HistoryExtra Podcast: "The relentless rise of the mafia"

Date: March 25, 2026
Host: Spencer Mizzen
Guest: Prof. Ryan Gingeras, author of A Global History

Episode Overview

In this insightful episode, Spencer Mizzen interviews historian Ryan Gingeras about the complex, centuries-spanning story of the mafia. Going far beyond the familiar icons of Al Capone and Don Corleone, Gingeras discusses the evolution of mafia groups around the world, their distinct characteristics, mythologies, interactions with states and politics, and ongoing influence in shaping the world’s criminal landscape. Special attention is paid to how mafias transcended borders through migration and globalization, the impact of cultural phenomena like The Godfather, and what the future may hold for organized crime.

Defining "Mafia": What Sets Mafias Apart?

[02:53]

• Ryan Gingeras emphasizes that his book focuses specifically on "mafias" rather than the broader term "organized crime."
• Key Distinction:
  • Mafias are not just crime organizations; they're enduring criminal conspiracies—groups with deep-rooted histories, evolving over decades or centuries.
  • They possess a culture or subculture and build a significant mythos, often deeply tied to their region and community.
  • “The groups I talk in this book, many of them are quite different ... but the thing that they all have in common is that sense that they share a really distinct place within the evolution of modern history.” (Ryan Gingeras, 05:34)

The Four Enduring Mafias of Modern History

[05:58]

Spencer Mizzen asks Gingeras to describe the four major mafias that have endured.

• Sicilian Mafia & Camorra (Italy):

  • Origins as prison gangs in early 19th-century Italy, later becoming local subcultures involving influential locals—politicians, businesspeople, and bandits.
  • Debate over their nature: Were these groups a sign of Southern Italian “backwardness,” or are they simply myth? Now established as major criminal organizations.

• Chinese Triads:

  • Originated in the 18th century as secret societies for mutual aid and resistance against authorities.
  • Not initially criminal, but their secretive, fraternal structure lent itself to criminal enterprises as drug trafficking and extortion became lucrative.
  • “The triads don’t actually start out as a ostensibly criminal organization ... it eventually becomes associated with these things because ... members end up becoming really influential in places where drug trafficking was present.” (Ryan Gingeras, 08:43)

• Japanese Yakuza:

  • Origins are centuries old, rooted in gambler and outcast “classes”; the notion of a cohesive Yakuza emerges after WWII.
  • Prior to that, loose professional groups engaged in taboo or semi-legal activities.
  • By the 19th and 20th centuries, become entangled with right-wing politics, acting as muscle or enforcers.

Political Upheaval, War, and Mafia Growth

[11:59]

• All four mafias exploited periods of chaos, especially post-WWII.
• Reconstruction of Italy, China, and Japan created the perfect environment for mafias to consolidate and expand.
• Mafias often acted as surrogates or allies to powerful political factions, assisting with muscle, intimidation, or fixing elections.
• “There is a kind of conspiratorial element within each of these histories... doing nefarious things on the part of politicians and governments that ultimately help solidify those governments as the reigning political factions of their times.” (Ryan Gingeras, 13:43)

Mafias vs. The State: Rivalry & Influence

[14:36]

• Contrary to popular myth, traditional mafias rarely rivaled the power of the state directly—unlike the later drug cartels of Mexico or Colombia.
• However, mafias provided the model for organized, enduring, quasi-political crime syndicates globally.
• “What they most certainly provide a model for is that it becomes a frame of reference for other groups...” (Ryan Gingeras, 14:52)

Mass Migration, Globalization, and the American Mafia

[15:44]

• Mass migration to the US in the late 19th–early 20th centuries brought mafiosi and similar organizations (triads, Yakuza-like gangs).
• Initially, mafias in America were loose and localized (“Black Hand”), but organized crime matured post-World War I, especially with Prohibition.
• America’s booming, stable economy and vast, urbanizing population created fertile ground for mafia enterprises.
• “If you’re going to sell drugs in the world through the 20th century, there’s really only one place ... you’re going to make a killing, and that’s America.” (Ryan Gingeras, 20:09)

Harry Anslinger and the “Mafia” in American Culture

[22:31]

