@@Othurin It's fascist propaganda bullshit. They did not really defeat Mafia, they just replaced them with complacent local leaders that were linked to the fascist members.
@@ejajafrozarb Fact remains that most cosa nostra leaders were incarcerated or killed until they were liberated by US forces during the invasion. That the state was *violent* is beside the point, you have to be violent to fight a degenerate criminal syndicate. They weren't peddling drugs and protection rackets &c in the same way.
@@antoniousai1989 SO they did defeat them. And then replaced them with... govt loyal leadership that didn't peddle drugs or extortionism. PS: I know that while they went hard against the CN I also know that they were largely motivated by personal feud between leaders, and the camorra and n'drangheta were not targeted at all in the same way as the CN. The camorra were rather embraced as useful
@@helpfulcommenter No. But they've bought influence on both sides of the aisle. ...The actual people in office aren't the real center of power anymore. It's the big donors who decide where our country is going.
That’s a typical mafia threat the journalist suffered, they attack brutally and then say you don’t do what we say, its gonna get worse. This shows you why we need freedom of the press and we need to offer journalists like Paola uncovering corruption protection for reporting what is happening. They are assisting law enforcement. Without being a part of it. And they need protection.
What happens when journalists, the media, etc. are not held accountable for what they report when it gets somebody hurt or killed ?? Journalists are not the police, they are not above any law written, and they do not get to have special privileges to do or say whatever they want in hopes of finacial gain, because of our first Ammendment. Too many journalists, reporters, media personal, etc abuse the power of our first Ammendment rights as it Is already, with the protection of our First Ammendment Rights. They are never held accountable for reporting false information and lies. They only report the stories that will financially gain the most, and discard the truth in order to do so now a days.
I absolutely agree. That said how/who is going to pay for it? Ideas are welcome and wonderful but without an action plan they are nothing but ideas that simply stay in your head. Best of luck!
the farmer who is fighting back against the mafia is my hero. the interview with him could be the start of a cool movie. "Why do you risk you life fighting the mafia ? "its a challenge for me. I enjoy it. so im doing it with enthusiasm"
I was thinking this too. When I see this, I think the subject is either not in as much danger as they proclaim, or they agreed to it, but this is neither. Despicable is the perfect word. I also wasn't impressed with his interview style. It was clearly apparent that he understood very little of the interviewees.
The whole Vice network has become despicable. According to Vice if you don't agree that 50 year old men should be allowed to undress in front of, and watch the undressing of 13 year old girls then it is you who has a problem and needs to change your view point.
The farmer who speaks on camera, the journalist under police protection, these are brave men. These are men with strong wills. Nothing but respect. I wish more men in America and even abroad would stand for what they believe in.
Ma se è pieno di imprecisioni, di stereotipi, di boiate ingigantite e manipolazioni…. Come se il vero problema del settore agroalimentare in Italia sia davvero la Mafia 😂🤦♂️… Se corps, multinazionali e privati hanno preso il controllo di tutta Italia, privatizzando pure l’acqua e adesso piano piano anche tutto il settore agroalimentare non è certo per la mafia…e diffondere queste falsità contribuisce a dare ancora idee sbagliate del Paese e fomentare stereotipi ridicoli
It's like in michoacan, México. So many farmers had to flee from their towns because they were getting threatened, and other had their homes and farm with crops burned to ashes.
@3:30 The farmer is subtly trying to tell the documentarians that the police are in bed with the mafia, but it seems they didn't quite get what he was trying to allude to when he said the mafia has a white collar and that he gets bothered by the mafia and the cops.
Not refarring to cops. White collar means they work out an office or professional environment so clearly not the cops, Although their will always be crocket cops
My grandfather was a judge in southern italy from the 1970's till 2002 when he was sadly killed in a car accident by a drunk driver. That being said he lead a fairly interesting life that contained even more interesting story's, one of them being the time when he had to sit down with the local mod boss of the town he was working in for a "coffee" after said boss had been pulled over by the military police ( i carabinieri, o meglio detto " gli sbirri") for carrying in his car a machete. My grandfather didn't have much say in the matter other than to accept this caffè with this boss for if he did not accept, it would have been viewed as disrespect on the highest level. In the following conversation held in a little caffè shop in rural southern Italy, there was a surprising amount of mutual respect from both party's and eventually after a bit of small talk my grandfather asks the big question " What were you doing with such a big machete in the back of your car mr..." The boss responded saying "mister judge, i had it simply because i need it to open the muscles i catch at sea". In then end my grandfather sentenced him to a year in prison and sadly soon after both my grandfather and the boss met grim faiths, one dying in a violent car crash and other being shot dead in a fish shop ironically named "the gates of paradise".
The way Italian Mafia(s) are ran in Italy vs their US counterparts are pretty much wildly different in terms of how they conduct and treat other "families" Here in the US, they put in a system to try to prevent all out war between families as this was seen as bad for business for all. Italy, its almost like a typical gang in terms of gunning down their "enemies" or rival families. As far as I know, they don't really have a buffer like we did/do here in the states in the form of "The Commission" but even here, the Mafia is just a shadow of how they used to be before RICO.
1st generation american-italian.... my grandfather born and raised in sicily used to tell me stories of how bad the corruption was in palermo's politics especially in agriculture. Glad to see it getting more attention, and a proper doc. Good work.
It amazes me how we will glorify criminals of the worst kind by having movies made like The Godfather. In the book Luca Brasi throws his baby into the incinerator. But they didn’t show that in the movie. The horse killing scene where the movie director ends up with his Prize stallion’s head in the bed. The consigliere sees the movie director take advantage of a young female child, so he tells The Godfather about that knowing he will be disgusted. In real life the ex mobster from New York that murdered the leader so he could take control, John Gotti saw a attractive female in a restaurant and made advances and she literally had to move out of state to avoid him because he was angry she would not go out with him.
