Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Organized crime and regional development. A review of the Italian case

  • Published:
Trends in Organized Crime Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper offers a review of the effects of organized crime on regional economic development, with particular reference to the case of Italy. After reviewing the empirical studies that analyse the relationship between crime and economic development, the paper examines the regional distribution and the social costs of some crimes (in particular extortion) that can be linked to mafia type criminality.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Chart 1
Chart 2

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. A vast collection of definitions on organized crime has been collected by Klaus von Lampe and is available, together with a rich bibliography on the subject, on the www.organized-crime.de website (see, furthermore, von Lampe 2006, 2008).

  2. In principle, thus, another variable, not considered in the analysis, cannot be excluded, that is that both influences therefore generate a spurious correlation.

  3. The authors declare that they have taken the plan of the model analysis from Peter Reuter’s analyses (1984), that refer to the case of the United States and the narcotics market.

  4. The social capital proxies used in the Peri’s study are: the number of associations per 1,000 inhabitants, the electoral turnout in the referendum elections and the share of citizen reading non-sport newspapers. These variables, that measure “civic envolvment”, are similar to those proposed by Putnam (1993) in his influential study on social capital and institutions’ performance.

  5. Seemingly Unrelated Regression and Generalized Least Squares econometric estimation techniques.

  6. The Verdoorn’s law regards the long-term relationship between the rate of growth of output and the growth of productivity. According to this law, faster growth in output increases productivity due to increasing returns.

  7. Generalized Method of Moment estimation technique.

  8. In South Italy, pizzo is a slang term for extortion.

  9. According to a recent analysis carried out by Anas, the companies involved in the construction of the 5th macro-section of the Salerno-Reggio Calabria motorway ( a macro section that runs from Gioia Tauro to Scilla, in the province of Reggio Calabria) suffered 100 intimidatory attacks in 1,210 days, on average one attack every 12 days (R. Galullo, Sull’autostrada della malavita, Il Sole 24 Ore, 7th February 2009, page 12).

References

  • Alleva G, Arezzo MF (2004) Una stima dei danni della criminalità sul sistema economico meridionale: il valore aggiunto e l’occupazione non generata secondo la percezione degli imprenditori. Annali del Dipartimento di studi geoeconomici, linguistici, statistici, storici per l’analisi regionale, Università di Roma “La Sapienza”, Pàtron Editore, Bologna

  • Arlacchi P (1983) La mafia imprenditrice. L’etica mafiosa e lo spirito del capitalismo. il Mulino, Bologna

    Google Scholar 

  • Asmundo A, Lisciandra M (2008) Un tentativo di stima del costo delle estorsioni sulle imprese a livello regionale: il caso Sicilia. In: La Spina A (ed) I costi dell’illegalità. Mafia ed estorsioni in Sicilia. il Mulino, Bologna

    Google Scholar 

  • Banfield E (1958) The moral basis of a backward society. The Free Press, Glencoe Ill

    Google Scholar 

  • Basile R (2001) The locational determinants of foreign-owned manufacturing plants in Italy: the role of the south. ISAE, Documenti di lavoro, n. 14/01

  • Becchi A (2000) Criminalità organizzata: paradigmi e scenari delle organizzazioni mafiose in Italia. Donzelli, Roma

    Google Scholar 

  • Becker GS (1968) Crime and punishment: an economic approach. J Polit Econ 76(2):169–217

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brand S, Price R (2000) The economic and social costs of crime. Home Office Research Studies, n. 217, London, Home Office

  • Buonanno P (2006a) The socioeconomic determinants of crime. A review of the literature, Department of Economics, University of Milan-Bicocca, Working Paper Series, n. 63, November

  • Buonanno P (2006b) Crime and labour market opportunities in Italy (1993–2002). Lab Rev Lab Econ Ind Relat 20(4):601–624

    Google Scholar 

  • Busetta P, Sacco S (1992) Gabbie salariali: verifica empirica di una proposta. Franco Angeli, Milano

    Google Scholar 

  • Caermichael F, Ward R (2001) Male unemployment and crime in England and Wales. Econ Lett 73(1):111–115

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campiglio L (1990) L’Illecito. In: IRER (ed) Progetto Milano, Tensioni e nuovi bisogni della società in trasformazione. Franco Angeli, Milano

    Google Scholar 

  • Catanzaro R (1991) Il delitto come impresa. Storia sociale della mafia. Rizzoli, Milano

    Google Scholar 

  • Centorrino M, Ofria F (2003) Il pedaggio dello sviluppo: come la criminalità organizzata taglieggia il profitto nelle regioni meridionali. Palomar, Bari

    Google Scholar 

  • Centorrino M, Ofria F (2008) Criminalità organizzata e produttività del lavoro nel Mezzogiorno: un’applicazione del modello «Kaldor-Verdoorn». Rivista Economica del Mezzogiorno 1:163–189

