Bypassing a protected middleman to buy directly invites lethal retaliation.

Evidence

An alternative account of this multiple murder was supplied by Piera Lo Verso. Her husband, who was among those killed, had stopped buying horses through a dealer protected by the Catania family and had gone straight to the supplier in Apulia (L’Ora and Giornale di Sicilia, October 22, 1986; Puglisi 1990: 89ff.) — Diego Gambetta, The Sicilian Mafia The Business of…, 1006

Categorization

• XREF: Perfect illustration of Milgrom’s mechanism — the protected dealer is a private judge/intermediary whose exclusion from the transaction is punished. Also echoes the hostage mechanics reading of credible commitment.