When it's the Italians doing a gang thing, it's some trendy aesthetic movie When the Mexicans or anybody else does it, it's just another shithole country doing they thing No, all societies that harbor gangsters deserve everything that happens to them, and Italy deserves it the same
It's because the Mafia have infiltrated societies, some countries for that matter, they are masterminds, they probably made the godfather movie, they are destroying lives for money now, they have lost their ways
Many years ago my grandfather broke the arm of a man bothering my grandmother. This guy was a leg breaker for the mob and the toughest guy of the North End in Boston. The don or leader of the mob wanted my grandfather to work for them he politely declined and moved a few weeks later. He was from naples and knew of their reputation.
This is unfortunately something that many Italians can't do. Move away, I mean. The connection to the family and the place you were born is insanely strong and they would not consider it.
This has been going on forever. It’s so messed up. Sad that Italy has to be put through this dangerous situation. It used to be just Sicily, then Naples, now …
Here in Australia the Italian mafia once had control of the fresh produce supply for one of our two biggest supermarket chains, Woolworths. They demanded 50 cents for every crate. The one Woolworths executive who spoke up about it disappeared.
the answer is a dedicated secret govt dept with very restricted legal rights to disappear or false imprison the top tier guys. consider them enemies of the state upon secret supreme court ruling in absentia. then treat them just like spies. nobody will want to be the top guy. limit it to one or two per year.
@@tedcrilly46 I feel like if that had an impact it would not be an ideal one. It could cause organized crime to operate more horizontally instead of one or a couple people in charge of an entire organization. It may also cause the organizations to split into smaller cells with less interaction or cohesiveness. More chaos and violence than how it is right now, though I do believe organized crime is already heading in this direction. I'm pretty sure that law enforcement knows that organized crime is inevitable and prefers that it is controlled by a few leaders that they are able to influence and get rid of if they do not allow themselves to be influenced or behave.
@@xenostim think of the influence of the Mexican cartels. Mexico left them to grow vertical, and they concentrated and grew. Small timers in high numbers (fractured, chaotic) can be mopped up by traditional law enforcement. Big timers in small numbers (focused, organized) become a parallel state. And beyond traditional law enforcement. A threat to the people.
Probably not a good idea to show the old assassin in the witness protection program walking around the neighborhood where he does his grocery shopping. I hope you had the foresight to drive him to a completely different part of the country for that footage.
Thank you to VICE for reporting the story in a compelling, informative way. I've been to Sicily ten times and had no idea what lurked beneath the surface of all the scrumptious food. I hope the farmers and public officials keep finding courage to fight corruption.
@@PurplePerinaise well technically Sicily is just one big rock. So maybe the op was more like a turtle laying out getting some sun on a big rock instead of under one? It's just a theory. Sometimes vice is like a child at their first 4th of July fireworks display... Oooh Ahhh Look at that one mommy!
Eye opening story. I was in Abruzzo recently for several weeks. This is a rural area that has amazing potential for regenerative local farming. I now see why there may be a deterrent to making an investment. Food security is such a big issue for countries and local economies. Backyard gardening, I suppose is much less threatening to any controlling powers (factory farming/mafia) - I saw a few older Italians gardening. Of course, the local market comes in and appears to sell local food but now I see what may be behind this. It is all so precarious.
I am impressed that a person under protection for being a witnessed, that clearly says he will talk if you do not show his face has his face all over your video. Just because you shadow or use his side does not shield his appearance.
Since I'm living in a rural part of Southern Tuscany on the mountains villages of Grosseto so it is good to learn more about AgroMafia or Mafioso. I'm becoming more aware about the Mafia involvement in farmland businesses. My villages surrounding is covered by thousands of beautiful farming landscapes. I'm not sure if all this farmers are connected to AgroMafia.
Thank you Vice News for the effort for bringing a high quality documentary to us. Also congratulations to the italian authorities for their big effort to bring the mafia down.
Hey Michael Learmonth! Why don't you do a Vice News episode about how everyone is so poor, they can't afford your begging for change at the end of every Vice episode? o_O
Italy's economy does not rely on food nor on tourism. Italy's economy relies on industrial production and services. Italy is the 8th largest econony in the world, 3 largest economy on Europe, and 2nd biggest manufacturer and exporter in Europe. And no, Italy's main export is not pasta or olive oil, it's pharmaceuticals, mechanical parts, and electrical appliances. Enough with this flawed and baseless idea that Italy's economy relies on food and culture which uninformed journalists perpetuate with statements like the one that was made at the beginning of this video.
You forgot to mention the massive EU subsidies given to Italy, Greece and Spain to save their asses. If you were really that industrious you wouldnt have to be bailed out. Italy is a shithole.
That old hit man doesn't want his full face on camera, but you can see his whole face in the dark and his side face in the light and his body shape from behind. Probably easy to identify him. I don't think the production team did any favors for him.
I guess Vice has an interpreter there. And they just don’t show them to make the interviews seem more personal. Shout out to the interpreter. They should show the interpreter in the last shots to give them recognition.
I think they were wearing earpieces and the interpreter was behind the camera speaking into a mic for them. You can see especially the younger farmer taking pauses to listen to the translation. I also think the Vice reporter could understand Italian to some degree. And most Italians (though not as many Sicilians to be fair, especially rural people) can understand English to some degree.
@@helpfulcommenter yeah I assumed it was an earpiece due to how in the same scene with the young farmer he instantly replied.. pretty cool editing though
Just a note for the non-italian people who maybe don't know this: Italy has four major mafias. It's not just the sicilian mafia, or Cosa Nostra, there are also the Ndrangheta in Calabria, the Camorra in Campania and the Sacra Corona Unita in Puglia. These have their main base in their region, but have ramifications all over the world and controls all the illicit traffics that happens in Italy and most of what happens in the european countries. It's not "Goodfellas", it's a much more complex and powerful animal, that has people and interests anywhere. Their main profits come from the drugs and they do their money laundering mainly buying and selling properties, building restaurants and malls, and investing in all sort of business. You can be sure that many movies and videogames have been produced also by people who invested money on behalf of the mafia. In Sicily they don't just say to the store what tomatoes to sell, but they have their hands on everything. Many times that store is a mall built by a figurehead and the mafia controlled every step of process, from the acquisition of the land to the release of the building permit, from the construction materials to the workers later employed by the mall. These kind of reportage can give an idea of how things are. But in reality things are much more complicated and worse than that, unfortunally.
