Bricks or cooks? Geographical and social determinants of the investment choices of mafia-type organized crime.

This article examines how Italian mafia groups’ investment patterns in legitimate businesses vary according to the characteristics of the local geographical environment. Using spatial regression analysis on over 1,700 firms confiscated from mafias across Italy, it finds that mafia investments in the construction sector are more prevalent in areas with strong mafia presence, infiltration of public administration, and protected markets, reflecting control-oriented strategies. Conversely, investments in cash-intensive sectors like restaurants, bars, and hotels are more common in regions with weaker mafia roots but higher violence, trade openness, and underground economy, suggesting concealment and money laundering motives. The study highlights the adaptive strategies of mafias in “new settlement” areas and underscores the importance of local socio-economic and criminal contexts in shaping mafia infiltration and mobility.