The Three Ingredients of Italian Crime

A data-driven tour of immigration, density, and geography

Is it the mafia? Is it immigrants? Is it the chaotic cities, the empty countryside? Everyone has a pet theory about where Italian crime “really comes from”. I did not choose Italy as a case study because it is uniquely crime-prone, but because it is my home country and because its geography and history make it an unusually good testing ground. Few place…