Mafia sponsorship of saints functions as advertising for its protection firm

Evidence

But what exactly is the mafia? The hypothesis developed here is that the mafia is a specific economic enterprise, an industry which produces, promotes, and sells private protection. — Diego Gambetta, The Sicilian Mafia The Business of…, 10 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Mafia membership is a trading license allowing both purchase and sale of protection — Diego Gambetta, The Sicilian Mafia The Business of…, 655; The mafia can be understood as an industry selling private protection — Diego Gambetta, The Sicilian Mafia The Business of…, 10; Illegal protection businesses depend on third-party media for their advertising (+2 more)

Related

• Mafia protection customers range from spot buyers to kin (similarity 0.81)
• The mafia can be understood as an industry selling private protection (similarity 0.81)
• Mafia membership is a trading license allowing both purchase and sale of protection (similarity 0.80)
• External publicity lets media and police substitute for mafia firms’ own advertising (similarity 0.80)
• Mafia protection treats crime as disputes, not offenses (similarity 0.79)
• The church implicitly licenses mafia use of its sacred symbols (similarity 0.79)
• Illegal protection markets still require advertising despite legal constraints. (similarity 0.79)
• A free market in quality can dissolve the demand for mafia protection (similarity 0.79)
• Mafia religious symbolism functions as advertising to borrow reputation (similarity 0.79)
• The mafia is a set of firms sharing a protected trademark (similarity 0.79)
• Mafia protection requires maintaining relations with the underworld it polices (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• The mafia can be understood as an industry selling private protection #expands (0.85) — Diego Gambetta, The Sicilian Mafia The Business of…, 10
• Illegal protection businesses depend on third-party media for their advertising #expands (0.80)
• The church implicitly licenses mafia use of its sacred symbols #complicates (0.80)
• External publicity lets media and police substitute for mafia firms’ own advertising #expands (0.80)