As you said influenced, not controlled. Sure sicilian mafia was much more powerful than 'Ndrangheta , and sicilian bosses had huge influence over 'Ndrangheta , but Calabria was their territory, they were never controlled by sicilian mafia. And after Riina war with state and huge pressure from state/police, 'Ndrangheta used money from kidnappings to buy drugs and get into drug business, while everyone were focused on Sicilian mafia , they managed to grow almost silently.