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  • 20 - The 'Ndrangheta, Outside Italy, part 4.

    20 - The 'Ndrangheta, Outside Italy, part 4.
    2026/03/24
    The 'Ndrangheta, Outside Italy, part 4. Spain. According to Giuseppe Lombardo, Public Prosecutor at the Anti-Mafia District Directorate of Reggio Calabria, the ‘Ndrangheta has established a strong and discreet presence in Spain, which he describes as the crossroads of international drug trafficking in Europe. For decades, the 'Ndrangheta has maintained branches and operatives in Spain, engaging in business with various criminal organizations, including Latin American drug cartels, Chinese triads, and local Galician mafias. Unlike other criminal organizations competing for influence in the region, the ‘Ndrangheta’s stability and international connections allow it to act as a key intermediary in major illegal operations. Spain’s legal system, which lacks specialized anti-mafia laws and has relatively lenient controls over assets and finances compared to Italy, provides a fertile ground for such activities. Geographically, Spain’s extensive maritime borders and proximity to North Africa further enhance its strategic value for illicit trade. Javier Zaragoza, Chief Prosecutor of Spain’s National Court, acknowledges that if organized crime in Spain reached the levels seen in Italy, the country would need to adopt similar legal measures. Meanwhile, Jesus Duva, editor-in-chief at El País, admits that Spanish media rarely report on the ‘Ndrangheta due to limited information, which inadvertently benefits the mafia by keeping its operations under the radar and enabling its dominance in international drug trafficking. In 2022, a major joint operation in Spain led to the arrest of 32 individuals linked to the ‘Ndrangheta for drug trafficking and money laundering. Coordinated by the Guardia Civil, Carabinieri, Guardia di Finanza, Europol, and Eurojust, the operation included 40 property searches across Ibiza, Barcelona, Málaga, and Tenerife. Authorities seized €300,000 in cash, drugs (amphetamines and cocaine), firearms, and dismantled a cannabis plantation. The criminal network operated between Spain and Italy, using vehicles and speedboats to transport drugs. Linked to multiple murders and acts of violence, the group laundered illicit profits through Spanish real estate. Europol provided intelligence support, while Eurojust facilitated judicial coordination. In August 2025, three members of the ‘Ndrangheta were arrested in Ibiza while attempting to establish a local cell in eastern Spain. The suspects, in their thirties and with prior criminal records, were wanted by Italian authorities for drug trafficking and criminal organization. They had been active in Spain for about a year, operating mainly in Catalonia and the Levante region. The arrests followed a joint operation by Spain’s National Police and Italy’s Carabinieri, based on European Arrest Warrants. Searches in Ibiza and Barcelona yielded €35,000 in cash, valuable jewelry (including a watch worth €120,000), false identity documents, narcotics, mobile devices, and other evidence. These fugitives fled Italy months before the conclusion of the “Anemone” investigation, which dismantled a ‘Ndrangheta cell in Rome linked to international drug trafficking and allied with Albanian criminal groups. The organization is known for its secrecy, family ties, and violent enforcement, including torture. Spanish authorities have been monitoring the ‘Ndrangheta’s expansion since 2024, recognizing Spain’s strategic geographic position as key for the mafia’s growth. The operation, involving specialized tactical units, highlighted the importance of fluid international cooperation. Switzerland. The crime syndicate has a significant presence in Switzerland since the early 1970s but has operated there with little scrutiny due to the inconspicuous lifestyles of their members, the Swiss legal landscape, and solid foundations in local businesses. In the aftermath of the San Luca feud in 2007 and subsequent arrests in Italy (Operation "Crimine"), it became clear that the group had also infiltrated the economically proliferous regions of Switzerland and Southern Germany. In March 2016, Swiss law enforcement in cooperation with Italian state prosecutors arrested a total of 15 individuals, 13 in the city of Frauenfeld, 2 in the canton of Valais, accusing them of active membership to an organized crime syndicate also known as "Operazione Helvetica". Since 2015, the Swiss federal police has conducted undercover surveillance and recorded the group's meetings in a restaurant establishment in a small village just outside of Frauenfeld. The meetings were taking place in a relatively remote location using the now defunct entity the "Wängi Boccia Club" as its cover. According to the Italian prosecutor Antonio De Bernardo, there are several cells operating within the jurisdiction of the Swiss Federation, estimating the number of operatives per cell to about 40, and a couple of 100 in total. All of the arrested persons are Italian ...
