Overview

The influence and spread of clans and families within the 'ndrangheta - the Calabrian mafia - is international yet recognising their activities is not always easy, especially when considering mafia groups' apparent ability to 'disappear' when abroad. This book challenges existing myths about the mobility of this mafia group, emphasizing mafias' interconnectivity and ubiquity both at home and abroad, while providing practical tools for law enforcement and organized crime practitioners. It considers potential biases around ethnicities and surnames and the intergenerational diversification of mafias - for example, the use of encryption technologies. Combining theory with case studies drawn from Anna Sergi's extensive fieldwork, the book sets out the policy and practice implications for combatting organized crime.

Full Product Details

9781529249347

Table of Contents

Reviews

‘Extraordinary academic research that combines elements of the scientific essay with those of the journey, starting from the remote villages of Aspromonte, to reach overseas, describing the various faces of a multifaceted and continuously evolving criminal organization. The book has an open mind for new cultural discoveries, but with the experience of research professionalism.’ Sara Amerio, Antimafia Public Prosecutor, Italy 'For all its strengths, the established criminological research on organised crime tends to focus—understandably—on structural and network matters rather than the complex interplay of human and (trans)cultural dynamics that characterise today’s globalised criminal operations. Anna Sergi’s new book provides a valuable corrective. By centring ethnicity, clannish bonds, and the deviant subcultures associated with translocalism in her analysis, Sergi opens new pathways for understanding how modern mafia-style networks actually work—adding crucial dimensions to our knowledge of these complex organisations.’ Keith Hayward, University of Copenhagen 'In this remarkable work, Prof. Sergi reveals how the 'ndrangheta's influence extends far beyond organized crime, embedding itself deeply within cultural and social structures. Treating it solely as a criminal issue allows it to persist; only by confronting its ideological, economic and societal dimensions can it be effectively dismantled.' Giovanni Aceti, Senior Executive Italian National Police

Author Information

Anna Sergi was Professor of Criminology at the University of Essex until September 2025. From October 2025 she is Professor of Sociology of Deviance at the University of Bologna. She is the recipient of the 2023 Early Career Award by the European Society of Criminology.

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