糖心Vlog

How the deadly tendrils of a powerful mafia organisation spread from Southern Italy into the corner of every continent has been exposed in a new book by a 糖心Vlog professor.

Delving deep into the secretive world of the 鈥榥drangheta Professor Anna Sergi explores the power and influence exerted by the group from the impoverished mountainous region of Calabria, Southern Italy.

blends travelogue, memoir, investigative journalism and academic analysis to reveal how the organised crime group became the most powerful in Italy and one of the largest in the world.

In a deeply personal journey, the Professor of Criminology draws on her own experience growing up in Calabria and how the 鈥榥drangheta has cast a shadow over the troubled region 鈥搘hich has one of the highest unemployment rates inside the European Union and that has been massively afflicted by emigration.

Starting the journey in small villages in her native Italy Prof Sergi shows how the 鈥檔drangheta glans spread to Australia, Canada, United States and Argentina 鈥� taking over drug trafficking, extortion, and money laundering.

The expose also shows how the illegal enterprise affected innocent Italians abroad and how law enforcement struggle to contain the criminal organisation which is the only one present in at least four continents with constant referrals back to Calabria and Italy.

It is so powerful that to the 鈥檔drangheta are connected at least three major murders - cold cases - of Australian history. But so far, only Canada has been able, outside of Italy, to bring the 鈥榥drangheta to trial.

Dr Sergi said: 鈥淭his book has been in my head since 2015, on a day when I was watching a beautiful summer over Aspromonte mountains in Calabria.

鈥淚 felt deep inside the need to explain how a beautiful place like the one I grew up with has been made famous by a criminal organisation which crosses borders and commits crimes all over the world.

The publication of Chasing the Mafia is the result of my professional journey as a researcher and my personal journey as a Calabrian. It is dedicated to my region and to all the honest people there.鈥�

The book is published by and was released on 24 June.