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    10 分
  • 19 - The 'Ndrangheta, Outside Italy, part 3.

    19 - The 'Ndrangheta, Outside Italy, part 3.
    2026/03/24
    The 'Ndrangheta, Outside Italy, part 3. Canada. During a press conference in Vaughan, Ontario, Fausto Lamparelli of the Italian State Police, offered this comment about the relationship between the 'Ndrangheta in Ontario and Calabria: "This investigation allowed us to learn something new. The 'Ndrangheta crime families in Canada are able to operate autonomously, without asking permission or seeking direction from Italy. Traditionally, 'Ndrangheta clans around the world are all subservient to the mother ship in Calabria. It suggests the power and influence the Canadian-based clans have built." On 9 August 2019, as part of the same joint investigation, several former Greater Toronto Area residents were arrested in Calabria, including Giuseppe DeMaria, Francesco Commisso, Rocco Remo Commisso, Antonio Figliomeni and Cosimo Figiomeni. Vincenzo Muià had visited Toronto on 31 March 2019 to meet with Angelo and Cosimo Figliomeni, seeking answers to who had ambushed and killed his brother, Carmelo Muià, in Siderno on 18 January 2018; Muià's smartphone was unwittingly and secretly transmitting his closed-door conversations to authorities in Italy. In 2020, the charges laid against three individuals as a result of Project Sindicato were "stayed" (the prosecution discontinued), unless the prosecutors could find new evidence and proceeded with the charges again within one year. In January 2021, the charges against the remaining six were also stayed, including that of Angelo Figliomeni, "the head of the 'Ndrangheta in Toronto" according to York Regional Police. The charges were stayed after an investigation "into the use of the privileged conversations" that found "improper use of wiretapping" and "significant breaches of solicitor-client privilege". All property seized by police must now be returned – with the exception of illegal possessions. Colombia. The 'Ndrangheta clans were closely associated with the AUC paramilitary groups led by Salvatore Mancuso, a son of Italian immigrants; he surrendered to Álvaro Uribe's government to avoid extradition to the U.S. According to Giuseppe Lumia of the Italian Parliamentary Antimafia Commission, 'Ndrangheta clans are actively involved in the production of cocaine. The Mancuso 'ndrina is a powerful 'Ndrangheta family. Germany. According to a study by the German foreign intelligence service, the Bundesnachrichtendienst, 'Ndrangheta groups are using Germany to invest cash from drugs and weapons smuggling. Profits are invested in hotels, restaurants and houses, especially along the Baltic coast and in the eastern German states of Thuringia and Saxony. Investigators believe that the mafia's bases in Germany are used primarily for clandestine financial transactions. In 1999, the state Office of Criminal Investigation in Stuttgart investigated an Italian from San Luca who had allegedly laundered millions through a local bank, the Sparkasse Ulm. The man claimed that he managed a profitable car dealership, and authorities were unable to prove that the business was not the source of his money. The Bundeskriminalamt concluded in 2000 that "the activities of this 'Ndrangheta clan represent a multi-regional criminal phenomenon." A war between the two 'Ndrangheta clans Pelle-Romeo (Pelle-Vottari) and Strangio-Nirta from San Luca that had started in 1991 in their home town in Calabria and resulted in several deaths, spilled into Germany in 2007; six men were shot dead in front of an Italian restaurant in Duisburg on 15 August 2007. In 2009, a confidential report by the Bundeskriminalamt said some 'Ndrangheta families were living in Germany, and were involved in gun-running, money laundering, drug-dealing and racketeering, as well as legal businesses. Some 900 people were involved in criminal activity, and were also legal owners of hundreds of restaurants, as well as being major players in the property market in the former East. The most represented 'Ndrangheta family originated from the city of San Luca (Italy), with some 200 members in Germany. According to the head of the German federal police service, Jörg Ziercke, "Half of the criminal groups identified in Germany belong to the 'Ndrangheta. It has been the biggest criminal group since the 1980s. Compared to other groups operating in Germany, the Italians have the strongest organization." Netherlands. Sebastiano Strangio allegedly lived for 10 years in the Netherlands, where he managed his contacts with Colombian cocaine cartels. He was arrested in Amsterdam on 27 October 2005. The seaports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam are used to import cocaine. The Giorgi, Nirta and Strangio clans from San Luca have a base in the Netherlands and Brussels (Belgium). In March 2012, the head of the Dutch National Crime Squad (Dienst Nationale Recherche, DNR) stated that the DNR will team up with the Tax and Customs Administration and the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service to combat the 'Ndrangheta. Malta....
