Italy's (new) way to fight Mafia

We all know mafia, right? The Godfather and all that. Although this film series is somewhat fictionalised, it has nailed it rather well. Mafia, like all kind of criminality, survives by taking control of people's lives, where they live and where they work. Mafia not only controls all sorts of illigal activity but also people's everyday lives, e.g. by imposing a "fee" in order to be protected by dangers. Mafiosi are grouped into "clans", their families (just like the Godfather's family), which to them represent the core of society, and all that matters to them is the well being of the family itself.

So how do you fight mafia? This week end the Financial Times has reported on it. In Italy mafiosi have been criminalised - but they've gone into hiding. They have been put into prison - but they have retained their power through a well organised and wide spread network. So a couple of decades ago the Italian government has started confiscating their properties and turn them into schools, vineyards, parks, farms, music halls etc. In other words they confiscated illigal assets and gave them to people to produce stuff, to employ at-risk young people, to increase the well being of all Italians.

If you want to fight something, hit them where they are weak. As in all families, properties are where all family activities are based. Without a "base" it is difficult for them to live. And although it is neither fast nor cheap, it looks like mafiosi are scared of this new approach: in a recorded phone call one mafioso told another one that "there is nothing worse than getting your assets confiscated."

Italian press does not report much on this (which doesn't surprise me; see: Why learning English could save Italians), and if it does it fails to point out how useful this is to fight mafia. So here's the full article on the Financial Times online: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/72fff132-2d17-11dd-88c6-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1