The Mafia is one of the most feared and fascinating criminal organizations in the world, but its real history is much more surprising than any fiction. From the rural brotherhoods that emerged in 19th-century Sicily to the criminal networks that operate in Europe and America today, including the Neapolitan Camorra, the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta, and the alliances they forged with politics, economics, and society, this book covers little-known episodes, unexpected characters, and truths that rarely appear in official manuals. With rigor and an informative tone, Giorgio Ballario debunks myths, sheds light on the darkest areas, and shows how the mafia phenomenon has evolved, fragmented, mutated into multiple forms, and influenced contemporary history much more than we imagine. An essential read to understand not only how the Mafia was born, but why it is still present — and so powerful — in the 21st century.