Marty, i onno about that even those white farmers employ illegal immigrants and bully those that are legally in the country separately. But its cute that you think they too are fighting "clean"
this video is about sicily mostly. but in specific regions of italy, particular supply chains are mostly/completely run by the mafia. for example today in campania, sea food is nearly completely controlled by the camorra (a differently structured organized crime family structure prevalent in campania). all of the agribusiness illicit activity has lower margin than drug running (even compared with the eu subsidy fraud), but comes with lower risk and opportunity cost as well. it's all about diversification for the mafia.
I’ve experienced exactly this in a seaside town near Cosenza last summer. The place had only one fish store despite being in a touristy area front of the sea; the store was tiny and filthy, and I mean filthy, the people inside super rude and with a scammy attitude (you ask for half a kilo of something, they bag you one kilo feigning a misunderstanding), and the fish was subpar. If you’re staying in that town and you want fresh fish, it’s that place or you have to take the car and go in another town. The locals don’t shop there obviously, everyone have some kind of access to fantastic fish in that area. But tourists don’t have those connections so they all end up in those kind of places and criminals profit from that. Also, it’s an open secret that restaurants on Campania’s seafront are almost all tourist traps controlled and/or supplied by camorra affiliates. You eat there if you like to overpay for terrible food
@@zedudli Yeah, try to avoid the south in general if you wanna avoid this. You can go to Sardinia, or to Liguria or Lazio or Tuscany. Things are definitely better there.
@@antoniousai1989 thanks for information.. What's your impression of Croatia in comparison? Seems like lots of Italians are happily visiting that area ...
@@antoniousai1989That's plain bullshit, mafia spread all over the country and thrives also because the rest of the Italians thinks it's not a problem of theirs.
@@zedudliIt's not known actually that Campania seafront restaurants (which seafront? The one in Castel Volturno, in Sapri, in Amalfi or what? Campania isn't a city) are affiliated with camorra and that they make shitty food. Plain bullshit, and foreigners believe it. I guess it makes us exotic or whatever
Whenever crimes against citizens/businesses are being committed, and law enforcement of any kind further victimizes, it makes me suspicious that the law is complicit if not receiving the benefits of some kind. Infuriating.
thats exactly why they go for them, its easy and all they care about is looking like theyre doing something so they can stay in power, not actually going against the ones with the money
Thank you vice and the other strong people in this story who do not give into fear and stay silent. I feel for the people of Italy and Silicy. There are all kinds of legal mafia in every country in the world. Most control and repress with power and money and lack of ethics, and some with violence. Silence and fear lets them grow. These people are not well and I don't believe they are truly happy. Greed and immorality comes from a feeling of lack and disconnection, and cannot be satisfied by any amount of money and power. It is a seductive but shallow high.
Usually things in a large scale like this can't happen if someone high in the govt doesn't allow it, mafias around the world can walk freely with inside people with high positions, look at Kenya, brazil, Nigeria, Korea, Mexico, Japan and of course Italy.
Really? Then when will you see these leftist nutters confronting Islam slowly ruining western democracies from within, or portraying Eastern Europeans busy leeching on others EU subventions, while creating semi fascist nations?
Before the pig farmer even started talking while the captain was still in the helicopter my first thought was why would he be going to mess with the pig farmer? So the pig farmer is the one getting stuck in the middle between the government and the mafia because he's going to be threatened by both. SMH
I'm so happy you saved the most important question for the end. All I ever hear about Italy is how the food taste so good there. Thatz because the families who has owned/ worked those lands for generations w/respect & Luv for it. All the mafia there cares about is destroying their Italian culture & land,w/out that you're just thugs. Ofcourse I have romanticized from movies & TV shows here in the U.S.,but I would hope the mafia there respected,valued the roots of their culture. How sad the rich,powerful & corrupt have to destroy anything thatz good & beautiful. I always wanted to visit there,eat lots of food & drink espressos & be pinched by elder Italian ladies. Hope we all can rid these poison apples from our earth.
To me they’re just a cancer that bully their way into other peoples lives all for money because they’re too damn lazy to get their own - so they just take and take from other people.
A little history, the mob started off as a land protection racket in Sicily so controlling the land is really one of the oldest forms of income they have.
I feel bad for the farmer, the reasons my family left the old country still persist in Italia unfortunately, it’s a shame for such a gorgeous country with such a strong hardworking people.
Those cannolis looked delicious at the restaurant they featured. I wish I could try the food. Would t it be great if we could reach through our screens and get us a cannoli. lol.
Crime and poverty always go hand in hand. It's fascinating to see these patterns. Be it the Cartels, Mafia or organized crime syndicates, paramilitary & militias, insurgents and militants etc. All need one thing in common, they need money to survive...
@@maxten I can't really tell how serious you were being, but pointing out that living conditions could always be worse (you could be an arctic nomad!) is a moot point. The point is that people suffer under poverty, and when they don't have access to the avenues that would improve their quality of life, many will, reluctantly or willingly, turn to crime out of desperation.
Not half, however it is true that many Spanish groups have bought Italian oil companies, so they send them Spanish olives since the Italians are better than the Spaniards in processing
@@alessiovalentini4401 seems unlikely Italians should be better running industrial processes. I would any day prefer relying on a Spanish to an Italian...
As someone who traveled to Italy recently, this video makes me wonder why things were so much cheaper in the grocery store compared to where I live in rural Iowa.
@@antoniousai1989 what you said just reinforces what OP was implying. If costs were lower in Italy groceries must be proportionally lower, but perhaps due to the mafia prices are artificially inflated due to the mafia tax. If you were trying to defend the purity and sanctity of Italitan culture you failed hard af
Thank you well done with excellent Information on the mafia's operations. Programs like this one along with perseverance by the government, by the people are the only tools that the mafia has little defense for and helps to alleviate the fear factor the mafia can apply for the peoples silence.
