Five sisters a.k.a. Italian organized

crime

12. 7. 2012Petr Kupka

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„Five sisters“

Campania – CamorraPuglia – Puglian criminal structures (Sacra Corona Unita)Basilicata – Basilischi (´Ndrangheta)Calabria - ´NdranghetaSicilia – Mafia/Cosa Nostra

Criminal systems or organizations?

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Cosa Nostra: prologue

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• Existence of Mafia has been just suspected until 1970´s (mentality vs. organization)

• Tomasso Buscetta – pentito (witness „insider“)

• local (control of territory) – national (penetration of state institutions) – international level (drug trade)

• Honor = loyalty and confidentionality (initiations rituals); spirituality = honor

• Murder as a strategy of power enforcement Patriarchal systém of organization

• Secret societies = political function of middle class

Cosa Nostra: historical excursion

• Sicily – colonial domination until 1860´s • Gabelloti (leaseholders), briganti (brigands),

malandrini (thiefs), mafiossi (members of secret societies)

• Citrus fruits as a main article of business • Revolt and riots in the 19th century = societal

and economical opportunity• Modern bureaucratic institutions vs. Criminal

gangs vs. New bussines companie vs. Political cliques

• Violence as a service sector; maffioso – violence „expert“; pizzo – payment for protection

Cosa Nostra: paradigm of complexity (Santino 2003)

• Permanent structural phenomenon

• Società mafiogena:• Violence and illegality as a strategy of

survival,• Violence and illegality are not punished,• Weak legal economy to offer an alternative• State and institutions seem to be

unattainable and are achievable through • Negligible societal response

Cosa Nostra: vývojové fáze (Santino 2003)

• Incubation phase (16th-19th cent.) – Sicily as a semiperiphery characterized by violence oligopoly divided between state and power of barons

• Agrarian phase (mid 19th-cent. – mid 20th-cent.) – mafia as an expression of middle class; cooperation vs. competition with landlords; role of mafia during debarkation of Allies in 1943

• Urban-enterpreneurial phase (50´s-60´s) – emigration to USA; speculation in the real estate market; mafia as state bourgeoisie; international contacts

• Financial phase (70´s – 2006) – drug trade and legalization and cumulation of finance through financial sector, power struggles in Cupollla, visibility

• New mafia (after 2006) – „Corleone“ family defeat, effect of LAE succes, question of power distribution on Sicily

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´Ndrangheta: prologue

• Andragathia – masculinity, Andragathia Regio – region

• Reason and effect of Calabria backwardness

• Vertical form of management was never adopted

• „The ubiquitous structure lacking strategic direction, but characterized by organic intelligence “ (DIA)

´Ndrangheta “• Legend „Osso, Mastrosso a Carcagnosso - società

Garduna di Toledo“

Predeterminants of creation first´ndrine and honorable society

• Confino – person accused of memebership in mafia, who is enforced to move from the original region

• 1884 – word „mafia“ used in the context of confino to describe the Calabrian society

• Farmers, shepherds and artisans poverty and fear Chudoba a strach farmářů, pastýřů a řemeslníků

• 2 leverls of power: protection + extortion and control of electorate

´Ndrangheta: schism• Interwar period – agriculture; infiltration within

the state administration • Re-organization ´ndrine deliberated of political

interests – pizzo as a key element of business – criminalization of organization

• Afterwar period – robberies, extortions• Transformation process connected with regional

industrialization, urbanization and entertainment industry

• Since 60´s attempts to monopolize all economical opportunities in Calabria + accumulation of capital through extortion, kiddnapings and drug trade

• Since 70´s costruction industry and public contracts

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´Ndrangheta – structure

• horizontal – criminal clan (locale), created by two and more families (´ndrine)

• La Santa – since 70´s autonomous elite; new rituals, new positions and less members; La Santa is not hierarchically superior

• Foundation by´ndrine Piromalli (Gioia Tauro) a De Stefano (Regio Calabria)

• Direct contacts to masonery

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´Ndrangheta: pax mafiosa

• 1974-1979 First faida; power equilibrium• 1970-1988 Kidnappings era• 80´s – no more support for politicians;

putting ´Ndrangheta´s own persons into the political system

• 1984-1991 Second faida (Regio Calabria)• 1991 – creation of every-year elected

position „capo-crimine“ (mediation of internal conflicts)

Camorra: prologue

• Development in poor neighborhoods around Napoli

• Gumurra – red cloth coat brought to Naples by Hispano-Serbian businessmen from Sardinia in the period of Spanish domination

• Prison as a social market • Initial rituals inspired by catholicism

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Camorra: historický exkurz

• 1820 – foundation of Bella Società Riformata (social function)

• First research in 1863• After 1861 problems with high crime

rates and malavita (underground) – government representatives found a „special force“ of camorristi in order to have low class under control because of potential rebellion = institutionalization of criminal social control

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Camorra: the offspring of AMGOT and sicilian mafia

• Exploitation of malavita against fascist regime

• Era of Pascalone 'e Nola (Pasquale Simonetti and „first lady of Camorra“ Pupetta Maresca)

• 70. léta – Nuova Camorra Organizzata (NCO; Raffaele Cutolo) vs. Nuova Famiglia (Zaza, Nuvoletta, Alfieri atd.) + Cosa Nostra (!)

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Camorra: Nuova Camorra Organizzata

• Raffaele Cutolo – „the professor“• Recovery of camorra principles• Prison as a key social space• Startegy – visibility • Limited control of territory• In oppostion to the Nuova Famiglia

Camorra: Casalesi

• One of the most influential clan in Campania

• Other structures: Alleanza di Secondigliano, Nuvoletta, Di Lauro

• Michele a Pasqaule Zagaria, Antonio Iovine• „trinity“ of leaders (criminal, politican,

businessman)• Limited social mobility • Perceived as „dirty Camorra“ until

publication of book „Gomorra“

Apulijský zločinecký systém

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjQdUkLCce0&feature=related

• Mafia del Gargano – pastoral type of mafia• Nuova Grande Camorra Pugliese – Cutolo• Sacra Corona Unita – founded as an answer

to NGCP – puglian criminal identity; question of existence; smuggling; legitimacy got by ´Ndrangheta

• Several clans „undocked“ in criminal netowrks (Parisi, La Rossa)

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Basilischi

• Fifth mafia - 2007• Legitimacy got by ´Ndranghety (clan

Belloco) in 1994• Basilicata perceived as a silent oasis• Beggining of criminal activities after

1980 eathquake • Prisons in Lucania perceived as a

„universities of crime“ (prisoners for Sicily, Calabria, Puglia, Campania)

Thank you for your attention!