I think the Italian mafia will always fascinate people that are interessted by the criminal world.

Just because they are provably the model of organized crime. Its crazy that every organized crime in many countries has their own name, but media and people will still call them mafia.

In Russia you have the Bratva but many say Russian Mafia. Japan you have the Yakuza but sometime you read the japanese mafia. In China the Triads but sometime they call them the chinese mafia, and so on.

So I think maybe because the italian mafia is one of the oldest organized crime group, but also one f the documented on, you will always have people fascinated by them.