Mafia Expansion: The 'Ndrangheta in Established Democracies offers an overarching account of mafia expansion grounded in a far-reaching analysis of one of the most widely spread, yet least understood, mafias in the world. While few mafia organizations exist today, they wield significant global influence, having extended their reach into territories including the United States, Australia, and nearly all European countries. Scholars have often associated mafia presence with a state's ability and willingness to govern effectively when faced with social disorganization, economic recession, and chronic distrust. Why, then, have seemingly stable democracies seen mafia expansion into their territories?

In response to this question, Mafia Expansion illuminates how and why mafia organizations have taken root in contexts very different to those in which they originally emerged. Drawing on extensive fieldwork and a rich selection of primary sources, the book presents an in-depth study of the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta's expansion to Germany. It offers a nuanced framework for understanding mafia expansion, according to which mafia groups either transplant their core business model attempting to govern in the new territory; trade in licit and illicit markets as one criminal actor among many; or become inactive and hibernate in a stage from which they may or may not resurface. Taken together, the book proposes a comprehensive explanation of mafia expansion that goes beyond specific case-studies and uncovers relationships between migration, trust, and enforcement dynamics within the context of organized crime.