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    8 分
  • 18 - The 'Ndrangheta, Outside Italy, part 2.

    18 - The 'Ndrangheta, Outside Italy, part 2.
    2026/03/24
    The 'Ndrangheta, Outside Italy, part 2. Canada. According to a May 2018 news report, "Siderno's Old World 'Ndrangheta boss sent acolytes to populate the New World" including Michele (Mike) Racco who settled in Toronto in 1952, followed by other mob families. By 2010, investigators in Italy said that Toronto's 'Ndrangheta had climbed "to the top of the criminal world" with "an unbreakable umbilical cord" to Calabria. The Canadian 'Ndrangheta is believed to be involved in various activities including the smuggling of unlicensed tobacco products through ties with criminal elements in cross-border Native American tribes. According to Alberto Cisterna of the Italian National Anti-Mafia Directorate, the 'Ndrangheta has a heavy presence in Canada. "There is a massive number of their people in North America, especially in Toronto. And for two reasons. The first is linked to the banking system. Canada's banking system is very secretive; it does not allow investigation. So Canada is the ideal place to launder money. The second reason is to smuggle drugs." The 'Ndrangheta have found Canada a useful North American entry point. The organization used extortion, loan sharking, theft, electoral crimes, mortgage and bank fraud, crimes of violence and cocaine trafficking. A Canadian branch labelled the Siderno Group has been active in Canada since the 1950s; it was formed originally by Michele (Mike) Racco, who was the head of the Group until his death in 1980. Siderno is also home to one of the 'Ndrangheta's biggest and most important clans, heavily involved in the global cocaine business and money laundering. Antonio Commisso, the alleged leader of the Siderno group, is reported to lead efforts to import "illicit arms, explosives and drugs". Elements of 'Ndrangheta have been reported to have been present in Hamilton, Ontario as early as 1911. Historical crime families in the Hamilton area include the Musitanos, Luppinos and Papalias. According to an agreed Statement of Fact filed with the court, "the Locali [local cells] outside of Calabria replicate the structure from Calabria, and are connected to their mother-Locali in Calabria. The authority to start Locali outside Calabria comes from the governing bodies of the organization in Calabria. The Locali outside of Calabria are part of the same 'Ndrangheta organization as in Calabria, and maintain close relationships with the Locali where its members come from." The group's activities in the Greater Toronto Area were controlled by a group known as the 'Camera di Controllo' which "makes all of the final decisions", according to the witness' testimony. It consists of six or seven Toronto-area men, who co-ordinate activities and resolves disputes among Calabrian gangsters in Southern Ontario. In 1962, Racco established a crimini or Camera di Controllo in Canada with the help of Giacomo Luppino and Rocco Zito. One of the members was Giuseppe Coluccio, before he was arrested and extradited to Italy. Other members are Vincenzo DeMaria, Carmine Verduci before his death, and Cosimo Stalteri before his death. In August 2015, the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) issued a deportation order for Carmelo Bruzzese. Bruzzese appealed the decision to Canada's Federal Court, but it was rejected, and on 2 October 2015, Bruzzese was escorted onto a plane in Toronto, landing in Rome, where he was arrested by Italian police. Major Giuseppe De Felice, a commander with the Carabinieri, told the IRB that Bruzzese "assumed the most important roles and decisions. He gave the orders." After living in Richmond Hill, Ontario for five years until 2010, Antonio Coluccio was one of 29 people named in arrest warrants in Italy in September 2014. Police said they were part of the Commisso 'ndrina ('Ndrangheta) crime family in Siderno. In July 2018, Coluccio was sentenced to 30 years in prison for corruption. His two brothers, including Salvatore and Giuseppe Coluccio, were already in prison due to Mafia-related convictions. In June 2018, Cosimo Ernesto Commisso, of Woodbridge, Ontario, and an unrelated woman were shot and killed in his vehicle whilst outside his home. According to sources contacted by the Toronto Star, "Commisso was related to Cosimo "The Quail" Commisso of Siderno, Italy, who has had relations in Ontario, is considered by police to be a "'Ndrangheta organized crime boss". The National Post reported that Cosimo Ernesto Commisso, while not a known criminal, "shares a name and family ties with a man who has for decades been reputed to be a Mafia leader in the Toronto area". The cousin of "The Quail", Antonio Commisso, was on the list of most wanted fugitives in Italy until his capture on 28 June 2005, in Woodbridge. In June 2015, RCMP led police raids across the Greater Toronto Area, named Project OPhoenix, which resulted in the arrest of 19 men, allegedly affiliated with the 'Ndrangheta. In March 2018, during the resultant criminal trial north of Toronto, the ...
