La geografia degli incontri di 'ndrangheta in Lombardia

Where really ‘ndrangheta bosses have their strategic summits? Where do their rituals take place? There is an unexplored perspective in organized crime studies, which allows to analize the kind of places where ‘ndrangheta bosses take their strategic decisions. It could seem a secondary question, but it has a key role for the comprehension of how ‘ndrangheta settled in a certain territory and of how bosses perceive threats. It has been chosen to analyze the records of the “Crimine – Infinito” inquiry, in order to comprehend ‘ndrangheta’s presence and structure in the areas it has been established. Such approach offers a wide perspective, able to provide a deep knowledge of the real identity of such organization and to permit to overcome some common beliefs. For every summit, the aspects analysed were: municipality (as a ‘ndrangheta’s reference point and for its demographic dimension) and type of place (private or public). This research provides in particular for the following interesting indications concerning the places usually chosen by ‘ndrangheta and why they are selected: 1) its bosses prefer to meet in medium and small towns, because such kind of towns offers security and camouflage; 2) they prefer public premises, often restaurants and bars. This type of places allows them to increase their territorial control and their social recognisability. By means of a comparative analysis with the background in Calabria, the present research explains how the symbolic dimension constitutes a factor that could influence the bosses’ decisions. At least, this paper introduces a reflection about the role of bars and restaurants in ‘ndrangheta’s strategies.