This article, about the vast collection of criminal gangs in Naples caught my eye.

The Camorra is not an organization like the Mafia that can be separated from society, disciplined in court, or even quite defined. It is an amorphous grouping in Naples and its hinterlands of more than 100 autonomous clans and perhaps 10,000 immediate associates, along with a much larger population of dependents, clients, and friends. It is an understanding, a way of justice, a means of creating wealth and spreading it around. It has been a part of life in Naples for centuries—far longer than the fragile construct called Italy has even existed. At its strongest it has grown in recent years into a complete parallel world and, in many people’s minds, an alternative to the Italian government, whatever that term may mean.

I was in Naples several years ago and saw a very curious sight. I was at the train station and there was a uniformed police officer standing, his hands clasped behind him. As I watched, a shuffling old man came up behind the officer and slipped something in his hand. No words were exchanged. A payoff? No doubt. I had witnessed the long tentacles of the ancient criminal organization known only as… Camorra!