Just to clarify my question, is the mafia a financial threat? Could it bankrupt a country? I frankly have no idea about stuff like that, that's why I think it's a pretty interestiong question. I am referring to the LCN in America. A.k.a American mafia.

In Italy certainly their a threat, the Camorra seems to basically run Naples. In America now the LCN's power has been greatly reduced. I think they still affect the prices of construction in NY, but there really pretty weak compared to 50 years ago etc. No way they could bankrupt the US.

Probably not bankrupt the US. However, somehow I do think they are a big threat to any country not only financially but overall dangerous. I can't come up with anything that could backup my assumption. I do not know about Italy but probably even more messed up.

They couldn't bankrupt TGI Fridays in America

to answer your question with a big simple NO

LCN in American couldnt even bankrupt Bernie Madoff on his bad day.


Not to say they arent a threat. They are just not at the level of their counterparts in italy.

Basically they could bankrupt small businesses their shaking down but that's about it now.

Right. It's pretty hard to bankrupt a resturant or anything similiar in a capitalist country like America. Then that gotta be quite impossible to bankrupt the government? How does it really work, like how are they affecting the economy?

they affect the economy because they pollute it with billions illegal money, in italy they're going to take over any significant economic activity and not in the south only where they own everythings yet but in rome city/central italy and all over the north and the economic capital milan city
and when a mafia boss owns an economic activity its impossibile to get it legal anymore since when the boss dies his sons, nephews, friends take it
its not like the jews criminal in the states that took it in the past but today they are legal, something took over by the italian mafia is illeagl even after 50 years

Years ago, when the mob was at it's peak, multiple families controlled different union locals around the country - particularly in the northeast and midwest. But the extensive infiltration of legitimate industries was primarily a New York thing. The mob's involvement raised the cost of various things in NYC, ranging from construction and real estate to garbage collection and food wholesaling. Beyond that, the influence over the unions - especially the "Big Four": ILA, Teamsters, Laborers, Hotel & Restaurants Employees - enabled them to influence shipping on the eastern seaboard, interstate trucking, etc. As Genovese turncoat Vincent Cafaro said, "Our real power, our strength, came from the unions. With the unions behind us we could shut down the city, or the country for that matter, in order to get our way."