Is the Mafia Dead?

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The Mob in Italy

Current knowledge suggests that Italian mob members started migrating to the US around 1880 as a way to escape prosecution in their home country. The Italian mafia and its American counterparts maintained a close relationship; drug trafficking through Sicily to the US seems to have been a key part in their alliance.

The Italian mob seems to be even more secretive than the La Cosa Nostra in America and subsequently fewer arrests are made against them. However, in 2007, Salvatore “The Baron” Lo Piccolo (the believed head of the Sicilian mafia) was arrested by Italian Police. Police also arrested Lo Piccolo’s son, Sandro. While this was certainly a setback, the Italian mob is still fairing much better than its American counterparts, thanks to the recession. The Italian’s usual extortion rackets and drug trafficking are helping them to rake in Euros. But, according the Huffington Post, it is the mafia’s sale and transport of fake designer clothing that is earning them the most.

Italia law officials have been rather successful at policing the mob in the past, but the mob seems to be having resurgence thanks to its ability to overtake legitimate businesses in recent years. Italian mobsters are dabbling in the real estate business, hotels, restaurants, and even cafes. While police have been able to seize assets from some of these legit businesses, they have been unable to shut them down completely. Eurispes, a Rome-based think tank, believes that the Italian mafia pulled in about $167 billion in 2008. That’s roughly 8 percent of Italy’s gross domestic product- not too shabby.

Going Home

Judging from the recent resourcefulness of the Italian mafia, the old guys could teach the American families a thing or two. However, one reason the American mafia may be struggling is because there is a possibility some of their members are going back to Italy. The arrest of Lo Piccolo in 2007 opened the door for a new person/outfit/segment to take power. It seems the Americans saw this as an opportunity and ran with it. Italian officials say members of Sicilian families forced to flee in the 1980’s, because of the powerful Corleone gang, returned to Italy to fill the spots left by the arrest of Lo Piccolo and many of his lieutenants. In fact, Americans appear to be the new bosses in Sicily. How many mobsters left America is unknown, but an influx of mobsters from America to Italy would certainly account for some of the recent troubles of the American mob, especially the five families, and the current success of the Italians.

What's Next

It’s difficult to say what the future holds for the mob, though one can be sure that its presence will always be felt. The Internet might be the next frontier for the mafia to explore. According to Cisco Security Products annual midyear global security report, the Internet provides an easy way for organized crime outfits to mimic legitimate businesses -similar to what the Italians are currently doing. The Internet also provides an easy way for families to communicate with each other and other organized crime outfits.

America’s streets may be quiet in regards to the mafia, but that does mean they are safe from them. If the Five Families are able to sort out their internal problems, the current economic climate puts them in a position for a comeback.

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