The ‘Ndrangheta’s Infiltration into the Grey Area: Media Narratives and the Social Construction

Panel: Mafiocracy: state capture by organised crime Title: The ‘Ndrangheta’s Infiltration into the Grey Area: Media Narratives and the Social Construction Author: Grazia Enerina Pisano Affiliation: University of Perugia Abstract: Almost a decade later, "Crimine-Infinito", "Aemilia" and "Gotha" trials have revealed the 'Ndrangheta's capacity to infiltrate the legal economy and public institutions in different Italian regions, including healthcare systems, local administrations and political elites. Despite its long-standing influence, the Calabrian mafia is often underestimated due to its adaptive strategies, which have enabled it to expand into territories that were traditionally considered immune to organised crime. This has made the 'Ndrangheta the most powerful "glocal" mafia in Italy, capable of acting simultaneously on global and local scales. Analysing three case studies, which took place in different places and times but witnessed the infiltration of the 'Ndrangheta within the State, this contribution questions, the 'Ndrangheta grey area and the representation proposed by the media.