    Google Scholar 

  • Centorrino M, Signorino G (1993) Criminalità e modelli di economia locale. In: Zamagni S (ed) Mercati illegali e mafie. L’economia del crimine organizzato. il Mulino, Bologna

    Google Scholar 

  • Centorrino M, Signorino G (1997) Macroeconomia della mafia. La Nuova Italia Scientifica, Roma

    Google Scholar 

  • Centorrino M, La Spina A, Signorino G (1999) Il nodo gordiano. Criminalità mafiosa e sviluppo nel Mezzogiorno. Laterza, Roma-Bari

    Google Scholar 

  • Ciconte E (1992) Storia della ‘ndrangheta. Laterza, Roma-Bari

    Google Scholar 

  • Confcommercio (2007) La mappa della criminalità regione per regione. Indagine Confcommercio – GFK – Eurisko, Palermo

    Google Scholar 

  • Confesercenti (2007) SOS Impresa: X Rapporto. Confersercenti, Roma

    Google Scholar 

  • Confesercenti (2008) SOS Impresa: XI Rapporto. Confersercenti, Roma

    Google Scholar 

  • CPM - Commissione parlamentare d’inchiesta sul fenomeno della criminalità mafiosa (2008) Relazione annuale sulla ‘ndrangheta, XV Legislatura, doc. XXIII, no. 5. Rome: Camera dei Deputati

    Google Scholar 

  • Czabański J (2008) Estimates of cost of crime: history, methodologies, and implications. Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg

    Google Scholar 

  • Daniele V (2005) Perché le imprese estere non investono al Sud? Rivista Economica del Mezzogiorno 4:795–818

    Google Scholar 

  • Daniele V (2007) Incentivi economici e disincentivi di contesto: Gli investimenti esteri nel Mezzogiorno. Rivista di Economia e Statistica del Territorio 3:5–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Daniele V, Marani U (2008) Criminalità e investimenti esteri. Un’analisi per le province italiane. Rivista Economica del Mezzogiorno 1:189–218

    Google Scholar 

  • De Mello JM, Zilberman E (2008) Does crime affect economic decisions? An empirical investigation of savings in a high-crime environment. BE J Econ Anal Poli 8:1–35

    Google Scholar 

  • Deininger K (2003) Causes and consequences of civil strife: micro-level evidence from Uganda. Oxf Econ Pap 55:579–606

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Detotto C, Pulina M (2009) Does more crime mean fewer jobs? An ARDL model, CRENos Working paper 2009/05

  • Ehrilch J (1973) Participation in illegitimate activities: a theoretical and empirical investigation. J Polit Econ 81(3):521–565

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Felli E, Tria G (2000) Produttività e crimine organizzato: Un’analisi delle regioni italiane. Sviluppo economico 4(1):79–101

    Google Scholar 

  • Fiorentini G, Peltzman S (eds) (1995) The economics of organized crime. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Fondazione BNC, Censis (2003) Impresa e criminalità nel Mezzogiorno. Meccanismi di distorsione del mercato, Rapporto di Ricerca, Roma

    Google Scholar 

  • Franchetti L (1875) Condizioni economiche ed amministrative delle province napoletane (ed. 1985). Laterza, Roma-Bari

    Google Scholar 

  • Freeman R (1983) Crime and unemployment. In: Wilson JQ, Petersilia J (eds) Crime and public policy. ICS, San Francisco

    Google Scholar 

  • Freeman R (2000) Crime and the job market. NBER Working Paper n. W4910

  • Gambetta D (1992) La mafia siciliana. Un’industria della protezione privata. Einaudi, Torino

    Google Scholar 

  • Gordon DM (1971) Capitalism, class and crime in America. Rev Radical Pol Econ 3:51–75

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gpf-Ispo (2005) L’immagine del Mezzogiorno d’Italia in 11 Paesi del Mondo. Market research conducted by GPF-ISPO for the Italian Ministry of Economics and Finance, Rome

  • La Spina A (ed) (2008) I costi dell’illegalità. Mafia ed estorsioni in Sicilia. il Mulino, Bologna

    Google Scholar 

  • La Spina A, Lo Forte G (2006) I costi dell’illegalità. Rivista economica del Mezzogiorno 3–4:509–570

    Google Scholar 

  • Levitt SD (2001) Alternative strategies for identifying the link between unemployment and crime. Journal of Quantitative Criminology 17:377–390

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin M-J (2008) Does unemployment increase crime? Evidence from U.S. Data 1974–2000. J Hum Resour 43(2):413–436

    Google Scholar 

  • Marini D, Turato F (2002) Nord-Est e Mezzogiorno: nuove relazioni, vecchi stereotipi. Rapporti Formez-Fondazione Nord-Est, April

  • Marselli R, Vannini M (2000) Quanto incide la disoccupazione sui tassi di criminalità? Rivista di Politica Economica 90(10–11):273–299

