Editing 'Ndrangheta (section)

=== Organizational structure ===

[[File:Ndrangheta code.JPG|thumb|upright=1.25|Formulas from the code of the 'Ndrangheta: The three handwritten pages describe the text for the speech held when a member is promoted to a higher rank. The text, written in uncertain Italian with grammatical and orthographic errors, appears awkward to native speakers.<ref name="mpr0204">[http://www.mpg.de/english/illustrationsDocumentation/multimedia/mpResearch/2004/heft02/2_04MPR_58_63.pdf "Crisis among the 'Men of Honor{{'"}}] (interview with Letizia Paoli). {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100209204538/http://www.mpg.de/english/illustrationsDocumentation/multimedia/mpResearch/2004/heft02/2_04MPR_58_63.pdf |date=9 February 2010 }}. Max Planck Research. February 2004.</ref>]]
[[File:Struttura ndrangheta.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|The 'Ndrangheta hierarchy, labeled in Italian]]
[[File:Struttura ndrangheta 2011.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|Detailed 'Ndrangheta structure, labeled in Italian]]

Similar to the Sicilian [[Cosa Nostra]], the 'Ndrangheta is structured as a loose confederation of approximately one hundred groups, referred to as {{lang|it|[[cosca|cosche]]}} or families. Each group asserts authority over a specific territory, typically a town or village, although their control over the monopoly of violence in these areas is not always absolute or fully legitimized.<ref name="paoli" /> Estimates suggest that there are around 100 of these families, encompassing between 4,000 and 5,000 members within [[Reggio Calabria]].<ref name="mon150807" /><ref name="paoli32">Paoli, ''Mafia Brotherhoods'', [https://archive.org/details/mafiabrotherhood0000paol/page/32/mode/1up p. 32]</ref><ref name="rel2003">{{in lang|it}} [http://www.parlamento.it/parlam/bicam/14/Antimafia/documenti/relazann2003II.pdf ''"Relazione annuale"''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091127141114/http://www.parlamento.it/parlam/bicam/14/Antimafia/documenti/relazann2003II.pdf |date=27 November 2009 }} (PDF), Commissione parliamentare d'inchiesta sul fenomeno della criminalità organizzata mafiosa o similare, 30 July 2003.</ref> Other estimates indicate a membership of 6,000–7,000 individuals, with a potential worldwide membership reaching approximately 10,000.<ref name="guardian" />

The majority of these groups, numbering around 86, are active in the [[Province of Reggio Calabria]]. It is also believed that a portion of the reported 70 criminal groups based in the Calabrian provinces of [[Province of Catanzaro|Catanzaro]] and [[Province of Cosenza|Cosenza]] maintain formal affiliations with the 'Ndrangheta.<ref name="varese" /> These family groups are primarily concentrated in impoverished towns and villages within [[Calabria]], including [[Platì]], [[Locri]], [[San Luca]], [[Africo]], and [[Altomonte]], as well as in [[Reggio Calabria]], the main city and provincial capital.<ref name="rep250407">{{in lang|it}} [http://www.repubblica.it/2007/01/sezioni/politica/inchiesta-citta/potere-reggioc/potere-reggioc.html ''"La pax della 'ndrangheta soffoca Reggio Calabria"''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070711115813/http://www.repubblica.it/2007/01/sezioni/politica/inchiesta-citta/potere-reggioc/potere-reggioc.html |date=11 July 2007 }}. ''La Repubblica''. 25 April 2007.</ref> [[San Luca]] is widely regarded as a significant stronghold of the 'Ndrangheta. According to testimony from a former 'ndranghetista, "almost all the male inhabitants belong to the 'Ndrangheta," and the [[Territorial Abbey and Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Polsi|Sanctuary of Polsi]] has historically served as a meeting place for affiliates.<ref name="paoli29">Paoli, ''Mafia Brotherhoods'', [https://archive.org/details/mafiabrotherhood0000paol/page/29/mode/1up p. 29]</ref> Bosses from regions outside Calabria, including [[#Canada|Canada]] and [[#Australia|Australia]], are reported to regularly attend meetings at the Sanctuary of Polsi,<ref name="varese" /> suggesting that ''[['ndrina|'ndrine]]'' globally perceive themselves as part of a unified collective entity.<ref name="paoli32" />