Looks like, the first raid was definitely unjustified, the dude barely had an operation going to support him or his family, I think what is he is being approached by the mob, and the police are suggesting not to get involved.
WATCH NEXT: Inside the Mafia’s Fight for Land In Italy - th-cam.com/video/Amb4PWe6EjU/w-d-xo.html
doh! video is geo-blocked in Canada :{
no video?
Video geo-blocked in Portugal
@@alexandremesquita2475the mafia did it
@@techcafe0Trudeau 😂👍🏾
As an italian, i can say this was really well made.
This video truly shows how disgusting and damaging the mafia is.
Remember your world war 2 era leader had almost eradicated the sicilian mafia when the americans restored them to power
@@Othurin It's fascist propaganda bullshit. They did not really defeat Mafia, they just replaced them with complacent local leaders that were linked to the fascist members.
@@Othurin they hadn't eradicated it, they had replaced it with an equally violent power that eroded the trust of Sicilians in the state
@@ejajafrozarb Fact remains that most cosa nostra leaders were incarcerated or killed until they were liberated by US forces during the invasion. That the state was *violent* is beside the point, you have to be violent to fight a degenerate criminal syndicate. They weren't peddling drugs and protection rackets &c in the same way.
@@antoniousai1989 SO they did defeat them. And then replaced them with... govt loyal leadership that didn't peddle drugs or extortionism.
PS: I know that while they went hard against the CN I also know that they were largely motivated by personal feud between leaders, and the camorra and n'drangheta were not targeted at all in the same way as the CN. The camorra were rather embraced as useful
Please do an investigation on the US Pharmaceutical cartel.
@AppleScab (Venturia inaequalis
) yeah I know they won't, they're all in bed together
You mean the Sacklers? It's been covered to death.
@@helpfulcommenter
They're only one aspect.
People die b/c they can't afford medicine that's 8 to ten times cheaper in other countries.
@@grmpEqweer then the "US Pharmaceutical cartel" you'll want to "investigate" is the Republican party
@@helpfulcommenter
No. But they've bought influence on both sides of the aisle.
...The actual people in office aren't the real center of power anymore. It's the big donors who decide where our country is going.
That’s a typical mafia threat the journalist suffered, they attack brutally and then say you don’t do what we say, its gonna get worse. This shows you why we need freedom of the press and we need to offer journalists like Paola uncovering corruption protection for reporting what is happening. They are assisting law enforcement. Without being a part of it. And they need protection.
👍🏽
you will never be free from the pigs opression
bastards in blue uniform are worse
What happens when journalists, the media, etc. are not held accountable for what they report when it gets somebody hurt or killed ?? Journalists are not the police, they are not above any law written, and they do not get to have special privileges to do or say whatever they want in hopes of finacial gain, because of our first Ammendment.
Too many journalists, reporters, media personal, etc abuse the power of our first Ammendment rights as it Is already, with the protection of our First Ammendment Rights. They are never held accountable for reporting false information and lies. They only report the stories that will financially gain the most, and discard the truth in order to do so now a days.
Perfectly said and couldn’t agree more.
I absolutely agree. That said how/who is going to pay for it? Ideas are welcome and wonderful but without an action plan they are nothing but ideas that simply stay in your head. Best of luck!
the farmer who is fighting back against the mafia is my hero. the interview with him could be the start of a cool movie. "Why do you risk you life fighting the mafia ? "its a challenge for me. I enjoy it. so im doing it with enthusiasm"
Yeah, so romantic. But, in reality, the story is fake. You do not fight organized crime.
It's actually despicable from a journalistic perspective that someone asked for their face not to be shown and yet you can see his face plain as day.
Lol, ya they're the bad guys here. Lol
See : Vice declares Bankruptcy
@@nonamepainter touché, but they're only whining about the 1.
I was thinking this too. When I see this, I think the subject is either not in as much danger as they proclaim, or they agreed to it, but this is neither. Despicable is the perfect word.
I also wasn't impressed with his interview style. It was clearly apparent that he understood very little of the interviewees.
The whole Vice network has become despicable. According to Vice if you don't agree that 50 year old men should be allowed to undress in front of, and watch the undressing of 13 year old girls then it is you who has a problem and needs to change your view point.
The farmer who speaks on camera, the journalist under police protection, these are brave men. These are men with strong wills. Nothing but respect. I wish more men in America and even abroad would stand for what they believe in.
Amen
Lots of us still do
"I wish more people in America and even abroad would stand for what they believe in." There, fixed it for you.
What makes you think American men don't?
Lies again? AIA Money FNB Money
as an Italian, congratulations. This is made extremely well.
Ma se è pieno di imprecisioni, di stereotipi, di boiate ingigantite e manipolazioni….
Come se il vero problema del settore agroalimentare in Italia sia davvero la Mafia 😂🤦♂️…
Se corps, multinazionali e privati hanno preso il controllo di tutta Italia, privatizzando pure l’acqua e adesso piano piano anche tutto il settore agroalimentare non è certo per la mafia…e diffondere queste falsità contribuisce a dare ancora idee sbagliate del Paese e fomentare stereotipi ridicoli
It's like in michoacan, México. So many farmers had to flee from their towns because they were getting threatened, and other had their homes and farm with crops burned to ashes.
Isn't communism lovely!
@@yourealittlebitfat4344 mexico isnt communist bro
@@jaysonlopezsantos4752 that’s what a communist would say
Ahhhh the Spaniards
@@yourealittlebitfat4344 The mafia were well known to have collaborated with the fascists. Plus you obviously don't understand what communism is.
@3:30 The farmer is subtly trying to tell the documentarians that the police are in bed with the mafia, but it seems they didn't quite get what he was trying to allude to when he said the mafia has a white collar and that he gets bothered by the mafia and the cops.
lol, white collars means people with diplomas, not cops..