    Google Scholar 

  • Masciandaro D (2000) Legalità, stato, mercato e moneta: l’analisi economica del crimine in Italia. Rivista Italiana di Scienze Sociali 1:95–158

    Google Scholar 

  • Masciandaro D (2002) Why Shylock can be efficient? A theory of usury contract. Kredit und Kapital 24(3):381–399

    Google Scholar 

  • Mayhew P (2003) Counting the costs of crime in Australia. Australian Institute of Criminology Technical and Background Paper Series, 4

  • Miller T, Cohen MA et al (1996) Victim costs and consequences: a new look. National Institute of Justice, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Monzini P (1993) L’estorsione nei mercati leciti e illeciti. Liuc Papers, serie Storia, impresa e società, n. 1

  • Monzini P (1999) Gruppi criminali a Napoli e a Marsiglia. La delinquenza organizzata nella storia di due città (1820–1990). Meridiana, Catanzaro

    Google Scholar 

  • Nilsson A, Agell J, (2003) Crime, unemployment and labor market programs in turbulent times. Stockholm University, Department of Economics, Research Papers in Economics, 13

  • Ofria F (1999) Criminality and economic development: an empirical verification in Italian regions (1980–95). Mediterr J Hum Rights 1:263–275

    Google Scholar 

  • Olson M (1984) Einaudi Notizie. Circolare ai soci della Fondazione Einaudi, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • Palle C, Godefroy T (1998) Les couts du crime: Une estimation monetaire des deliquances en 1996. Etudes et Donnees Penales. CESDIP 79, Guyancourt

    Google Scholar 

  • Palle C, Godefroy T (2000) The cost of crime: a monetary assessment of offending in 1996. Research on Crime and Criminal Justice in France: Penal Issues

  • Pazienza P, Reganati F, Vecchione V (2005) La localizzazione delle multinazionali nelle regioni italiane: variabili economiche e istituzionali. In: Lopes A, Lorizio M, Reganati F (eds) Istituzioni e imprese nello sviluppo locale. Carocci, Roma

    Google Scholar 

  • Peri G (2004) Socio-cultural variables and economic success: evidence from Italian provinces 1951–1991. Berkeley Electronic Journal, Topics in Macroeconomics 4:1

    Google Scholar 

  • Pshiva R, Suarez GA (2006) Captive markets: the impact of kidnappings on corporate investment in Colombia. Federal Reserve Board, FEDS Working Paper No. 2006-18

  • Putnam R (1993) Making democracy work. Princeton University Press, Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  • Reuter P (1983) Disorganized crime: the economics of the visible hand. MIT, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Reuter P (1984) Racketeering in legitimate industries. A study in the economics of intimidation. The Rand Corporation, Santa Monica

    Google Scholar 

  • Reuter P (1985) The organization of illegal markets: an economic analysis. National Institute of Justice, Washinghton

    Google Scholar 

  • Roper T, Thompson A (2006) Estimating the costs of crime in New Zealand in 2003/4. New Zealand Treasury, New Zealand

    Google Scholar 

  • Schelling TC (1980) Economics and criminal enterprise. In: Andreano R, Siegfried JJ (eds) The economics of crime. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Scorcu AE, Cellini R (1998) Economic activity and crime in the long run: an empirical investigation on aggregate data from Italy, 1951–1994. Int Rev Law Econ 18:279–292

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stigler GJ (1970) The optimum enforcement of laws. J Polit Econ 78(3):526–536

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sylos Labini P (1985) L’evoluzione economica del Mezzogiorno negli ultimi trent’anni. Temi di Discussione, Banca d’Italia, Roma, n. 46

  • United Nations—Office on Drugs and Crime (2007) Crime and development in Central America. Caught in the crossfire. UN, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Dijck J (2007) Mafia markers: assessing organized crime and its impact upon societies. Trends Organ Crime 10(4):39–56

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Varese F (2006) How mafia migrate: the case of the ‘Ndrangheta in Northern Italy. Law Soc Rev 40:411–444

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • von Lampe K (2006) The interdisciplinary dimensions of the study of organized crime. Trends Organ Crime 9(3):77–95

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • von Lampe K (2008) Organized crime in Europe: conceptions and realities. Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice 2(1):7–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Zamagni S (ed) (1993) Mercati illegali e mafie. L’economia del crimine organizzato. il Mulino, Bologna

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. DOPES Department, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Campus “S. Venuta”, Germaneto, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy

    Vittorio Daniele

Authors
  1. Vittorio Daniele
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vittorio Daniele.

Additional information

“The one true measure of crime is the damage done to the nation” Cesare Beccaria, 1809, page 37.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Daniele, V. Organized crime and regional development. A review of the Italian case. Trends Organ Crim 12, 211–234 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12117-009-9079-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12117-009-9079-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation