INSIGHTS FROM ITALIANS UNDER MAFIA PRESSURE
What they face. What we can learn.
TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE LEFT ALONE WHEN FACING THE MAFIA
OMERTÀ OVERCOMERS EXISTS BECAUSE
For many years, I kept seeing the same pattern: silence being used as a weapon.
People facing organized crime don’t just receive threats.
They lose sleep.
They stop feeling safe in their own lives.
Many end up wondering who they can still trust.
And whether anyone truly cares.
Meanwhile, criminal groups become ever more powerful.
Short fictional stories inspired by real cases—true experiences that reflect the difficult choices and fears people like you face every day. Rooted in Italy’s long history with the mafia but speaking to many countries and situations.
POWERFUL MAFIA, STRONG PEOPLE
Italy may surprise you…
Is Italy safer than your own country?
The answer might surprise you. Italy is one of the safest nations in the world, with a homicide rate of only 0.57 per 100,000 inhabitants. This is nearly half the EU average (0.91) and significantly lower than the USA (4.00) or France (1.20). This high level of physical safety provides the essential foundation upon which Italians are building their modern civil resistance.
Sources: Istat Report 2024; UNODC Global Study 2025; FBI Crime Data 2025.
Can a mafia operate without using violence?
Yes—by trading bullets for bank accounts. Modern mafias generate an estimated €30B to €140B in illegal annual revenue. They exert influence through corruption and financial control rather than bloodshed. This is part of why Italy ranks 52nd on the Corruption Perceptions Index. Having said that, violence remains present, and some mafias are especially brutal.
Sources: Transcrime; SOS Impresa (Confesercenti); Transparency International CPI 2025.
What may happen when you say "No" ?
When bribery fails, « environmental pressure » begins. Every year, over 1,000 cases of intimidation target the local leaders, journalists, and entrepreneurs who dare to say « No. » Through arson, property damage, and symbolic warnings, these tactics aim to isolate victims and paralyze the local economy without a single shot being fired.
Sources: Avviso Pubblico (Amministratori Sotto Tiro Report); DIA (Direzione Investigativa Antimafia) 2025.
Is the culture of omertà finally ending in Italy ?
It’s far from over, but thousands of Italians are leading the way. It’s a large web of groups and people — shop owners, local leaders, journalists, magistrates… — taking back their independence. Whether they are turning seized properties into community facilities, refusing to pay the pizzo, or mobilizing their community, they’re proving that standing together is the first step on the road to liberation. But it’s a long road, with many obstacles.
Sources: Libera Terra; Addiopizzo Movement; and other Italian organizations.
Portrait of resistance
They stood up
Ordinary people who refused to be silenced
Felicia Impastato
The mother who fought back — and won in court, 24 years later.
BEHIND THE EPISODE
The real story
One person who inspired this episode
Tiberio Bentivoglio
A store owner who said no to the ‘Ndrangheta — for over 35 years.
PEOPLE MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Organizations
Italians standing together
Goel
GOEL supports ethical cooperatives and businesses in Calabria — a growing alternative to the ‘Ndrangheta.
BEYOND ITALY
lIVED RESISTANCE
What's happening elsewhere
Not Just Italy's Problem
Around the world, people face the same choice Italians know well: comply, stay silent, or resist.
STAY WITH THE STORY
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