Diss.--Univ., 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 245-274) and indexes. Mafia associations and ruling bodies -- Status and fraternization contracts -- Secrecy and violence -- Multiplicity of goals and functions -- Mafia, state, and society.

La ricerca sull'espansione territoriale delle mafie italiane si è spesso limitata all'analisi di una singola organizzazione o di un solo paese. I pochi studi con una prospettiva più ampia non esaminano in dettaglio come organizzazioni mafiose diverse operano in paesi diversi. Per colmare tale vuoto conoscitivo, questo studio analizza la presenza di Cosa Nostra, Camorra e 'Ndrangheta in Europa, con l'obiettivo di individuare modelli di espansione mafiosa. Lo studio combina varie fonti di informazione e diversi livelli di analisi. Dapprima, utilizza rapporti ufficiali per mappare la presenza delle mafie italiane in Europa ed identificarne le principali caratteristiche. Successivamente, approfondisce tre casi di studio paese e, sulla base di interviste con esperti, analizza come le diverse organizzazioni operano nei diversi paesi. I risultati mostrano che i fattori legati al territorio e al tipo di attività prevalgono sulle caratteristiche dell'organizzazione nel definire i modelli di espansione mafiosa. Le mafie italiane si concentrano in alcuni paesi Europei e in determinate aree all'interno dello stesso paese. Il traffico di droga è la caratteristica più ricorrente della loro presenza in Europa. La 'Ndrangheta è l'unica organizzazione ad aver riprodotto le proprie strutture all'estero, sebbene ciò non avvenga in tutti i paesi Europei in cui è presente. / Research on the spatial mobility of Italian mafias has frequently adopted a narrow approach, focusing on only one type of mafia or a single country. The few studies with a broader perspective do not examine in detail how different mafias operate across different countries. This study addresses these gaps by providing a first comprehensive analysis of the presence of Cosa Nostra, the Camorra and the 'Ndrangheta across Europe, with the aim of identifying patterns of mafia mobility. The study combines different data sources and different levels of analysis. Drawing from official reports, it firstly maps the spread of the Italian mafias in Europe and identifies the main characteristics of their presence abroad. Secondly, it focuses on three country case studies and, based on expert interviews, compares how different mafias operate across different countries. The results show that country-related and activity-related characteristics prevail over organizational ones in determining patterns of mafia mobility. Italian mafias concentrate in a few European countries and in specific areas within a country. Drug trafficking is the most recurrent feature of their presence abroad. The 'Ndrangheta is the only mafia which has a structured presence in Europe, although it does not reproduce its structures in all foreign countries.

In this comparative study the aim is to test the explanatory value and what can be inferred from theory building of criminological rational choice theory and offensive realism on the transnational expansions of organized criminal groups. Two analytical models, based upon the works of Ronald Clarke, Derek B. Cornish and John J. Mearsheimer, will be applied upon the Camorra’s and the ‘Ndrangheta’s transnational expansions. The essay uses a wide scope of sources, from news articles to academic books and papers, in order to provide an accurate description of the two units analyzed. The aim of this essay is achieved by having two research questions. This will in conjunction with the analytical models test the explanatory value of the theories when assessed upon the empirical material collected about the two cases, as well as provide valuable information of how organized criminal groups operate. It is concluded that organized criminal groups act rational and that rational choice theory is relevant when researching organized criminal groups' transnational expansions while the results of offensive realism differed on the two units.