• Harry Anslinger (head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics) instrumental in embedding the idea of a singular, omnipresent “Mafia” into public consciousness.
• Through media campaigns and Senate hearings in the 1940s–60s, Anslinger fueled the perception that organized crime was dominated by a secret, fraternal mafia.
• “It’s really in the 40s and 50s that the word Mafia enters into American diction ... for what Anslinger would come to argue is this singular organization that dominates the American underworld...” (Ryan Gingeras, 24:25)

The Godfather Phenomenon: Art Shapes Reality

[27:17]

• Mario Puzo’s The Godfather book (1969) and film (1972) gave both the public and criminals a new vocabulary, myth, and even internal structure.
• The film’s success coincided with the real-world peak of global mafias and drug networks (“The French Connection”).
• Profound Impact: Real mafiosi started calling their bosses “godfather,” mimicking the film, reinforcing the script as reality.
• “This film in its context really was a product of a really distinct and really profound period … If you, let’s say, do a word search ... post-71, mafia as a term becomes ever more common parlance, not just in the United States, but everywhere.” (Ryan Gingeras, 31:24)
• Notably: “The word Mafia is never once mentioned in the Godfather.” (Ryan Gingeras, 32:52)

The Rise of Cartels: Globalization & Hyper-Violence

[33:21]

• “Cartel” as a concept emerged in the 1970s-80s to describe new, highly violent South and Central American drug organizations, especially those flooding the US with cocaine.
• Unlike mafias, cartels’ notoriety largely hinges on extreme violence and mass-market commodities (like cocaine).
• “Mafias, in the minds of lots of people, are nowhere near as violent as cartels.” (Ryan Gingeras, 34:26)

Pablo Escobar: The Godfather Reincarnate

[36:43]

• Escobar, and others, intentionally modeled themselves after the Godfather myth.
• He curated his public image, mimicking Vito Corleone’s speech and style.
• “He was very much a product of the legend that began to develop around The Godfather. And after seeing The Godfather many, many times, he would mimic the role of Vito Corleone...” (Ryan Gingeras, 37:04)

The Future of Mafias: Chaos, Myth, and Adaptation

[38:06]

• Organized crime is no longer the exclusive domain of traditional mafias—state actors, terrorists, and hybrid figures like Putin now adopt mafioso tropes and methods.
• The mafia model persists and inspires, even as the old groups’ power wanes.
• “Now more than ever, what’s demanded of us is to appreciate that they are big components in the making of modern life and modern politics and modern economy...” (Ryan Gingeras, 40:25)
• Mafia tropes maintain cultural resonance—see shows like The Sopranos or Peaky Blinders—acting as a metaphor for larger social processes.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Myth and Reality:
  “A mafia tends to have a kind of mythos around it. It has a sort of legendary status that’s rooted in its history, it’s rooted in culture, it’s rooted in where it’s from.” — Ryan Gingeras [04:41]
• On the Effect of The Godfather:
  “This film in its context really was a product of a really distinct and really profound period of time ... It changes and it solidifies what people around the world come to think of when they think about organized crime.” — Ryan Gingeras [28:32]
• On Modern Organized Crime:
  “You can have states that behave like mafias ... Putin in himself kind of governs Russia like a mafia don. And in some ways he is a mafia don in the ways in which he has utilized mafiosi …” — Ryan Gingeras [39:13]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic | |------------|--------------------------------------------------------| | 02:53 | Defining 'Mafia' and its distinction | | 05:58 | The Four Enduring Mafias | | 11:59 | Political upheaval and mafia growth | | 14:36 | Mafias vs. the power of the state | | 15:44 | Migration, globalization, and American mafias | | 22:31 | Harry Anslinger and the 'Mafia' narrative in America | | 27:17 | The Godfather’s cultural and criminal impact | | 33:21 | The rise and meaning of drug 'cartels' | | 36:43 | Pablo Escobar’s myth-making | | 38:06 | The modern evolution and future of mafias |

Conclusion

Ryan Gingeras offers a panoramic view of how mafias are not only crime organizations but also powerful cultural forces, shaping and reflecting the worlds they inhabit. From their shadowy origins to global infamy, their mythology now resonates even in the behavior of states and terrorists, evolving alongside society. Yet, through myth, media, and new criminal forms, the mafia’s story continues to both trouble and fascinate the modern imagination.

Further resources:

• A Global History by Ryan Gingeras
• March issue of History Extra magazine (feature on the Mafia’s rise)
• History Extra website for related articles