Alberto Aziani

Strategic ports embedded in transnational cocaine trafficking networks operate as critical nodes linking South American production zones with North American and European consumer markets. These por...

Drawing on judicial records documenting 770 inter-clan alliances through 906 marriages among 623 ’Ndrangheta clans, we analyze how matrimonial ties relate to power and cohesion within the organization. Powerful clans occupy central positions in the marriage network, while alliances among less influential clans function as critical “load-bearing” ties—whose simulated removal fragments the network most rapidly. Contrary to a “bride-receiving” narrative, we do not find clear evidence that status alone determines gendered exchange patterns; powerful clans’ higher share of incoming brides (0.559 versus 0.437) is not statistically significant. Instead, an inverted-U relationship emerges: clans with moderately high bride-receiving shares (≈55–60%) exhibit the highest centrality, whereas extreme senders or receivers are structurally peripheral. These findings are consistent with marriage operating as an organizational technology—where powerful families build overlapping ties to enhance resilience, and moderate gender asymmetries optimize both lineage consolidation and network brokerage. Overall, the ’Ndrangheta’s durability appears to depend as much on peripheral-to-peripheral alliances as on unions of powerful families, underscoring marriage’s dual role in maintaining cohesion and managing power.

The introduction section highlights the potential exploitation of financial technology, particularly cryptocurrencies, for terrorist financing, emphasizing the need for empirical research on the involvement of political extremist groups, such as right-wing extremists. Despite theoretical arguments suggesting vulnerabilities in the financial system, limited empirical evidence exists on the extent of cryptocurrency funding within these groups. The chapter aims to address this gap by conducting the first empirical analysis on the financing activities of extreme right-wing groups in the United States.

Peter Reuter’s work spans a wide range of topics. His studies on organised crime have introduced groundbreaking insights into the role of organised crime in both illegal and legal markets, as well ...