The MafiaÐCancer Nexus: Evidence from the Land of Fires

Sergio Beraldo (), Michela Collaro (), Fabio Leone, Immacolata Marino and Domenico Suppa ()
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Sergio Beraldo: University of Naples Federico II and CSEF, https://www.csef.it/people/sergio-beraldo/
Michela Collaro: University of Naples Federico II
Fabio Leone: University of Naples Federico II
Immacolata Marino: University of Naples Federico II and CSEF, https://csef.it/people/immacolata-marino/
Domenico Suppa: University Giustino Fortunato

CSEF Working Papers from Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), University of Naples, Italy

Abstract: This paper studies the relationship between mafia-driven illegal waste disposal and cancer mortality in the Land of Fires (Campania, Italy). We assemble a new municipality-level dataset combining standardized cancer mortality rates with georeferenced contaminated sites. To address the non-random spatial distribution of waste disposal, we use variation in criminal infiltration -captured by a Mafia Presence Index - as an instrument for environmental exposure. Municipalities with stronger mafia presence exhibit a higher concentration of contaminated sites, and the resulting two-stage least squares estimates point to a substantial association between waste-related contamination and cancer mortality. Effects are particularly pronounced for environmentally mediated cancers (lung, larynx, stomach, bladder, kidney), consistent with epidemiological evidence for the region. A series of robustness analyses, including placebo outcomes, sensitivity analysis and alternative exposure measures, reinforce the interpretation of these results.

Keywords: Environmental crime; Cancer mortality; Illegal waste disposal; Organized crime (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I18 P35 Q53 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-01-02
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sef:csefwp:769

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