The news about the rise in numbers of women involved in the Mafia has been overblown. Over in Europe there have always some who have basically been care-takers for their imprisoned husbands or other male relatives. The clans in Italy are more blood related than the crime families here in the US. That makes it more possible for a woman, if she's related or married to a top guy, to get involved and assume some authority. But you'll never see such a situation in the US.