Podcast Summary:

New Books Network – Anna Sergi, "How to Recognize the Mafia Abroad: Critical Notes on ‘ndrangheta Mobility" (Policy Press, 2025)
Host: Dr. Miranda Melcher
Guest: Professor Anna Sergi
Release Date: January 11, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dr. Miranda Melcher interviews Professor Anna Sergi about her book How to Recognize the Mafia Abroad: Critical Notes on ‘ndrangheta Mobility. The conversation explores how the Italian mafia, specifically the ‘Ndrangheta, adapts and manifests in diaspora communities worldwide. Sergi challenges common assumptions in organized crime studies—particularly those related to ethnicity, kinship, reputation, and the intergenerational transmission of mafia culture—and introduces her concept of "mafia ubiquity." Together, they navigate analytical traps, discuss the nuances of mafia identification abroad, and consider both the cultural and psychological complexities surrounding mafia organizations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Personal & Academic Motivation (03:26–05:00)

• Background: Sergi, newly a Professor at University of Bologna, comes from Calabria—the ‘Ndrangheta's homeland, which deeply motivates her research.
• Quote:

  “I think this book… is 80% research passion and 20% a small little activist in me that wants to do something good for the region I come from, which I love very deeply.”
  (Anna Sergi, 04:35)

Mafia Ubiquity: Reframing Mobility and Identity (05:27–10:33)

• Sergi critiques traditional organized crime studies for focusing too narrowly on the mobility of illicit trade.
• Proposes mafia ubiquity, which centers on the person—the mafioso's ability to operate and exist in multiple social, cultural, and geographic spaces simultaneously.
• Draws from migration and digital studies, introducing three macro-concepts shaping mafia ubiquity:
  • Transnationalism: Criminal actors move and conduct business across national borders.
  • Translocalism: They’re connected to specific localities globally (e.g., ties from Bologna to Melbourne to Dortmund).
  • Transculturation: Mafiosi (like many migrants) experience identity "jet lag," constantly negotiating between cultures as they move and adapt.
• Quote:

  “Ubiquitous means to be at the same time in many different places, which is what we all are in a way. … I wanted this research… to mirror the fact that even organized crime is not just mobile. They don’t just move, they are ubiquitous.”
  (Anna Sergi, 06:54)

The Ethnicity Trap: Problems of Overgeneralization (11:47–16:36)

• The association of mafia with ethnicity (e.g., “Italian mafia,” “Albanian mafia”) shapes law enforcement and public perceptions, often erroneously.

• Ethnic labels can become deterministic, leading to misidentification and reinforcing mafia reputations.

• Quote:

  “So ethnicity has been defined as a trap for organized crime studies. … This ethnic connotation has become a sort of deterministic attribution...”
  (Anna Sergi, 11:48)

• Overgeneralization can:

  • Wrongly conflate regional origin with criminality.
  • Aid mafia reputation (“amplifies its reputation… in a way that the organization really doesn’t… need.” (15:07))
  • Skew law enforcement priorities, often to the disadvantage of innocent individuals from stigmatized regions.

Radicalization of Resentment & Diaspora Dynamics (16:36–23:18)

• Sergi introduces the concept of "radicalization of resentment":
  • Resentment against the state (rooted in Calabria’s history as a neglected, “colonized” region) increases mafia resilience.
  • The ‘Ndrangheta culturalizes feelings of injustice and channels them into resistance against the state, resembling mechanisms in terrorist or radical political groups.
  • This resentment and cultural framing travel across diaspora networks, reinforcing mafia identities among Calabrians worldwide.
• Quote:

  “What the Ndrangheta does as a cultural phenomenon… is to attempt to radicalize this resentment… They push it to the point whereby nothing of the state can be accepted… the only way to resist is to form… a coalition that resists to the oppression of the state.”
  (Anna Sergi, 18:48)

Surnames, Clans, and Kinship: More Traps and Tools (23:18–30:46)

• Surnames denote clan membership, but with nuanced pitfalls:
  • Clanic structures mean many share mafia-linked surnames, but most are not involved in organized crime.
  • Law enforcement and media often over-ascribe mafia involvement based on surnames, leading to “guilty until proven otherwise.”
  • Still, certain surnames (within specific contexts and behaviors) can be useful for identifying orthodox, dynastic mafia families.
• Quote:

  “The surname is a trap, because it leads an attentive analyst, but also law enforcement, to draw conclusions… without understanding how families actually work in Calabrian culture.”
  (Anna Sergi, 27:44)

Beyond Traps: Nuanced Recognition of Membership (30:46–37:11)

