What is the new mafia in Italy?
The new mafia in Italy or fourth mafia refers to the organized crime in the province of Foggia. It is located in the north of Puglia, a region that is wedged between the Adriatic and Ionian seas. Apart from Foggia (150,000) inhabitants, this mafia is also very present in smaller towns in the hinterland such as San Severo and Cerignola. It is even active in Gargano, the promontory on the Adriatic Sea, known for its nature and religion (Monte Sant’Angelo, San Giovanni Rotonda). The term ‘the fourth mafia’ is used, among others, by Antonio Laronga, a assistant attorney in Foggia who wrote a book about it.

How is the new mafia organized in italy?
The fourth mafia is called ‘Società’, literally translated as ‘society’ or ‘enterprise’. The Società is divided into so-called batteries. Almost each city has one, two or more batteries. Each battery is built around a family and is fairly autonomous. There is no such thing as an umbrella body, like the Cupola in Sicily. Due to a lack of coordination, violent mafia wars have regularly broken out over the last 20 years.

Because of the strong family ties, the batteries are quite difficult to dismantle by the authorities. Well known batteries are those of the combined Moretti-Pellegrino-Lanza families and those of the Sinesi and Francavilla families.

Since when does the new mafia in Italy exist?
Officially, this organization has only existed since 1999. In that year the Supreme Court recognized that certain groups in and around Foggia could be characterized as ‘mafia’. But if we take not the judicial verdict, but history as reference, it appears that the fourth mafia shot its first roots in 1979. The probable beginning is when the Camorra (mafia from Campania with capital Naples) led by the powerful Raffaele Cutulo, wanted to expand its organization into Apulia (Apulia and Campania border each other).

Wasn’t Sacra Corona Unita considered the fourth mafia?
Often the Sacra Corona Unità is identified as thé mafia in Puglia, and should therefore be considered as the fourth mafia in the country. Perhaps this has to do with the name, which is quite sinister and mysterious. Sacra Corona Unità means translated United Holy Crown. In reality the Società is much more powerful (and violent). The Sacra Conona Unità is according to Laronga and involved persons I spoke to hardly relevant anymore. The Corona had (has) its base mainly in the Salento region, in the extreme south of Apulia.

https://italystart.com/new-mafia-in-italy/