Episode 3

Fiction podcast · Inspired by real cases documented in Italy

COWS, CROPS, AND COSA NOSTRA: Mafia intimidation in rural Italy

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE

Excerpt

« Maria looks at the wired fence: it was cut with pliers. Someone pushed the cows into her field. She thinks she knows who’s responsible for this: Silvio Lombardo. Silvio Lombardo’s family is well known for its links with Cosa Nostra. »

WHY THIS EPISODE

It examines how control of land and symbolic acts of domination affect rural communities.

TAKEAWAY

Resisting land grabs combines legal, social and cultural challenges.

SOURCES

Rural land and livestock have become strategic assets for several mafia groups in Italy. The items below document reported incidents, investigations, and public debate around the so‑called “mafia dei pascoli” and cases such as the Napoli sisters (Mezzojuso). The list is not exhaustive; it gathers public reporting and official records used to inform this episode.

“How Cosa Nostra’s ‘cattle mafia’ is destroying Sicily’s farmers” — 14 October 2017 — The Guardian
— Investigative international coverage describing the phenomenon of livestock intimidation and its impact on Sicilian farmers; useful for broader context.
“Una donna contro la mafia dei pascoli. ‘Il rifugio è mio e non ho paura’” — La Repubblica (Palermo) — 13 December 2017 — Regional report and video portrait of a woman farmer resisting pasture-related intimidation; illustrative local case study.
“Mafia dei pascoli: dalle agromafie business da 24,5 mld” — Coldiretti — 5 February 2020 —
— Economic analysis by Coldiretti estimating the scale of agri‑organized crime (agromafie); provides figures and sectoral context (note the methodology is the organisation’s estimate).
“Mezzojuso, la storia delle sorelle Napoli: ‘Non mi ha colpito subito, poi ho dato ragione al loro coraggio’” — Il Fatto Quotidiano — 1 January 2020 — Long-form coverage of the Napoli sisters’ experience in Mezzojuso and the public reactions; useful for timeline and media presence.
“Da 15 anni nel mirino: ‘Vessato dalla ’ndrangheta, abbandonato dallo Stato’ — the complaint of entrepreneur Bruno Bonfà” — RaiNews / TGR Calabria — 20 May 2022 —
Regional TV report featuring Bruno Bonfà describing prolonged pressure linked to pasture/land disputes and gaps in institutional protection.
“La storia di Bruno e Stefano Bonfà: vittime della ndrangheta e dello Stato” — RAIPlay / RaiNews (video segment) — 20 May 2022 —
Official RAI broadcast segment giving an in‑depth portrait of the Bonfà family and their claims.
“Intimidazioni per garantirsi pascolo abusivo, 4 arresti” — RaiNews / TGR Puglia — 6 September 2022 — Report on a police operation in Puglia resulting in arrests linked to pasture-related illegal occupation; shows law enforcement activity beyond Sicily.
“Three acquitted in ‘cattle mafia’ case over alleged intimidation of Sicilian sisters” — The Guardian — 8 June 2023 — International coverage of the 2023 acquittals in the Napoli sisters’ trial.
“Sorelle Napoli, nuove minacce a Mezzojuso” — La Repubblica (Palermo) — 9 June 2023 —
National coverage of renewed threats and media attention around the Napoli sisters; includes commentary and local reaction.

Additional sources (English)

“Agromafia and illegal land appropriation in Italy: mechanisms and responses” — Transcrime / Università Cattolica or similar academic report — 2021 — https://www.transcrime.it/ —Academic research on the links between organized crime and agriculture in Italy; policy context (use site search for specific agromafia reports).
“Organized Crime in the Agrifood Sector” — Europol / Europäische Policy brief — 2020 — EU‑level analysis on organized crime’s infiltration of the agrifood sector; European policy context and comparative data.

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