10 Spectacular Facts about the Italian mafia

10 Spectacular Facts about the Italian mafia

The word “mafia” is not a nice thing to hear for Italians. But we talk about it because people need to know about it. Because we learn from our history! Don’t we?

The Italian state, schools, cultural associations dedicate spaces and special events to this argument. We don’t want to forget what the “mafia” and respective “mafiosi” did to our country, people and state. 

And even if they are often idolized by entertainment and movies, their existence has a big impact on every Italian region. They affect Italy on an economic, social and political level. Let’s talk about 10 spectacular facts about the Italian mafia. But believe me when I say there is nothing good about it.  

1. The mafia phenomenon

Mafia by TheDetonator – Pixabay

The mafia originates in some particular areas of Italy. For example:

• Cosa Nostra  in Western Sicily;
• Ndrangheta in southern Calabria;
• Camorra in the Neapolitan area.

This phenomenon is typical of the south area. But we can easily say that is everywhere in Italy such as Lazio, Umbria, Abruzzo, Liguria and Tuscany. Some even say Lombardia and Emilia Romagna.

Despite its genesis located in the south, mafia tends to lengthen its claws everywhere it’s possible. They condition the functioning of politics and institutions and above all the Italian economy. Using “paid protection” mechanisms for shops and commercial activities. 

2. The mafia code of honour

Mafia by Donations_are_appreciated – Pixabay

Has we already said each region has its mafia. And each has its code of honour.  It may seem absurd by yes, they have guidelines to follow for every situation or activity. 

We know their code of honour only thanks to the “repentants”. But also thanks to many documents confiscated during some investigations. Each mafia family has its values ​​towards its “boss“, women and family.

The mafioso Salvatore Lo Piccolo had created a decalogue. A kind of constitution with 10 points. Let’s see them:

1.  One cannot present oneself if it is not a third party to do so.
2.  We don’t look at the wives of our friends.
3. No deals with cops.
4. No taverns and clubs.
5. There is a duty at all times, to be available even if the wife is about to give birth. 
6. Appointments are always respected.
7. Respect your wife. 
8. One must tell the truth.
9. Don’t touch money belonging to others and other families.
10. Cosa Nostra doesn’t accept people with relatives in the police forces.

3.  Al Capone 

Al Capone by OpenClipart-Vectors – Pixabay

They say that Al Capone had an annual income of $1.3 billion in today’s dollars! During the 1920s Al Capone obtained about $105 million a year. The equivalent of $1.3 billion profit. But a big part of the money was used to payroll judges, politicians, gangsters, reporters and also the police. He needed to oil the joint to keep his enterprise working for a time and after his death.

4. The Sopranos

Mafia by lassaffa – Pixabay

The soprano is an American crime drama created by David Chase and is ranked #3 of 2199 on The Greatest Tv Shows of all the time. The story is about Tony Soprano. A man who tries to juggle the family and the mafia and his criminal activities. The six-season series first came out in 1999. They say that the FBI was interested in the scripts of the crime drama as it was too realistic. According to the FBI, there must have been someone connected to the mafia on the team. 

5. Matteo Messina Denaro

Messina Denaro – Wikipedia

Matteo Messina Denaro is known as the “boss of the bosses” of the whole Italian mafia. Since 1996 he has been on the run and there is no photo of him. Today he is one of the 10 latitant searched worldwide.
During his mafioso period, he killed many people. We remember the kidnapping of the twelve-year-old Giuseppe Di Matteo.
Carried out to prevent his father Santino from collaborating with the police about the Capaci massacre.

The child was held captive for 779 days. He was then strangled and his body dissolved in acid.
Denaro, however, remains on the run. Most likely holed up somewhere in his native town of Castelvetrano, Sicily.

6. Six years 

Polizia by Shutterbug75- Pixabay

Italians built a courthouse in a bunker in Palermo to persecute the Mafia. The trial lasted 6 years and they persecuted 475 mafiosi after many years of violence. Giovanni Falcone was then assassinated soon after.

After this “maxiprocesso“, it came to light that there were negotiations between the state and the Mafia. To reduce the murders and obtain a peaceful coexistence.

7. Nuclear Waste

Nuclear waste by rabedirkwennigsen -Pixabay

In Italy, it is also known by the term “ecomafia“. The mafia had nuclear waste buried and in the south part of Italy. According to research, the “ndrangheta” in the 80s and 90s sank ships full of toxic waste off the coast of Somalia. To date, Italy is the crossroad of illegal trafficking in toxic and non-toxic waste. Which are sometimes buried along the Adriatic or Tyrrhenian routes.

8.  Mafia in America

Ny by Leonhard_Niederwimmer – Pixabay

The story of the American mafia began when many Italians moved to the United States in the 1800s. The type of mafia in the U.S. is called “Cosa Nostra” and is dived in families called: Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese and the Lucchese crime family.

Mafia in America is present in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago and Detroit.

9.  Movies 

Cinema by igorovsyannykov – Pixabay

A simple way to learn more about Mafia is by watching movies or documentaries. 

I suggest some: 

• Johnny Stecchino by Roberto Benigni (1991);
• I cento passi by Marco Tullio Giordana (2000);
• Il Padrino by Fransis Ford Coppola (1972);
• Il traditore by Marco Bellocchio (2019);
• La mafia uccide solo d’estate by Pif (2013);
• Romanzo Criminale by Michele Placido (2005);
• La trattativa di Sabina Guzzanti (2014);

10. The Capaci massacre

CAPACI (PA) 23.05.1992 – STRAGE DI CAPACI: MUORE IL GIUDICE GIOVANNI FALCONE CON LA MOGLIE FRANCESCA MORVILLO E TRE UOMINI DELLA SCORTA.
© LANNINO & NACCARI / STUDIO CAMERA

On 23 May 1992, Judge Giovanni Falcone and his wife Francesca lost their lives. The event shook Italy. 500 kg of TNT, RDX and ammonium nitrate were also used to kill him. The bomb was then detonated as the three armoured cars passed along the stretch of the A29 motorway near Capaci. In the explosion, the escort also lost their lives, as well as the Judge and his wife. The client was Salvatore Riina for the Cosa Nostra