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    10 分
  • 17 - The 'Ndrangheta, Outside Italy, part 1.

    17 - The 'Ndrangheta, Outside Italy, part 1.
    2026/03/24
    The 'Ndrangheta, Outside Italy, part 1. The 'Ndrangheta has established branches abroad, mainly through migration. The overlap of blood and mafia family seems to have helped the 'Ndrangheta expand beyond its traditional territory: "The familial bond has not only worked as a shield to protect secrets and enhance security but also helped to maintain identity in the territory of origin and reproduce it in territories where the family has migrated." 'Ndrine are reported to be operating in northern and central Italy, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, the rest of Europe, the Americas, Australia, West Africa, and Asia. One group of 'ndranghetisti discovered outside Italy was in Ontario, Canada, several decades ago. They were dubbed the Siderno Group by Canadian judges as most of its members hailed from and around Siderno. In 2007, magistrates in Calabria warned about the international scale of the 'Ndrangheta's operations. It is now believed to have surpassed the traditional axis between the Sicilian and American Cosa Nostra, to become the major importer of cocaine to Europe. Outside Italy the 'Ndrangheta operates in several countries, such as: Albania. In a report that was leaked to a Berlin newspaper, the Bundesnachrichtendienst, the German federal intelligence service, stated that the 'Ndrangheta "act in close co-operation with Albanian mafia families in moving weapons and narcotics across Europe's porous borders". Argentina. In November 2006, a cocaine trafficking network that operated in Argentina, Spain and Italy was dismantled. The Argentinian police said the 'Ndrangheta had roots in the country and shipped cocaine through Spain to Milan and Turin. In October 2022, an Italian 'Ndrangheta mafia leader, Carmine Alfonso Maiorano, who was responsible for drug and arms trafficking operations between South America and Europe was captured in Guernica, Buenos Aires after years-long of manhunt. Australia. Known by the name "The Honoured Society," the 'Ndrangheta have controlled Italian-Australian organized crime all along the east coast of Australia since the early 20th century. 'Ndrangheta operating in Australia include the Sergi, Barbaro and Papalia clans. Similarly in Victoria the major families are named as Italiano, Arena, Muratore, Benvenuto, and Condello. In the 1960s warfare among 'Ndrangheta clans broke out over the control of the Victoria Market in Melbourne, where an estimated $45 million worth of fruits and vegetables passed through each year. After the death of Domenico Italiano, known as Il Papa, different clans tried to gain control over the produce market. At the time it was unclear that most involved were affiliated with the 'Ndrangheta. The 'Ndrangheta began in Australia in Queensland, where they continued their form of rural organised crime, especially in the fruit and vegetable industry. After the 1998–2006 Melbourne gangland killings which included the murder of 'Ndrangheta Godfather Frank Benvenuto. In 2008, the 'Ndrangheta were tied to the importation of 15 million ecstasy pills to Melbourne, at the time the world's largest ecstasy haul. The pills were hidden in a container-load of tomato cans from Calabria. Australian 'Ndrangheta boss Pasquale Barbaro was arrested. Pasquale Barbaro's father Francesco Barbaro was a boss throughout the 1970s and early 1980s until his retirement. Several of the Barbaro clan, including among others, Francesco, were suspected in orchestrating the murder of Australian businessman Donald Mackay in July 1977 for his anti-drugs campaign. Italian authorities believe that former Western Australian mayor of the city of Stirling, Tony Vallelonga, is an associate of Giuseppe Commisso, boss of the Siderno clan of the 'Ndrangheta. In 2009, Italian police overheard the two discussing 'Ndrangheta activities.[112] Since migrating from Italy to Australia in 1963, Vallelonga has "established a long career in grass-roots politics."