The fundamental local organizational unit within the 'Ndrangheta is the ''[[Locale ('Ndrangheta)|locale]]'' (local or place), which exercises [[jurisdiction]] over a town or a specific area within a larger urban center.<ref name="nicaso1">Nicaso & Danesi, ''Made Men'', [https://books.google.com/books?id=5fEQAAAAQBAJ&lpg=PA23 p. 23] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102011850/https://books.google.com/books?id=5fEQAAAAQBAJ&lpg=PA23 |date=2 January 2016}}</ref> A ''locale'' may encompass branches known as '' [['ndrina]]'' (plural: '' 'ndrine''), which can be situated in different districts of the same city, in neighboring towns or villages, or even outside [[Calabria]]. Notably, 'ndrine have been established in cities and towns in Northern [[Italy]], particularly in the industrial regions around [[Turin]] and [[Milan]]. For instance, the presence of the 'Ndrangheta in [[Bardonecchia]], an alpine town in the [[Piedmont]] region's province of [[Turin]], has been documented since the early 1960s. In 1973, prompted by numerous newspaper articles, the [[Antimafia Commission]], for the first time in Northern Italy, conducted an inspection in [[Bardonecchia]], confirming the presence of organized crime.<ref>[http://www.archiviolastampa.it/component/option,com_lastampa/task,search/mod,libera/action,viewer/Itemid,3/page,11/articleid,0142_01_1972_0088_0011_5198924/ Pronto il rapporto sulla mafia. Sarà consegnato in Parlamento] ''[[La Stampa]]'', April 14 1972</ref><ref>[http://www.archiviolastampa.it/component/option,com_lastampa/task,search/mod,libera/action,viewer/Itemid,3/page,2/articleid,0149_01_1973_0107_0002_4761327/ Commissione Antimafia indagherà sugli abusi edilizi a Bardonecchia] ''[[La Stampa]]'', May 6 1973</ref><ref>[http://www.archiviolastampa.it/component/option,com_lastampa/task,search/mod,libera/action,viewer/Itemid,3/page,5/articleid,1506_02_1973_0111_0007_21209979/ Il Consiglio comunale di Bardonecchia chiede l'allontanamento dei mafiosi] ''[[Stampa sera]]'' May 12 1973</ref><ref>[http://www.archiviolastampa.it/component/option,com_lastampa/task,search/mod,libera/action,viewer/Itemid,3/page,8/articleid,1118_01_1973_0291_0008_16225378/ L'Antimafia in Piemonte a raccolto un materiale scottante] ''[[La Stampa]]'' December 13 1973</ref><ref>[http://www.archiviolastampa.it/component/option,com_lastampa/task,search/mod,libera/action,viewer/Itemid,3/page,5/articleid,1499_02_1974_0078_0005_21151380/ Questi gli undici nomi dei boss di Bardonecchia] [[Stampa Sera]] April 3 1974</ref><ref>[http://www.archiviolastampa.it/component/option,com_lastampa/task,search/mod,libera/action,viewer/Itemid,3/page,4/articleid,1112_01_1974_0071_0071_0004_21471873/ Ecco l'esplosivo dossier sulla mafia in Valle di Susa] [[La Stampa]] April 3 1974</ref> In 1995, [[Bardonecchia]] became the first municipality in Northern [[Italy]] to be dissolved due to alleged mafia infiltration, leading to the arrest of [[Rocco Lo Presti]], considered the historical 'Ndrangheta boss of [[Bardonecchia]] and the [[Susa Valley]].<ref>[http://archivio.lastampa.it/articolo?id=7df2c08bd4df55dc2e1f841d2ea6e3d150ed289a Bardonecchia comune chiuso per mafia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150404012923/http://archivio.lastampa.it/articolo?id=7df2c08bd4df55dc2e1f841d2ea6e3d150ed289a |date=4 April 2015 }} [[La Stampa]] April 29 1995</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150409031754/http://archivio.lastampa.it/articolo?id=e4edb5d9760ea42a85f79e0cf27021b2e91e0433 Rocco Il padrino della Val di Susa] [[La Stampa]] January 24 2009</ref>

