Italian mafia: why is murder and extortion going out of fashion?

Move into tax evasion and money laundering means organised crime has 'not diminished but evolved', warns prosecutor

Police cordon tape in a street of a small town in Sicily, Italy
Seventeen people were killed by the various mobs in Italy in 2022, compared to more than 700 in 1991
(Image credit: Busà Photography / Getty Images)

The Italian mafia has long been synonymous with extortion and mob hits, but it appears its taste for murder and racketeering could soon be a thing of the past.

According to the latest official data, 17 people were killed by the mob in Italy in 2022, compared to more than 700 in 1991.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us