Sicilian sulphur and mafia: resources, working conditions and the practice of violence

Carlo Ciccarelli (), Alberto Dalmazzo () and Tiziano Razzolini ()
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Carlo Ciccarelli: University of Rome Tor Vergata
Alberto Dalmazzo: University of Siena
Tiziano Razzolini: University of Siena

Cliometrica, 2024, vol. 18, issue 2, No 7, 565 pages

Abstract: Abstract This paper reconsiders the nexus between the abundance of resources and the origins of Sicilian mafia by exploiting a new set of historical data at the municipal level on the Sicilian sulphur industry in the late nineteenth century, obtained from official reports of the Royal Corps of Mining Engineers. Our evidence confirms that sulphur favoured the rise of organized crime, as emphasized in the previous studies. However, we show that the impact of local production on mafia was smaller in the areas richest in sulphur. Moreover, mechanization in the extraction process was associated with lower incidence of mafia. Taken together, our findings suggest that larger lodes encouraged better and more orderly working conditions for the miners, possibly reducing physical and psychic strain and, consequently, their inclination to violence. In other words, the quality of working conditions affected the supply of violent individuals.

Keywords: Natural resources; Working conditions; Mafia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J81 K42 N53 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1007/s11698-023-00272-1

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