Many if not most attempts to summarize the mafia inevitably fall back on the phrase “organized crime”. Cosa Nostra includes organized crime and actively enables it — it would be naive or misguided to suggest otherwise. Organized crime is not sufficient to explain the phenomenon of the mafia, though. The organization’s processes are highly structured but also flexible enough to accomodate many different resources using its ultimate tool: the Cosa Nostra network, where everyone shares the same system of laws and understands its nature.
The mafia network and its rules of government are used for crime and legitimate business, sometimes in combination, as well as for mundane and even silly interactions between members. Regardless of the activity in question, this society seeks to control all resources within its domain and expands to include new resources. All of these components are subject to its well-defined processes even if the organization can’t be defined by one single component alone. Everything the mafia does is “Cosa Nostra activity” even when it’s not explicitly criminal.
This episode discusses the unanswerable question as to what the mafia is. Its versatility is best understood by exploring examples and looking at how the organization deals with a range of different activities and situations.
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Correction: I briefly referenced Bonanno acting boss Salvatore Montagna and made a slip of the tongue, saying he was born in Castellammare del Golfo. He was born in Montreal but raised in Castellammare. Trivial, but I felt the need to mention it.
Exploring What the Mafia Is (Audio)