In Italy, the power of the Mafia knows no bounds. It is intertwined with the establishment and the country's politics; not only is it omnipotent, it is also omnipresent. 'The Mafia' describes five distinct organised-crime groups: the original Sicilian Mafia (aka the Cosa Nostra), the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta, the Camorra of Naples and Apulia's Sacra Corona Unita and La Rosa.
The Sicilian Mafia has its roots in the oppression of the Sicilian people, way back in the 13th century. Mussolini not only got the country's trains to run on time, he also managed to wipe out the Mafia. WW II, however, gave the organisation new life and opportunities, making it far more powerful than the original. It is international and ruthless, involved in drug trafficking and arms deals, construction and tourist development.
The 'Ndrangheta specialises in kidnapping, raw violence and executions, as well as plenty of routine mischief such as arms and drug dealing. The Camorra did extremely well out of Naples' 1980 earthquake, managing to divert hundreds of millions of dollars donated to aid reconstruction. Apulia's Mafia connections date only from the 1980s and the collapse of communism. Its ports of Bari and Brindisi make it a natural gateway to Eastern Europe, and contraband goods and drugs are huge business.
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