Brief History of ‘Ndrangheta Mafia Organization (Part One)
THE ORIGINS OF ‘NDRANGHETA: MYTHS AND TALES (1800s-1861)
As for the other Mafia organizations, the origins of ‘Ndrangheta are shrouded in mystery. The absence of historical documents and evidence led its members to make up chivalric tales to narrate the rise of their organization. One of the most fascinating is the myth of Osso, Mastrosso, and Carcagnosso brothers: three Spanish chivalries who killed a noble who raped their sister in the XV century. After the killing, they were arrested and sent to Favignana jail in Sicily where they wrote codes, rules, and initiation rites for a new organization founded on bravery, strength, and honor. After 30 years, they were released: Osso stayed in Sicily and founded Cosa Nostra, Mastrosso moved to Calabria and created ‘Ndrangheta, and, finally, Carcagnosso went to Campania and established Camorra.
This fake story is one of the many lies ‘Ndrangheta members made up to create a sense of belonging and to romanticize their violent and ruthless actions. Most probably, ‘Ndrangheta rose in the pre-Italy unification period within the Spanish Regno delle Due Sicilie (Kingdom of the Two Sicilies) jails in Sicily and Calabria. Indeed, between the first and second half of the ‘800s, several political-religious sects spread all over Europe — one above all, Freemasonry — attracting criminals and pushing them to aggregate in secret organizations. Their first businesses were forcing the other convicts to pay for religious contributions and managing jail gambling.
THE ORGANIZATION OUTSIDE THE PRISON: THE POST-UNIFICATION PERIOD (1861–1890)
Mafia organizations expanded all over the South of Italy during the unification period (1848–1861). While Camorra specialized in urban crime, ‘Ndrangheta started with livestock theft, prostitution management, and gambling control in Calabria. In fact, it must be considered that Calabria was one of the poorest regions of Italy since it was founded on an agricultural economy and characterized mostly by mountains that hindered the building of train railways and the control by the Spanish police. Moreover, the spread of criminality and the phenomenon of “brigantaggio” (brigandage) in the second half of the ‘800s, pushed the landlords to hire ‘Ndrangheta members to protect their properties. Neither the harshness of the Pica Law of 1863 to fight the brigandage phenomenon succeeded in defeating these Mafia organizations. For years, they even had favored treatment by judges and police thanks to their relationships with the local landlords and the lack of proper laws against them.
After the end of the brigandage phenomenon in 1870, the Italian government focused on the condition of the Southern regions and the problem of organized crime. The presence of criminal groups is told by several local newspapers that on different occasions accused politicians of not facing this problem and by two trials of the 1870 and 1884 when for the first time the Magistracy revealed the structural and organizational characteristics of ‘Ndrangheta. Nevertheless, in parallel, its ability to control people and force them to do what they want induced local politicians to approach ‘Ndrangheta members in order to win elections.
‘NDRANGHETA AT THE END OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
The first real legal provision against the Mafia phenomenon was the adoption of the new penal code in 1890 (“Codice Zanardelli”) that provided for the “reato di associazione per delinquere” (crime of criminal association). From now on, being part of a criminal organization is a felony. Thanks to the new provision, in 1892, the first “maxi-processo” (trial) started in Palmi (Calabria) where 219 members were convicted. After that, in 1899, the Italian Magistracy condemned 225 other people. Even though the trial could be considered a huge victory against organized crime, the outcome revealed a deep issue: ‘Ndrangheta counted on hundreds of members organized in several groups with a rigid hierarchical structure (more information here). The heads of the families used to regularly meet in Polsi, where they took the most important decisions, such as who deserved to die. The “Onorata Società” (Honorable Society) was born. Violence, devotion, and rules were the pillars of the Society, those who dared to challenge the organization followed the same fate: death.
The main source of the article is the book “Storia Segreta della ‘Ndrangheta” by Nicola Gratteri and Antonio Nicaso (2018).
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