Legalità, impresa, territorio : Uno studio di caso speciale: Reggio Emilia e dintorni

In the last decades Reggio Emilia has been the scene of an ongoing mafia expansion, by the presence of the ‘ndrangheta of Cutro, a Southern village of 10 thousand inhabitants in the province of Crotone. This expansion was matched by the progressive penetration of companies linked to the mafia clans in the local thriving economy, that it has been known as "Emilian model". How and why did this happen? The authors tried to answer this question on a general historical level through a long fieldwork that resulted in reports and publications. Here, they analyse the "irresistible ascent" of the Calabrian enterprises, drawing a scenario of strategies of adaptation, but also of tacit understanding and acceptance by the local companies (both private and cooperative) in the face of extraordinarily aggressive competition. They outline the stages of abdication, hybridization and replacement of local entrepreneurial class once appreciated for its vitality. Finally, the authors pick out the main contributing factors of mafia phenomenon in the Emilian society: the weakness of corporate cultures and a political system that it has been unable to face this challenge.