[113]The 'Ndrangheta are also tied to large cocaine imports. Up to 500 kilograms of cocaine was documented relating to the mafia and Australian associates smuggled in slabs of marble, plastic tubes and canned tuna, coming from South America to Melbourne via Italy between 2002 and 2004. A report in 2016 by Vice Media indicated that the activities continued to be profitable: "Between 2004 and 2014, the gang's members amassed more than $10 million [$7.6 million USD] in real estate and race horses in Victoria alone pouring money into wholesalers, cafes, and restaurants". A June 2015 report by BBC News discussed an investigation by Fairfax Media and Four Corners which alleged that "the 'Ndrangheta, runs a drugs and extortion business worth billions of euros" in Australia and that "politicians have been infiltrated by the Calabrian mafia". In February 2020, two individuals, said to be "multimillionaire fruit and vegetable kings" were alleged to be 'Ndrangheta "capos", having a relationship with the "secretive criminal ...
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    9 分
  • 16 - Law enforcement operations in Italy.

    16 - Law enforcement operations in Italy.
    2026/03/23
    Law enforcement operations in Italy. The 'Ndrangheta has expanded its operations into Northern Italy, primarily for drug trafficking and investment in legitimate businesses, which can be used for money laundering. In May 2007, twenty individuals identified as 'Ndrangheta members were arrested in Milan. On 30 August 2007, a large-scale police raid involving hundreds of officers targeted San Luca, a town central to the San Luca feud between rival 'Ndrangheta clans. Over 30 individuals, both men and women, with alleged links to the killings of six Italian men in Germany, were apprehended. On 4 June 2012, a multinational law enforcement operation resulted in numerous arrests across Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, and Finland. This operation followed an investigation by the Milan District Anti-Mafia Prosecutor's Office into Swiss bank accounts and a fleet of ships allegedly used to transport cocaine to Europe from Venezuela, Argentina, and the Dominican Republic. On 9 October 2012, after a months-long central government investigation, the City Council of Reggio Calabria, led by Mayor Demetrio Arena, was dissolved due to alleged ties to the 'Ndrangheta. Mayor Arena and all 30 city councilors were removed from office to prevent potential "mafia contagion" within the local government. This marked the first instance of a provincial capital's government being dismissed. Three administrators appointed by the central government governed the city for 18 months until new elections were held. The action followed suspicions that unnamed councilors had ties to the 'Ndrangheta during the 10-year center-right administration of Mayor Giuseppe Scopelliti. 'Ndrangheta infiltration of political offices extends beyond Calabria. On 10 October 2012, Domenico Zambetti of People of Freedom (PDL), Milan's regional government commissioner in charge of public housing, was arrested. He was accused of paying the 'Ndrangheta to secure election victories and to solicit favors and contracts, including construction tenders for World Expo 2015 in Milan. This vote-buying investigation highlighted the 'Ndrangheta's infiltration into the political structures of Lombardy, Italy's affluent northern region. Zambetti's arrest was described as the most significant case of 'Ndrangheta infiltration uncovered in Northern Italy to date, prompting calls for the resignation of Lombardy governor Roberto Formigoni. On 12 December 2017, 48 individuals identified as 'Ndrangheta members were arrested on charges including mafia association, extortion, criminal damage, fraudulent asset transfer, and illegal firearm possession. Of those arrested, four were placed under house arrest, and 44 were ordered to be jailed. Among those indicted were a two-time mayor of Taurianova, Calabria and a former cabinet member. Investigators alleged that 'Ndrangheta clans had infiltrated public works construction, real estate brokerage, the food industry, greenhouse production, and renewable energy sectors. On 9 January 2018, law enforcement operations in Italy and Germany resulted in the arrest of 169 individuals linked to the 'Ndrangheta, specifically the Farao and Marincola clans based in Calabria. Assets valued at €50 million (£44/$59m) were seized. The indictment detailed how owners of German restaurants, ice cream