• Sergi outlines alternative “tests” for recognizing mafia membership in diaspora settings:
  • Intergenerational Transmission: Is mafia identity retained through multiple migrant generations?
  • Tradition Test: Do criminal practices align with orthodox Calabrian/Ndrangheta values?
  • Trauma: Membership brings psychological trauma to families; this shapes behavior and criminal agency.
  • Reputation and Kinship: How is surname/clan leveraged for power and status in criminal or legal activities?
  • Attachment to 'Motherland': Forms of nostalgia and identification expressed by first, second, or third generation migrants can reveal mafia resilience or hybridity.
• Quote:

  “All the approaches that I suggest are not to catch the criminals… but they assume that there has been some criminality, especially abroad, whereby law enforcement is already looking at these people…”
  (Anna Sergi, 31:22)

Intergenerational Transmission in Practice (37:11–41:29)

• Transmission of values (e.g., honor) often adapts traditional Calabrian social norms into mafia-specific codes—sometimes supported by “black pedagogy” (teaching children mafia forms of “honor”).
• Diaspora settings can blur distinctions between “true Calabrians” and ‘Ndrangheta members, sometimes with grave legal or reputational consequences for ordinary Calabrians.

The Centrality of Reputation (41:29–46:55)

• Reputation is currency in underworld economies, both for reliability (e.g., in the cocaine trade) and capacity for violence.
• The Ndrangheta’s reputation is shaped and reinforced by media attention, violence, and resilience, further fueling its power abroad.
• Quote:

  “Reputation is money for… organized crime groups, but also because they have to keep intact the cultural dress that they sell, including the resentment, including the ability to be the only one that can protect… the traditional values of the Calabrian people.”
  (Anna Sergi, 46:09)

Neutralization & Framing: Dealing with Mafia Stigma (46:55–51:50)

• Mafiosi and their communities rarely view themselves as villains.
• Through moral neutralization techniques, they present themselves as protectors, victims of the state, or upholders of traditional values.
• In diaspora, ethnic solidarity creates protective “shields” even around ambiguous or suspected individuals; omertà (conspiracy of silence) can be reframed as ethnic loyalty.
• Quote:

  “They don’t frame themselves as bad actors. They think they are protectors of the people. They frame themselves as honorable men. … I mean, the name of the Ndrangheta remains the Honor Society.”
  (Anna Sergi, 47:42)

Future Research Directions (52:04–54:04)

• Sergi is exploring how mafia identity persists in the “phygital” (physical + digital) realm—on social media and beyond—expanding the analysis of ubiquity into digital performance.
• She’s also working on transmission of cocaine-trafficking expertise within families, and a new project on the American mafia (La Cosa Nostra).
• Quote:

  “I am interested in the so-called phygital dimension of this… how the mafia ubiquity can be stretched into the digital realm.”
  (Anna Sergi, 52:05)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Ethnicity has been defined as a trap for organized crime studies.” (Anna Sergi, 11:47)
• “Radicalization of resentment… travels through those channels of ubiquity that I discussed about… and that is how the Ndrangheta builds as well, or sneaks in into the… cracks of the Calabrian diaspora.” (Anna Sergi, 21:17)
• “The surname is a trap… leads law enforcement to draw conclusions… without understanding how families actually work in Calabrian culture.” (Anna Sergi, 27:44)
• “Reputation is currency. Reputation is money.” (Anna Sergi, 46:09)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00 – Ads and sponsor messages
• 02:07 – Introduction and welcome
• 03:24 – Sergi introduces herself and personal motivation
• 05:27 – Mafia ubiquity explained
• 11:47 – Ethnicity as an analytical trap
• 16:36 – Radicalization of resentment, diaspora dynamics
• 23:18 – Surnames, clans, and kinship explained
• 30:46 – Nuanced ways to assess mafia membership
• 37:11 – Intergenerational transmission of mafia culture
• 41:29 – Importance of reputation
• 46:55 – Neutralization, omertà, and ethnic solidarity
• 52:04 – Future research directions
• 54:04 – Episode close (ads/outro)

Tone and Language

The tone throughout is engaged, thoughtful, and nuanced, with Sergi providing clarifying explanations to challenge oversimplified narratives about the mafia. Both speakers carefully consider complexities, showing respect towards the people and cultures discussed while maintaining a critical academic lens.

This summary should serve as a comprehensive guide for listeners and readers interested in Anna Sergi’s work on recognizing and understanding the mafia abroad, the pitfalls of cultural and ethnic stereotyping, and the sophisticated ways mafia organizations operate and adapt transnationally and transculturally.