Actually they translated correctly
Not refarring to cops. White collar means they work out an office or professional environment so clearly not the cops, Although their will always be crocket cops
i think he meant more so elected officials and employees of the courts
He's saying the local government, not the carabinieri. That's why he's saying he has to fight the carabinieri AND the mob.
My grandfather was a judge in southern italy from the 1970's till 2002 when he was sadly killed in a car accident by a drunk driver. That being said he lead a fairly interesting life that contained even more interesting story's, one of them being the time when he had to sit down with the local mod boss of the town he was working in for a "coffee" after said boss had been pulled over by the military police ( i carabinieri, o meglio detto " gli sbirri") for carrying in his car a machete. My grandfather didn't have much say in the matter other than to accept this caffè with this boss for if he did not accept, it would have been viewed as disrespect on the highest level. In the following conversation held in a little caffè shop in rural southern Italy, there was a surprising amount of mutual respect from both party's and eventually after a bit of small talk my grandfather asks the big question " What were you doing with such a big machete in the back of your car mr..." The boss responded saying "mister judge, i had it simply because i need it to open the muscles i catch at sea". In then end my grandfather sentenced him to a year in prison and sadly soon after both my grandfather and the boss met grim faiths, one dying in a violent car crash and other being shot dead in a fish shop ironically named "the gates of paradise".
i ain’t reading allat
@@dark-pp7ct and do you think someone care in this world about you not reading it? Just shut up.
@@mattb.7079 idc if you care it’s a public thread i can say what i want ☠️
Dammmmn yo
The way Italian Mafia(s) are ran in Italy vs their US counterparts are pretty much wildly different in terms of how they conduct and treat other "families" Here in the US, they put in a system to try to prevent all out war between families as this was seen as bad for business for all.
Italy, its almost like a typical gang in terms of gunning down their "enemies" or rival families. As far as I know, they don't really have a buffer like we did/do here in the states in the form of "The Commission" but even here, the Mafia is just a shadow of how they used to be before RICO.
1st generation american-italian.... my grandfather born and raised in sicily used to tell me stories of how bad the corruption was in palermo's politics especially in agriculture. Glad to see it getting more attention, and a proper doc. Good work.
It amazes me how we will glorify criminals of the worst kind by having movies made like The Godfather. In the book Luca Brasi throws his baby into the incinerator. But they didn’t show that in the movie. The horse killing scene where the movie director ends up with his Prize stallion’s head in the bed. The consigliere sees the movie director take advantage of a young female child, so he tells The Godfather about that knowing he will be disgusted. In real life the ex mobster from New York that murdered the leader so he could take control, John Gotti saw a attractive female in a restaurant and made advances and she literally had to move out of state to avoid him because he was angry she would not go out with him.
*Luca Brasi
When it's the Italians doing a gang thing, it's some trendy aesthetic movie
When the Mexicans or anybody else does it, it's just another shithole country doing they thing
No, all societies that harbor gangsters deserve everything that happens to them, and Italy deserves it the same
Yeah it’s not like they’re nice guys
You’re probably a lot of fun at a party Foxibot
It's because the Mafia have infiltrated societies, some countries for that matter, they are masterminds, they probably made the godfather movie, they are destroying lives for money now, they have lost their ways
Many years ago my grandfather broke the arm of a man bothering my grandmother. This guy was a leg breaker for the mob and the toughest guy of the North End in Boston. The don or leader of the mob wanted my grandfather to work for them he politely declined and moved a few weeks later. He was from naples and knew of their reputation.
Smart of him to move
I would have moved too
@@GregSemiensLive The
True story
This is unfortunately something that many Italians can't do. Move away, I mean. The connection to the family and the place you were born is insanely strong and they would not consider it.
This has been going on forever. It’s so messed up. Sad that Italy has to be put through this dangerous situation. It used to be just Sicily, then Naples, now …
there was one point in time when the mafia was successfully rooted out.
but thats not a story the libtards would tell.
what's fascinating to me is how they are so clever with the ways they come up. Like extorting money from subsidies lol i mean bloody hell!!
Good thing this doesn't exist in 'mericha or the rest of the corp. world. Phew.
@@stringlarson1247 : It might be a little too late to say that, if you read Anthony Bourdain.
When asked to the restaurant owner if his town is a mafia town and denies it, Just with his body language, you can tell he doesn't believe his answer.
I don't think he wants to end up like a Kebab . Narcotraficante do not play. Look at Mejico and Colombia . Don't nobody want to end up being a memory
He Cannot says the opposite otherwise he could you killed
Here in Australia the Italian mafia once had control of the fresh produce supply for one of our two biggest supermarket chains, Woolworths. They demanded 50 cents for every crate. The one Woolworths executive who spoke up about it disappeared.
the answer is a dedicated secret govt dept with very restricted legal rights to disappear or false imprison the top tier guys.
consider them enemies of the state upon secret supreme court ruling in absentia. then treat them just like spies.
nobody will want to be the top guy. limit it to one or two per year.
@@tedcrilly46 I feel like if that had an impact it would not be an ideal one. It could cause organized crime to operate more horizontally instead of one or a couple people in charge of an entire organization. It may also cause the organizations to split into smaller cells with less interaction or cohesiveness. More chaos and violence than how it is right now, though I do believe organized crime is already heading in this direction. I'm pretty sure that law enforcement knows that organized crime is inevitable and prefers that it is controlled by a few leaders that they are able to influence and get rid of if they do not allow themselves to be influenced or behave.
They still do your niave if you think their gone just because someone went to jail and you don't see them out in the open.
@@tedcrilly46 Gestapo is never the answer.
@@xenostim think of the influence of the Mexican cartels.
Mexico left them to grow vertical, and they concentrated and grew.
Small timers in high numbers (fractured, chaotic) can be mopped up by traditional law enforcement.
Big timers in small numbers (focused, organized) become a parallel state. And beyond traditional law enforcement. A threat to the people.
Hope that farmer is safe and staying strong...
Probably not a good idea to show the old assassin in the witness protection program walking around the neighborhood where he does his grocery shopping. I hope you had the foresight to drive him to a completely different part of the country for that footage.