parlors, hotels, and pizzerias were coerced into purchasing wine, pizza dough, pastries, and other products sourced from Southern Italy. The Farao clan, reportedly led by the imprisoned Giuseppe Farao, who allegedly relayed orders to his sons, controlled businesses including bakeries, vineyards, olive groves, funeral homes, launderettes, plastic recycling plants, and shipyards.The 'Ndrangheta also infiltrated the waste disposal operations of Ilva steel company in Taranto. Charges in these operations included mafia association, attempted murder, money laundering, extortion, and illegal weapons possession and trafficking. Italian prosecutor Nicola Gratteri characterized these arrests as the most significant action against the 'Ndrangheta in the preceding 20 years. Eleven suspects arrested in Germany were accused of blackmail and money laundering and were subsequently deported to Italy. Alessandro Figliomeni, former mayor of Siderno, Calabria, received a 12-year prison sentence on 7 May 2018 for mafia association, allegedly being a member of the Commisso 'ndrina clan and holding a high-ranking position. In December 2019, over 300 individuals were arrested in Calabria on suspicion of 'Ndrangheta membership in an operation involving 2,500 police officers. Among those arrested was Giancarlo Pittelli, a prominent lawyer and former member of Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party. Nicola Gratteri, chief prosecutor in Catanzaro, described these arrests as the second largest in Italian organized crime history, surpassed only by the arrests leading to the "Maxi Trial" of Sicilian Mafia bosses in Palermo between 1986 and 1992. ...
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    7 分
  • 15 - Modern history.

    15 - Modern history.
    2026/03/23
    Modern history.
    Until the 1960s, the 'Ndrangheta primarily confined its operations within Italy to Calabria, focusing mainly on extortion and blackmail. Their involvement in cigarette smuggling expanded their reach and facilitated contacts with the Sicilian Mafia and the Neapolitan Camorra. With the initiation of large public works projects in Calabria, skimming of public contracts became a significant revenue stream. Disagreements over the distribution of illicit gains led to the First 'Ndrangheta war (1974–77), resulting in approximately 233 fatalities. Factions involved in the conflict began kidnapping wealthy individuals in Northern Italy for ransom. A notable case was the 1973 kidnapping of John Paul Getty III, during which his severed ear was sent to a newspaper in November. He was eventually released in December following a negotiated ransom payment of $2.2 million by his grandfather, J. Paul Getty. It is estimated that the 'Ndrangheta was responsible for over 200 kidnappings between the 1970s and mid-1990s.
    The Second 'Ndrangheta war occurred from 1985 to 1991. This six-year conflict between the Condello-Imerti-Serraino-Rosmini clans and the De Stefano-Tegano-Libri-Latella clans resulted in over 600 fatalities. The Sicilian Mafia is believed to have played a role in mediating the end of this conflict, possibly suggesting the establishment of a superordinate body, La Provincia, to prevent future internal disputes.
    Francesco Fortugno, Deputy President of the regional parliament of Calabria, was assassinated by the 'Ndrangheta on 16 October 2005 in Locri. This event prompted public demonstrations against the organization, with young protesters displaying banners reading "Ammazzateci tutti!" (Italian for "Kill us all"). In response, the Italian national government initiated a large-scale law enforcement operation in Calabria, leading to the arrest of numerous 'ndranghetisti, including those responsible for Fortugno's murder.
    In June 2014, Pope Francis publicly condemned the 'Ndrangheta for their "adoration of evil and contempt of the common good." He stated that the Church would actively combat organized crime and asserted that mafiosi were excommunicated. A Vatican spokesperson clarified that the Pope's statement did not constitute a formal excommunication under canon law, as such a measure requires a formal legal process.
    On 12 July 2025, an alleged leader of the Italian 'ndrangheta mafia in Latin America Giuseppe Palermo, also known as "Peppe," was arrested in Colombia.


