Four types of 'ndrangheta families down under: Gatekeepers, Holdovers, Vanishers, Newcomers

 On the 27th of June 2024, my latest paper was published in the scientific journal Trends in Organized Crime, with the title: 

‘Familiness’ diversification and recognition: intergenerational changes in mobile ‘ndrangheta families in Australia.

The article can be accessed here open access!

(Herald Sun, Friday 23rd August)

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I'll go through the four family-types (ideal types of course...) here on the blog as well.

I cannot name names for obvious reasons, but descriptions can be interpreted easily for those in the know.  

The way I created this typology is by crossing the levels of recognition these families have in the underworld - meaning, do law enforcement know them? do other criminal groups know them? - and the level of diversification in their familiness - that is the level of change in some of the key characteristics, the visions, the modus operandi, of the way the family works in mafia-related activities. 

Here are the four types:

(click on the picture to see it bigger!)

The Gatekeepers: these are the most important 'ndrangheta families, those that the public would associate with Griffith, NSW, but they also exist in other areas of Australia. They are not always (almost never) he most important criminally speaking, they are the most important for the structure of the 'ndrangheta, the ones who keep the modus operandi alive, the traditions, the reputation. Crucially, some of these families appear fully "legal". 

Overall, Gatekeepers are the prime example of continuity in the 'ndrangheta and also the proof that there could exist more than just one way of "being 'ndranhgeta" abroad, including one that appears non-criminal but social. 

The Holdovers: these are wannabe Gatekeepers who didn't quite make it, and instead are scrambling to keep the glory of the past, either as criminal families in the 'ndrangheta or as service providers; some are still active in criminality; some, however, find very difficult to get off the common criminality of drugs trade or other organised crime activities. 

Overall these are not that successful 'ndrangheta families who live off "reputation of the past". 

The Vanishers: these are families that used to be Gatekeepers and/or quite prominent 'ndrangheta families but did not last beyond 1 or 2 generations; some sons/daughters married with other newer families; some didn't have an heir and "lost" the "surname" and the "place"; some just lost to newcomers (italian and non Italians) in their place of reference. 

Overall, the Vanishers are proofs that mafias are not forever and that migration patterns can indeed terminate 'ndrangheta (sub)values. 

The Newcomers: these are relatively new families; at times their surnames do not correspond to existing 'ndrangheta/mafia-type families in Calabria/Italy, which means that they are an Australian product. They often gained their reputation by marrying with Gatekeepers or Holdovers, and they appear to be mostly engaged in drug trades and/or money laundering. They are, for many reasons, those who raise the alarm, as they are not only active but also "growing". 

Overall, the Newcomers are never fully 'ndrangheta, as they are an Australian product of stratification of cultures, including criminal behaviours and parternships. 

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So, good news! Migration processes (once they start phases of intergenerational changes) **WORK** as a way to "beat" mafias, to make them fail, to make them less prominent and less successful; mafia (sub)cultures are not forever, not for life, not even in certain families! (and yes we often hear the contrary...)

You can read more about each of these types in the open access paper linked above. And you can try and guess who are these families, if you wish to?