In a recent crackdown, anti-mafia police targeted the Sicilian Mafia with the primary goal of preventing them from reorganizing and establishing a new governing body. What surfaced from this extensive operation, however, is a crime syndicate grappling with the need to adapt to contemporary dynamics while simultaneously lamenting the decline of its former glory.
Giancarlo Romano, a prominent figure in the mob, was recorded expressing his concerns about the Mafia’s dwindling recruitment capabilities before his assassination last year. He remarked, “They don’t produce mobsters like they used to.” Despite a longing for the ambitious crimes that characterized its past, the Mafia remains a formidable presence, warns anti-mafia prosecutor Maurizio de Lucia: “Cosa nostra is alive and present.”
Modern tactics amidst traditional roots
Current investigations indicate that the new wave of Sicilian gang leaders has begun utilizing advanced technology such as encrypted mobile phones and thousands of short-life micro-sim cards smuggled into prisons. These tools allow them to elude surveillance while they expand their criminal enterprises into drug trafficking, money laundering, and online gambling.
Moreover, Sicily’s Cosa Nostra has reportedly established collaborations with other criminal organizations, including the larger and more powerful ‘Ndrangheta from mainland Italy.
In a sweeping operation across four districts in Palermo, authorities issued 181 arrest warrants for suspected gang members, with 33 of those targeted already behind bars. National anti-mafia prosecutor Giovanni Melillo revealed that the high-security prison system remains vulnerable to Mafia influence, noting that one incarcerated gangster managed to observe violence he orchestrated from within his cell via video-link.
Generational dilemmas and the legacy of crime
The Mafia’s reliance on an encrypted messaging platform—capable of transmitting text, voice notes, and images—has fostered a sense of overconfidence. However, a surveillance bug planted in the home of a gangster captured a conversation where he and an associate lamented connectivity issues during encrypted chats, inadvertently revealing the names of various Mafia figures.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni commended the Carabinieri military police for their efforts, asserting that the fight against the Mafia “has not stopped and will not stop.” Notably, around half of those apprehended in the latest operation are in their 20s and 30s, underscoring a troubling trend of younger recruits.
Romano, viewed as a rising star within the Brancaccio area of Palermo, was overheard expressing disappointment about the Mafia’s current state and the quality of its new members. He stated, “The level is low, today they arrest someone and if he becomes a turncoat they arrest another… wretched low-level.” He advised an aspiring Mafioso to pursue education and learn from professionals while also suggesting they watch The Godfather trilogy to glean insights from the fictional Corleone family.
Romano lamented that today’s Mafia is relegated to selling minor quantities of hashish, contrasting sharply with the grand ambitions of the past. He noted, “Back in the day, those people who unfortunately ended up in jail for life… they did it because of a shipload of hash was supposed to arrive.” Tragically, Romano was killed in February 2024 in an attack linked to online gambling extortion, prompting further arrests within his faction.
Though Cosa Nostra appears diminished compared to its notorious past—having faced substantial crackdowns over the last three decades—many traditional practices and codes continue to endure. As one mafioso poignantly remarked, “Cosa nostra is like marriage. You are married to this wife and you stay with her all your life,” indicating the inescapable ties that bind members to the organization.