Sottobosco

[Autom. eng. transl.] The absence of the legitimate state leads to the formation of a climate favorable to the development of a criminal underworld. The undergrowth is characterized by a complex ecosystem and an unjust ecological pyramid at the top of which are the members of mafia-style organized crime groups. Differently from other heterotrophic organisms present in the undergrowth, mafiosi also prey on and control other subjects who act illegally. By governing the illegal dynamics of the criminal underworld of the communities on which they impact, mafia groups replace the role of law enforcement and legitimate justice institutions. These mechanisms represent fundamental tools through which the mafias have come to acquire and preserve a parastatal role.