8:18 "Not fully film his face"
They even put his name lol
He's already shown his face on television, he's not hiding his identity
Vice has done that quite a few times that I've seen alone ....so I can only imagine
Poor farmers, I am so sad for them. I love Sicilia, the culture, the food, the people.
How about the fact that the mafia couldn't live without your poor poor locals?
Every lame Tinder Bio on this planet. So typically US-centrist view. Nobody cares what cheesy things you "love" in your 2 weeks vacation in Sicily.
3:40 bestemmietta tradotta con "goddammit" hahaha
marco togni spottato
Thank you to VICE for reporting the story in a compelling, informative way. I've been to Sicily ten times and had no idea what lurked beneath the surface of all the scrumptious food. I hope the farmers and public officials keep finding courage to fight corruption.
its big old corruptin. and we all say euroepan nations are not corrupt lol!
lol really? you must've been living under a rock
@@PurplePerinaise well technically Sicily is just one big rock. So maybe the op was more like a turtle laying out getting some sun on a big rock instead of under one?
It's just a theory.
Sometimes vice is like a child at their first 4th of July fireworks display... Oooh Ahhh Look at that one mommy!
@@williamstamper442 haha yes they were hiding under sicily 🤣
Eye opening story. I was in Abruzzo recently for several weeks. This is a rural area that has amazing potential for regenerative local farming. I now see why there may be a deterrent to making an investment. Food security is such a big issue for countries and local economies. Backyard gardening, I suppose is much less threatening to any controlling powers (factory farming/mafia) - I saw a few older Italians gardening. Of course, the local market comes in and appears to sell local food but now I see what may be behind this. It is all so precarious.
In Abruzzo there is not a strong mafia infiltration. And not every where they are involved in agricolture.
I am impressed that a person under protection for being a witnessed, that clearly says he will talk if you do not show his face has his face all over your video. Just because you shadow or use his side does not shield his appearance.
The exact same scenario is happening in Mexico right now except the Mexican government has even less control
Since I'm living in a rural part of Southern Tuscany on the mountains villages of Grosseto so it is good to learn more about AgroMafia or Mafioso. I'm becoming more aware about the Mafia involvement in farmland businesses. My villages surrounding is covered by thousands of beautiful farming landscapes. I'm not sure if all this farmers are connected to AgroMafia.
Thank you Vice News for the effort for bringing a high quality documentary to us. Also congratulations to the italian authorities for their big effort to bring the mafia down.
Amazing job, this is so well done. Sucks that Italy can't reach its full potential with all the rent seeking
No wonder my olive oil is so expensive! >_
Could you show the Italian talk any smaller who could read this I don't have a clue what these people are saying
One of the best documentaries from Vice in the last years.
Hey Michael Learmonth! Why don't you do a Vice News episode about how everyone is so poor, they can't afford your begging for change at the end of every Vice episode? o_O
7:45 "if we dont show his face" *proceeds to show 2/3 of his face from different angles to show him ordering and sipping a coffee*
Italy's economy does not rely on food nor on tourism. Italy's economy relies on industrial production and services. Italy is the 8th largest econony in the world, 3 largest economy on Europe, and 2nd biggest manufacturer and exporter in Europe. And no, Italy's main export is not pasta or olive oil, it's pharmaceuticals, mechanical parts, and electrical appliances. Enough with this flawed and baseless idea that Italy's economy relies on food and culture which uninformed journalists perpetuate with statements like the one that was made at the beginning of this video.
Uninformed journalist, you say? 🤔 You sound pretty wound up about this there buddy...a little too wound up, it seems 🫣
Apologist. It’s all true in North America, South America, Africa, and Europe. Be real.
You forgot to mention the massive EU subsidies given to Italy, Greece and Spain to save their asses. If you were really that industrious you wouldnt have to be bailed out. Italy is a shithole.
The dominion machines are originally olivetti and they are hacked to sway election results
Could u name any major economy dependent on food or tourism? Industry is supposed to be the no.1 section.
It's like what's happening in mexico 🇲🇽 with avocados 🥑
Those cartels need a Duterte Treatment
It pisses me off even more when they're doing this to really hardworking people like farmers.
I can't get enough of documentaries on Italy 🇮🇹!
That old hit man doesn't want his full face on camera, but you can see his whole face in the dark and his side face in the light and his body shape from behind. Probably easy to identify him. I don't think the production team did any favors for him.
It could be that they used an actor and that they drove the old man to a completely different neighborhood for the shopping scenes
I guess Vice has an interpreter there. And they just don’t show them to make the interviews seem more personal. Shout out to the interpreter. They should show the interpreter in the last shots to give them recognition.
I think they were wearing earpieces and the interpreter was behind the camera speaking into a mic for them. You can see especially the younger farmer taking pauses to listen to the translation. I also think the Vice reporter could understand Italian to some degree. And most Italians (though not as many Sicilians to be fair, especially rural people) can understand English to some degree.
@@helpfulcommenter yeah I assumed it was an earpiece due to how in the same scene with the young farmer he instantly replied.. pretty cool editing though
@@enayem1 i agree, it felt pretty seamless
Faked reality to comfort the ignorants?
Look at those amazing fruits and vegetables and amazing prices. Here in the US we are getting robbed by the big corporations.
Because the big corporations are just a legal mafia.
A 42 minute Vice doc on the mafias monopoly over Italian food? Let me get my dinner ready!
Good to see vice returning to the type of content that made us love them
they always did excellent stuff, are you a trumpster?
@@trickyd499 nope. Im australian and dont care about your politicians, why do Americans obsess over politics?
A really nice documentary, we need as much information as possible about how the mafia works for everybody
this makes me realize ill never miss italy...
