Italy has long been known for its organized crime problem. Until recently, Sicily’s Cosa Nostra (“our stuff” in English) was the only known Mafia-related name. In recent years, however, a family-run criminal organization called ‘Ndrangheta (from the Greek for “courage” or “loyalty”) has sprung up.
Author and mafia historian John Dickey takes us into this secret world of a (literally) underground criminal organization run by cacciatori (Italian mafia hunters), who are more respected and feared in Calabria than the actual police force .
Calabria’s ‘Ndrangheta was founded in the 1860s when a group of Sicilian gangsters were exiled from Sicily by the Italian government. Thus, the Calabrian mafia differed from the Sicilian mafia in their profound mistrust of the government. While the Cosa Nostra often works hand-in-hand with the state and engages in ongoing dialogue, the ‘Ndrangheta has long thrived in the shadows. Located on the “toe” of Italy’s “boot,” Calabria is an excellent hiding place.
The ‘Ndrangheta operate quietly in the small community there, running their business in secrecy and hiding in underground bunkers when the weather gets too hot. The community sheltered them and their secrets until the beginning of a massive crackdown on the Cosa Nostra in Sicily in the early 2000s. With all the government’s attention focused on it, ‘Ndrangheta started unabated. Instead of fighting the local government, they decided to buy one by one, one by one. So if someone in Calabria has a problem with honor, it’s not safe to go to the local police station. Thus, Cacciatori was born.
The secret realm of ‘Ndrangheta lies below the village of Aspromonte (“The Rough Mountain”). It’s a geographically perfect hiding place, as the rocky terrain makes access to the mountain extremely difficult, leaving few footholds for law enforcement officers still keen to take action on ‘Ndrangheta. The mountain is home to a subterranean labyrinth of bunkers built for kings, with enough comforts that the Mafia can survive here for months.
With hidden entrances, very cleverly disguised exits, false walls, secret rooms and an underground tunnel system, Cacciatori takes host John Dickie on a tour of some of the bunkers they’ve found, all of which were designed by Antonio Pelle and Will Ciccio Pesce (who even built one underground greenhouses to grow marijuana) housed in beautifully constructed and delivered bunkers that have not been used at all.
Thanks to ‘Ndrangheta’s bosses being the largest cocaine traffickers in Europe, ‘protection’ taxes and duties on local businesses, and various forms of extortion, fraud and violence, ‘Ndrangheta is the most powerful organized crime organization in the world today. A company with an annual turnover of 53 billion euros is definitely one to watch.
Directed by: Elena Cosentino