The towns of [[Corsico]] and [[Buccinasco]] in [[Lombardy]] are also considered to be 'Ndrangheta strongholds. Sub-units known as ''sotto 'ndrine'' are sometimes established. These subunits possess considerable autonomy, with their own leadership and staff. In some instances, '' 'ndrine'' have reportedly become more influential than the ''locale'' to which they are formally subordinate.<ref name="paoli29" /> Other perspectives suggest that the '' 'ndrina'' itself is the fundamental organizational unit. According to the [[Antimafia Commission]], each '' 'ndrina'' operates autonomously within its territory, with no formal authority above the '' 'ndrina'' boss. Typically, an '' 'ndrina'' controls a small town or a neighborhood. In cases where multiple '' 'ndrine'' operate within the same town, they may form a ''locale''.<ref name="varese" />

Within the 'Ndrangheta, membership in a crime family and blood relations are significantly intertwined. '' 'Ndrine'' predominantly consist of individuals from the same family lineage. Salvatore Boemi, an anti-mafia prosecutor in [[Reggio Calabria]], informed the Italian [[Antimafia Commission]] that membership is often acquired "for the simple fact of being born into a mafia family." While other factors may attract individuals to seek membership, and non-kin have been admitted, familial ties remain central. Marriages serve to strengthen relationships within '' 'ndrine'' and expand membership. Consequently, each group is often composed of a few core blood families, leading to situations where "a high number of people with the same last name often end up being prosecuted for membership of a given ''{{'}}ndrina''." Given the absence of membership limits within a unit, bosses may prioritize maximizing descendants to strengthen their group.<ref name="varese" />

The hierarchy within an '' 'ndrina'' includes various ranks. At the base are the ''picciotti d'onore'' (soldiers), expected to execute tasks with unquestioning obedience, until promotion to the level of ''cammorista''. ''Cammoristi'' are granted command over their own group of soldiers. Above the '' 'ndrina'' level, but still within the 'Ndrangheta structure, is the rank of ''santista'', followed by ''[[Vangelo|vangelista]]''. Aspiring ''vangelisti'' are required to swear an oath of dedication to a life of crime upon the [[Bible]]. The ''Quintino'', also referred to as ''Padrino'', represents the second-highest level of command within an 'Ndrangheta clan (''Ndrina''). This level comprises five privileged members who report directly to the boss, known as the ''[[capobastone]]'' (head of command).<ref>{{Cite web|title=The 'Ndrangheta Looms Large |url=http://americanmafia.com/Feature_Articles_286.html |website=americanmafia.com |last=La Sorte |first=Mike |date=December 2004 |access-date=10 February 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054929/http://americanmafia.com/Feature_Articles_286.html |archive-date=4 March 2016 }}</ref>

During a 2018 trial in Toronto, former mobster Carmine Guido testified that the 'Ndrangheta is a collective of family-based clans, each with its own boss, operating within a unified structure and under a board of control.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Humphreys |first1=Adrian |date=29 March 2018 |title=Ex-mobster paid $2.4M to become police informant tells trial he made far more money as a crook – National Post |newspaper=National Post |url=https://nationalpost.com/news/toronto/ex-mobster-paid-2-4m-to-become-police-informant-tells-trial-he-made-far-more-money-as-a-crook}}</ref>