British journalist Clare Longrigg researched & published a book on the role women play in the mafia before going on to her work on Provenzano.
The earlier book, straight forwardly titled "Mafia Women", details not only the type of lives women like Karen Hill, Brenda Colluci & Linda Milito led, but also delving into the then new growing trend of women in Italy taking over from their jailed men, a situation that is now more or less common place amongst the South Italian criminal groups.

The camorra led the trend, with the majority of early cases of female gangsterism rising from Campania. & decades prior to its global proliferation, Longrigg examined the Ndrangheta from the perspectives of their women; & even during a time of rampant "blood fueds"/gang wars in Calabria, she was able to draw attention towards its future potential.

Most importantly, she explains very well the role true mafia women play in grooming the children in their future roles, a practice especially prevelant & important in Calabrian Ndrine, which are known for revolving around a nucleus of blood relations. Something from the book that jumped out at me were the stories of young vital law abiding men in their ealy 20's being one day approached by a spinster aunt draped in black, informing him that with the recent death of a distant cousin he'd met maybe once or twice in his life, & being the next male of age, it fell to him to take up the family's part in some ancient bloodfued to restore its honour. Apparantly this shit still happens, or was in the nineties at least.
There was another instance of a mother constantly berating & belittling her son for years because he had failed to take revenge on those that had killed a brother/father/uncle, finally driving him to murder & a life sentace before she could be satisfied.

http://www.clarelongrigg.com/mafia_women.php