Just a note for the non-italian people who maybe don't know this: Italy has four major mafias. It's not just the sicilian mafia, or Cosa Nostra, there are also the Ndrangheta in Calabria, the Camorra in Campania and the Sacra Corona Unita in Puglia. These have their main base in their region, but have ramifications all over the world and controls all the illicit traffics that happens in Italy and most of what happens in the european countries. It's not "Goodfellas", it's a much more complex and powerful animal, that has people and interests anywhere. Their main profits come from the drugs and they do their money laundering mainly buying and selling properties, building restaurants and malls, and investing in all sort of business. You can be sure that many movies and videogames have been produced also by people who invested money on behalf of the mafia.
In Sicily they don't just say to the store what tomatoes to sell, but they have their hands on everything. Many times that store is a mall built by a figurehead and the mafia controlled every step of process, from the acquisition of the land to the release of the building permit, from the construction materials to the workers later employed by the mall.
These kind of reportage can give an idea of how things are. But in reality things are much more complicated and worse than that, unfortunally.
Pretty hard to win against someone fighting dirty while you are fighting clean and fair.
Marty, i onno about that even those white farmers employ illegal immigrants and bully those that are legally in the country separately. But its cute that you think they too are fighting "clean"
@@RandomTH-cam123
They were probably referring to the farmers
In a food industry that in 2022 generated 170 BILLION dollars.......20 million is peanuts.....and probably does not represent a 'takeover'.
Very nice!! I watched every single minute of it. Very well made,Thanks again Vice !! ❤️💯🔥
this video is about sicily mostly. but in specific regions of italy, particular supply chains are mostly/completely run by the mafia. for example today in campania, sea food is nearly completely controlled by the camorra (a differently structured organized crime family structure prevalent in campania). all of the agribusiness illicit activity has lower margin than drug running (even compared with the eu subsidy fraud), but comes with lower risk and opportunity cost as well. it's all about diversification for the mafia.
I’ve experienced exactly this in a seaside town near Cosenza last summer. The place had only one fish store despite being in a touristy area front of the sea; the store was tiny and filthy, and I mean filthy, the people inside super rude and with a scammy attitude (you ask for half a kilo of something, they bag you one kilo feigning a misunderstanding), and the fish was subpar. If you’re staying in that town and you want fresh fish, it’s that place or you have to take the car and go in another town. The locals don’t shop there obviously, everyone have some kind of access to fantastic fish in that area. But tourists don’t have those connections so they all end up in those kind of places and criminals profit from that. Also, it’s an open secret that restaurants on Campania’s seafront are almost all tourist traps controlled and/or supplied by camorra affiliates. You eat there if you like to overpay for terrible food
@@zedudli Yeah, try to avoid the south in general if you wanna avoid this. You can go to Sardinia, or to Liguria or Lazio or Tuscany. Things are definitely better there.
@@antoniousai1989 thanks for information.. What's your impression of Croatia in comparison? Seems like lots of Italians are happily visiting that area ...
@@antoniousai1989That's plain bullshit, mafia spread all over the country and thrives also because the rest of the Italians thinks it's not a problem of theirs.
@@zedudliIt's not known actually that Campania seafront restaurants (which seafront? The one in Castel Volturno, in Sapri, in Amalfi or what? Campania isn't a city) are affiliated with camorra and that they make shitty food. Plain bullshit, and foreigners believe it. I guess it makes us exotic or whatever
In Mexico it's Cartel Avocados, in Italy it's Mafia Olive Oil ☹
mestizos vs Gringos
To be fair, there are good amount of of avocado farmers who have banded together and have fought off the cartel.
Whenever crimes against citizens/businesses are being committed, and law enforcement of any kind further victimizes, it makes me suspicious that the law is complicit if not receiving the benefits of some kind. Infuriating.
thats exactly why they go for them, its easy and all they care about is looking like theyre doing something so they can stay in power, not actually going against the ones with the money
It’s how societies collapse; when the police become inseparable from criminals, civil society degrades, and the whole edifice begins to sink
3:11 is probably the most beautifully executed Italian Gesture I've ever seen
Italian is a very beatiful language!
4:00 We are searching for the mafia.
Me: Lol you're literally watching part of them.
Good job with the motion graphics Vice but you should credit your motion designer/animator in the description box. Support creative laborers!
Thank you to everyone that make all this information possible
Thank you vice and the other strong people in this story who do not give into fear and stay silent. I feel for the people of Italy and Silicy. There are all kinds of legal mafia in every country in the world. Most control and repress with power and money and lack of ethics, and some with violence. Silence and fear lets them grow. These people are not well and I don't believe they are truly happy. Greed and immorality comes from a feeling of lack and disconnection, and cannot be satisfied by any amount of money and power. It is a seductive but shallow high.
Narcissists / Sociopaths / Psychopaths
@@marie_84 these are mental conditions. Oppression and alienation aren't the result of individual actions, but of political and economical systems
Former hitman: You can't show my face in full
Vice: Shows face in full but darker
You couldn't pick him out in a crowd .. that's the point..
a lot of times they use an actor.
High quality documentary, you didn’t go for the easy-cheesy story to score likes but presented a well balanced and informative story 👍🏻
I'll stick to eating grilled cheese of the radiator
As your dollars trickle into the pockets of the crime syndicates of Wisconsin and Detroit ...
Usually things in a large scale like this can't happen if someone high in the govt doesn't allow it, mafias around the world can walk freely with inside people with high positions, look at Kenya, brazil, Nigeria, Korea, Mexico, Japan and of course Italy.
They really harassed that poor farmer.
Vice always the fourth pillar of Democracy
Really? Then when will you see these leftist nutters confronting Islam slowly ruining western democracies from within, or portraying Eastern Europeans busy leeching on others EU subventions, while creating semi fascist nations?
Before the pig farmer even started talking while the captain was still in the helicopter my first thought was why would he be going to mess with the pig farmer? So the pig farmer is the one getting stuck in the middle between the government and the mafia because he's going to be threatened by both. SMH
The restaurant owner is lying, the cesario one.
So, Vito Corleone really did start his empire with an Olive oil business.
