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Origins and Development of the ’Ndrangheta

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The ’Ndrangheta and Sacra Corona Unita

Part of the book series: Studies of Organized Crime ((SOOC,volume 12))

Abstract

Cosa Nostra, Camorra, and ’Ndrangheta are an original criminal product of the nineteenth century in Italy, in particular of the three southern regions: Sicily, Campania, and Calabria. Since their beginnings, they appeared as a devastating novelty compared to other criminal organizations. Presently, the ’Ndrangheta is the strongest and most well-established organization in Italy, Europe, and several nonEuropean countries. It controls the international drug trade due to its relationships with the most important producers of cocaine. The ’Ndrangheta practices are not limited to killing many people outside Calabria, i.e. Duisburg in Germany on August 15, 2007, but it also heavily influences politics in Calabria as well as in Lombardy, Liguria, and Piedmont. Although its origin is ancient, only in recent times the ’Ndrangheta has become the focus of public interest. Which are the most important aspects to explain its current strength?

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For those aspects see Ciconte (2008). For the history of Sicilian Mafia, it is useful to see Lupo (1997).

  2. 2.

    For those elements, please, see Ciconte (1992). This book is the first book on the history of the ’Ndrangheta.

  3. 3.

    For a highly interesting description of Calabria, refer to what notable Calabrian writer Corradi (1990) wrote in Calabria with a preface of Libero Bigiaretti (see also Corradi (1951)).

  4. 4.

    For those arguments, see Ciconte (2010, pp. 7–21). The entire events of Operazione Crimine have been narrated by the direct protagonists as it is possible to read in Pignatone and Prestipino (2012).

  5. 5.

    For this problem, it is useful to consult two reports of the Commissione Parlamentare Antimafia (Anti-Mafia Parliamentary Commission) (2000, 2008) in two different legislations.

  6. 6.

    PCI stands for Partito Comunista Italiano (Italian Communist Party), while PSI is Partito Socialista Italiano (Italian Socialist Party).

  7. 7.

    For this argument, see Ammendolia and Frammartino (1975); Manfredi (1981); Ciconte (1992); Ciconte (1996).

  8. 8.

    For the role of women in different Mafia organizations, see Siebert (1994).

  9. 9.

    For the importance of the fable, see Malafrina (1986); Ciconte and Macrì (2009); Ciconte et al. (2010).

  10. 10.

    Judge Saverio Mannino (1997) has observed how rituals in the ’Ndrangheta are “instruments of an ideology that is used to give to the associative relation a legitimation, based on presumption of sentiments of honor and superiority” (p. 372).

  11. 11.

    For the history of Calabria in this period is useful to see Cingari (1982).

  12. 12.

    The decision to build a new iron and steel center had an outstanding effect on the ’Ndrangheta during that time, consecrating the power and prestige of the Piromallis. For those aspects of the event, it is crucial to see Arlacchi (1983). For the further development of the ’Ndrangheta in Gioia Tauro see Forgione (2012).

  13. 13.

    For those aspects, see Forgione and Mondani (1993). Regarding the power plant of ENEL, see Commissione Parlamentare (1990).

  14. 14.

    For the ’Ndrangheta of Aspromonte, see the classic and ever-useful Stajano (1979). The description of Africo facilitates the understanding of social change and the particular reasoning of the ’Ndrangheta. Also regarding the Aspromonte, see Bianco (1959).

  15. 15.

    For those arguments see Gambino (1976, 1986). See also Malafrina (1981).

  16. 16.

    For the kidnapping season see Ciconte (1997).

  17. 17.

    About Montalto, see Marino (1971) who describes the events of the memorable day.

  18. 18.

    More information on that historical period has been narrated by Cuzzola (2007). Storie e memorie della rivolta.

  19. 19.

    See Misiami (1994). The article summarizes the internal debate of the PCI of Reggio Calabria.

  20. 20.

    See Fantò (2007).

  21. 21.

    For the transformation of the middle class in Mafia, see Casaburi (2010).

  22. 22.

    More information about Milan as a criminal place for money laundering may be found in Draghi (2011).

  23. 23.

    On the dynamics of settling in the North, see Sciarrone (1998).

  24. 24.

    See Fierro (2007); Ciconte (2013).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rome, Italy

    Enzo Ciconte

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  1. Enzo Ciconte
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Correspondence to Enzo Ciconte .

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  1. Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA

    Nicoletta Serenata

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Ciconte, E. (2014). Origins and Development of the ’Ndrangheta. In: Serenata, N. (eds) The ’Ndrangheta and Sacra Corona Unita. Studies of Organized Crime, vol 12. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-04930-4_3

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