simply pit Europe against the other shore of the Mediterranean, in a Manichean fashion.

Originally Posted by Mynydd

I understand that the effective center of power nowadays has moved to the North.

I've never had this feeling, and I wonder if ever any Italian had. Sicilian businessmen recently asked for militarization of their own land, in order to keep the necessary order for a society to prosper. They're sick and tired of a condition which is fortunately mostly unknown to the rest of the country.

Mafia organizations (known as Cosa Nostra in Sicily, Camorra in Campania, 'Ndrangheta in Calabria and Sacra Corona Unita in Apulia) are indisputably rooted in their own respective regions of provenance. The most noted and powerful bosses (Riina, Brusca, Provenzano) were all recently captured in Sicily, where they stood hidden in a proper environment for their activities. Northern ramifications do exist, as much as there are branches all though Europe and the United States (as we are remembered by the massacre of six Calabrians in Duisburg). They are of course all controlled by the same people.

Unfortunately for them, people of southern regions are still the main victim (along with the responsible) of the Italian Mafia phenomenon: whose power on a planetary level is however now challenged by other organizations now growing stronger and stronger (Russian Mafia, Chinese Triads, Yakuza, and the like).

[Strengthandhonour]

If it came to picking, I would rather have the current mafia organizations over the foreign ones such as the yakuza or the Russian mafia. I have heard theories that claim the origins of the mafia go back to the middle ages. With Sicily constantly being conquered, the natives grew a lot of distrust towards the foreign crowd so they needed to have a power figure that they could trust and would always be present. However, most historians point out that there is not a lot of sources for this so the theory is not well respected.

[Sanniti]

I think that there are some complex elements at work in the southern regions of Italy. Geographically speaking you have an area that came under foriegn rule for basically its entire existance. If you look at the lifestyle of Southern Italians it is fairly leisurely, they say when Garibaldis army came to unify the Neopolitans where just sitting in the shade eating fruit and basically said, OK whatever. What does a traditional Southern Italian like to do, relax, be a part of nature, eat, socialize and be with there family an friends. Sheoperds, fisherman, etc... not overcomplicated.

There was no real desire do go an be anywhere else, not only that geographically they are trapped (nice to be trapped in Mezzagiorno eh!). So it was organized in a way to compete with the government forces, almost to terrorize as in OK call yourselves king we will share our land but respect us, we will make you respect us if you want to share in our land and culture. You are going to have to deal with our men who really run things around here. The rulers often imported the Italian culture more than they influenced it.

Due to the amount of influence many times through physical force and some commercial influence they became intermedairies not always advesaries to the kingdom in power. Because these Italians just like to be left alone, I think it just fell right into place. When things got outta place the clan used there influence and made sure they had the power to make sure there was an understanding through sheer intimidation if necessary.

It's not because they are weak it's just because they knew it didn't matter who said they where in power or who was in power it was all the same. Who was really in power controlled the town, mostly hilltowns. Go ahead and lay your flag down wherever you want. I think that there is a cultural influences that reflect the many cultures that contributed, also a pride that there is knowone like them. People came an laid claim but they always kept there distance, and they also always needed someone who could be an intermediary to the people.

The organizational element is highly Indo-European,

The sheer barbarism and terorism I think reflects eye-for an eye mentallity imported from Eastern influences as well.

Just a wild guess I really do not know precisly.

[Menydh]

Originally Posted by Taurinorum

That's why I gave a social explanation linked to historical conditions, rather than simply appealing to foreign influences. Clan structure in itself is nothing un-European, but several Mafia customs and features suggest anyway this distinct feeling: most Europeans are just startled by a mentality so outlandish and nonetheless widespread. If we are to seek exotic influences in southern culture, there's no need at all of pointing to mafia: traditional music is a good example. That's also what makes it so fascinating, if we aren't going to simply pit Europe against the other shore of the Mediterranean, in a Manichean fashion.

I think that we can agree here.

I've never had this feeling, and I wonder if ever any Italian had. Sicilian businessmen recently asked for militarization of their own land, in order to keep the necessary order for a society to prosper. They're sick and tired of a condition which is fortunately mostly unknown to the rest of the country.

Well, it seems that the only time in history when the Mafia was near to be broken down was with the carte blanche given by Mussolini to Cesare Mori, il prefetto di ferro (the iron prefect).

And even then it failed when his actions started to be a nuisance at high levels, even when Mussolini himself had assured him that would even make new laws at his request, to help him breaking down on the mafia.

Mafia organizations (known as Cosa Nostra in Sicily, Camorra in Campania, 'Ndrangheta in Calabria and Sacra Corona Unita in Apulia) are indisputably rooted in their own respective regions of provenance. The most noted and powerful bosses (Riina, Brusca, Provenzano) were all recently captured in Sicily, where they stood hidden in a proper environment for their activities. Northern ramifications do exist, as much as there are branches all though Europe and the United States (as we are remembered by the massacre of six Calabrians in Duisburg). They are of course all controlled by the same people.

Well, I had heard that even if the traditional center of power remained Sicily, the center of operations had moved up north.