The recent “Mafia Capitale†trial in Rome saw many being left off the hook (or receiving shorter sentences) because the judges didn’t see them being linked by a common criminal culture made of affiliation rituals and the like. They were deeply meddled with politics around Rome and elsewhere, but that’s not what the Mafia is exclusively about. At least according to the actual judges and laws.
although political connections are of course typical in mafia-related crimes to be charged with mafia-type association crime other factors are needed... there tons of indictments against italian oc groups with no apparently political links but charged with mafia-type association, and recently even some nigerian groups in italy was charged with it and sentenced, the first time for a foreign group, of course they have not any political connections and they didn't infiltrate local economy like italian oc groups, but according to the police their nationwide coordinate structure with bosses, ranks and ceremonies of initiations, their influence over african community were enough to conteste that crime