I'm so happy you saved the most important question for the end. All I ever hear about Italy is how the food taste so good there. Thatz because the families who has owned/ worked those lands for generations w/respect & Luv for it. All the mafia there cares about is destroying their Italian culture & land,w/out that you're just thugs. Ofcourse I have romanticized from movies & TV shows here in the U.S.,but I would hope the mafia there respected,valued the roots of their culture. How sad the rich,powerful & corrupt have to destroy anything thatz good & beautiful. I always wanted to visit there,eat lots of food & drink espressos & be pinched by elder Italian ladies. Hope we all can rid these poison apples from our earth.
To me they’re just a cancer that bully their way into other peoples lives all for money because they’re too damn lazy to get their own - so they just take and take from other people.
Yup. They're not badda bing really cool badass gangstas! Cruel,greedy,women haters., Usually.😶🌫️
taly is like the mexico of europe
US culture is just white puritinism
Thatz Right lol. "Thatz" a corruption of "that's" doing it for the lolz
how could i not click on a video with a title like this???
Italy is so beautiful
A little history, the mob started off as a land protection racket in Sicily so controlling the land is really one of the oldest forms of income they have.
"What the law cannot enforce, the bullet must"
It’s time for decent hard-working Italians to show Mafia its place,even it requires violence.
Alfa Romeo Giulia is a beautiful car!
never thought that the mafia affected food
Long known.. Study the amount of exported wine or olive oil, it's simply impossible to grow those quantities in Italy. Relabeling is big business!
As a Belgian, I can say this documentary really hit the nail on the head.
This happens in Latin America too with avocados, limes, chocolate, coffee, agave, etc.
So corporations are just the mafia of a new name.
The Italian policeman was so polite while the guy on the pig farm was going crazy.
italia mafia killers.
That’s how Italian’s are as I am Italian and my Dad was just like that 😂
He’s dealing w The Mafia and Polizia.. They rule the whole south of Italia
I feel bad for the farmer, the reasons my family left the old country still persist in Italia unfortunately, it’s a shame for such a gorgeous country with such a strong hardworking people.
Could you imagine being between a rock and a hard place?
Why did you show his full face when you agreed not to? Sickening
A beautifully made video of HIGH quality
The cooperative trucking company is actually a really cool solution to fighting the mafia.
Those cannolis looked delicious at the restaurant they featured. I wish I could try the food. Would t it be great if we could reach through our screens and get us a cannoli. lol.
They are very easy to make! But the trick is to find fresh ricotta near you! That's the main step in quality
@@antoniousai1989is supermarket ricotta ok? how do they make the ricotta so creamy in the cannoli?
@@londonsounds6212 ever heard of something called a cookbook?
Good luck 😋🍻
@@OmmerSyssel you have no clue if you're looking in a cookbook over asking an Italian who knows how to make fresh cannoli
16:38: God dayyum..do not mess with this guy! That smile sent a chill down my spine...
“Vinnie, don't put too many onions in the sauce.”
Vinnie: “I didn't put too much onions, uh, Paul. Three small onions. That's all I did.”
“Three onions?”
the production is insane
Made me think about how the Cartels in Mexico control or extort the avocado farms 🥑
Vice asking for donations is like Disney asking for donations to make a movie, simply no.
Crime and poverty always go hand in hand. It's fascinating to see these patterns. Be it the Cartels, Mafia or organized crime syndicates, paramilitary & militias, insurgents and militants etc. All need one thing in common, they need money to survive...
surviving? that's called living large. It's thriving. The people at North pole, those nomads. Now that's surviving.
@@maxten I can't really tell how serious you were being, but pointing out that living conditions could always be worse (you could be an arctic nomad!) is a moot point. The point is that people suffer under poverty, and when they don't have access to the avenues that would improve their quality of life, many will, reluctantly or willingly, turn to crime out of desperation.
One thing I learned from this is that Italians really do talk with their hands lmfao
guys, this was so informative and so well done... bravo. thank you
A huge congratulations to the animation artist. I love your work. Keep it up.
Fun fact, half of the "Italian" olive oil is just rebranded oil bottled in italy, the oil itself comes from Spain.
Not half, however it is true that many Spanish groups have bought Italian oil companies, so they send them Spanish olives since the Italians are better than the Spaniards in processing
@@alessiovalentini4401 seems unlikely Italians should be better running industrial processes.
I would any day prefer relying on a Spanish to an Italian...
@@OmmerSyssel Despite this, quality is better in Italy, as in practically every industrial sector
Always watching from Georgetown Guyana south America 🇬🇾🇬🇾🇬🇾🇬🇾
How can a person who has killed .... taken life of 25 People be so much in peace with himself 🤔🤔🤔🤔😕😕😕😕
Videos like these should get more appreciation
I’m sure the government is just 😅as worse
Great Journalism as usual 👍
Hitman asks not to show his face...they show it anyways lol
As someone who traveled to Italy recently, this video makes me wonder why things were so much cheaper in the grocery store compared to where I live in rural Iowa.
The cost of life is lower in Italy. Salaries are lower too. Yours is a pointless comparison.
@@antoniousai1989 Nothing wrong with asking questions lol, besides pay where I am is mostly stuck at $7.25.
@@TheRunningLeopard man if you don’t ask questions you won’t get answers. It’s ok 👍
@@antoniousai1989 what you said just reinforces what OP was implying. If costs were lower in Italy groceries must be proportionally lower, but perhaps due to the mafia prices are artificially inflated due to the mafia tax.
If you were trying to defend the purity and sanctity of Italitan culture you failed hard af
Things are very expensive there I’ve gone
Thank you well done with excellent Information on the mafia's operations. Programs like this one along with perseverance by the government, by the people are the only tools that the mafia has little defense for and helps to alleviate the fear factor the mafia can apply for the peoples silence.
I guess when I finaly visit Italy, I'll go find a McDonalds or something instead of sampling some of that exquisite porchetta.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂🤦♀️😂
Mafia is Sicilian organized crime, La Cosa Nostra is American organized crime.
Looks like, the first raid was definitely unjustified, the dude barely had an operation going to support him or his family, I think what is he is being approached by the mob, and the police are suggesting not to get involved.