    Wikipedia: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License.
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    3 分
  • 14 - Characteristics.

    14 - Characteristics.
    2026/03/06
    Characteristics. In 2007, Italian anti-organized crime agencies estimated the 'Ndrangheta's annual revenue to be approximately €35–40 billion (equivalent to US$35–40 billion), representing roughly 3.5% of Italy's GDP. This revenue is primarily generated from illicit drug trafficking, but also from ostensibly legitimate businesses such as construction, restaurants, and supermarkets. The 'Ndrangheta is considered to exert significant control over the economy and governance of Calabria. According to a leaked US Embassy cable, the organization controls substantial portions of the region's territory and economy, accounting for at least three percent of Italy's GDP through activities including drug trafficking, extortion, skimming of public contracts, and usury. A key distinction between the 'Ndrangheta and other mafia-type organizations, such as the Sicilian Mafia, lies in recruitment methods. The 'Ndrangheta primarily recruits members based on blood relations, fostering strong cohesion within family clans, which presents considerable challenges for law enforcement investigations. Sons of ndranghetisti are generally expected to follow in their fathers' criminal careers, undergoing a socialization process from a young age to become giovani d'onore ('boys of honour') before formally joining the ranks as uomini d'onore ('men of honour'). Compared to the Sicilian Mafia during the early 1990s, relatively few Calabrian mafiosi have become collaborators with the state; by the end of 2002, there were 157 Calabrian witnesses in the state witness protection program. Furthermore, the 'Ndrangheta has generally avoided direct, overt confrontations with the Italian state. Prosecutions in Calabria are reportedly hampered by the tendency of Italian judges and prosecutors who achieve high exam scores to preferentially choose postings outside of Calabria. Those assigned to Calabria often seek immediate transfers. Combined with a limited government presence and instances of official corruption, a climate of fear and reluctance to cooperate with law enforcement prevails among civilians in the region. Alex Perry's 2018 book, The Good Mothers: The True Story of the Women Who Took on the World's Most Powerful Mafia, asserts that over the past decade, the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta has been supplanting the Sicilian Cosa Nostra as the dominant drug trafficking organization in North America. Activities. According to the Italian DIA (Direzione Investigativa Antimafia, Department of the Police of Italy against organized crime) and Guardia di Finanza (Italian Financial Police and Customs Police), the 'Ndrangheta is considered "one of the most powerful criminal organizations in the world." The 'Ndrangheta's economic activities encompass international smuggling of cocaine and weapons. Italian investigators have estimated that approximately 80% of Europe's cocaine transits through the Calabrian port of Gioia Tauro and is controlled by the 'Ndrangheta. However, a report by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and Europol indicates that the Iberian peninsula is considered the primary entry point for cocaine into Europe and a major gateway to the European market. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimated that in 2007, cocaine interceptions in Spain (almost 38 metric tons) were nearly ten times greater than in Italy (almost 4 metric tons). 'Ndrangheta and Sicilian Cosa Nostra groups are known to engage in joint ventures in cocaine trafficking operations. Additional activities include skimming funds from large public works projects, money laundering, and traditional criminal activities such as usury and extortion. The 'Ndrangheta reportedly invests illicit profits in legitimate real estate and financial ventures. In February 2017, Italian Carabinieri reportedly arrested 33 individuals suspected of involvement with the Piromalli 'ndrina, a clan associated with the 'Ndrangheta. The arrests were linked to allegations of exporting fraudulently labeled olive oil to the United States. According to reports, inexpensive olive pomace oil was being marketed as more expensive extra virgin olive oil. Earlier, in 2016, the American television program 60 Minutes broadcast a segment that cautioned about the infiltration of the olive oil industry by organized crime, stating that "Agromafia" constituted a $16 billion per year enterprise. Estimates from Eurispes (Institute of Political, Economic and Social Studies), an Italian private research institute, placed the 'Ndrangheta's business volume at approximately €44 billion in 2007. This figure represented about 2.9% of Italy's GDP. Drug trafficking was identified as the most lucrative activity, accounting for 62% of the total revenue. History. In 1861, the prefect of Reggio Calabria noted the presence of groups referred to as camorristi. This term was used at the time as a general descriptor for organized crime in the region, as the '...
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    6 分
  • 13 - Power structure.

    13 - Power structure.
    2026/03/06
    Power structure. Historically, individual family power structures served as the primary governing bodies within both Cosa Nostra and the 'Ndrangheta. These family structures have remained central to power dynamics, even after the establishment of superordinate bodies. While Cosa Nostra created the Sicilian Mafia Commission in the 1950s, the 'Ndrangheta established a superordinate body only in 1991, following negotiations to resolve prolonged inter-family conflicts. However, the notion of absolute autonomy for Calabrian crime families prior to this period is not universally supported by historical evidence. Evidence suggests that mechanisms for coordination and dispute resolution have existed since at least the late 19th century, with frequent interactions and meetings among bosses of locali. Operation Crimine, a significant investigation culminating in the arrest of 305 'Ndrangheta members in July 2010, indicated a more hierarchical, unified, and pyramidal structure than previously understood. Italy's chief anti-mafia prosecutor, Pietro Grasso, described the organization as not solely clan-based. While the legal classification of the 'Ndrangheta as a hierarchical structure is advantageous for Italian criminal law, enabling broader convictions through the doctrine of criminal association, some criminologists dispute the view of the 'Ndrangheta as a consistently monolithic organization. Criminologist Anna Sergi suggests that while coordinating structures exist, they primarily serve to facilitate business ventures and risk sharing among distinct clans. According to this perspective, clans remain independent territorial units rooted in family ties, and do not consistently operate under a unified strategic plan. Sergi argues that "'Ndrangheta" functions more as a brand than a description of a tightly integrated organization. She posits that the misconception of the 'Ndrangheta as a singular entity may inadvertently benefit these groups, allowing them to leverage the organization's international reputation to exploit political vulnerabilities, invest in new enterprises, and expand their influence. Since at least the 1950s, chiefs of 'Ndrangheta locali have reportedly convened regularly near the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Polsi in San Luca during the September Feast. These annual gatherings, known as the crimine, have traditionally provided a forum for discussing future strategies and resolving disputes among locali. The assembly exercises limited supervisory authority over the activities of all 'Ndrangheta groups. Emphasis is placed on the temporary nature of the crimine boss's position, with a new representative elected at each meeting. Contrary to the "boss of bosses" concept, the capo crimine is believed to possess relatively limited power to intervene in family conflicts or regulate inter-family violence. During these meetings, each boss is expected to "give account of all the activities carried out during the year and of all the most important facts taking place in his territory such as kidnappings, homicides, etc." The historical prominence of the San Luca family is such that any new group or locale is reportedly required to obtain authorization from San Luca to operate. Furthermore, each 'Ndrangheta group "still has to deposit a small percentage of illicit proceeds to the principale of San Luca in recognition of the latter's primordial supremacy". Security concerns within the 'Ndrangheta have led to the formation of a secret society within the larger organization, known as La Santa. Membership in La Santa is exclusive, known only to fellow members. In a departure from traditional code, La Santa allowed bosses to cultivate close relationships with state officials, with some even becoming affiliated with La Santa. These connections were often facilitated through Freemasonry, which santisti were permitted to join, despite it being another breach of traditional 'Ndrangheta code. Since the conclusion of the Second 'Ndrangheta war in 1991, the 'Ndrangheta has been governed by a collegial body or Commission, known as La Provincia. Its primary function is to mediate and resolve inter-family disputes. This body, also referred to as the Commission in reference to the Sicilian counterpart, comprises three subordinate bodies known as mandamenti. These include a mandamento for clans on the Ionic side of Calabria (including the Aspromonte mountains and Locride), a second for the Tyrrhenian side (the plains of Gioia Tauro), and a central mandamento for the city of Reggio Calabria. A July 2019 article published in Canada summarized the traditional 'Ndrangheta structure. According to this report: "For decades, the 'Ndrangheta families of Siderno operating in Canada—about seven of them—have been governed by a board of directors, called the "camera di controllo", or chamber of control. The local board, as in other countries around the world and other regions of Italy where clans have spread, have ...
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