U.S. military presence helped the Camorra outgrow the Sicilian Cosa Nostra economically
Evidence
Boosted by its relationships with U.S. forces and the mafias in Sicily and America, the Camorra eventually surpassed the economic power and influence of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra. Growing beyond underground markets, small-scale extortion, and racketeering, the Camorra became an international business syndicate. The biggest expansion in scale and scope came in the 1970s, when the Camorra clans found lucrative opportunities in construction, concrete, public contracts, waste disposal, and especially international drug trafficking. This turned the Camorra into a global economic powerhouse, grossing an estimated $16 billion per year and employing twenty thousand people, with affiliates across Europe, South America, and the United States. — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 339
Categorization
Category: Causal Relationships
- XREF: Directly supports the book’s core thesis that overseas bases harm host countries; the causal link between U.S. forces and organized crime growth is the strongest claim in this chapter.
- QUESTION: The causal mechanism (how U.S. forces specifically boosted the Camorra) is stated but not fully unpacked here — worth pursuing.
Related
- U.S. military relationships helped the Camorra surpass the Sicilian Cosa Nostra in power. (similarity 0.93)
- A major European drug market operates next to the US Naples naval base (similarity 0.81)
- The U.S. Navy has worked with the Camorra since World War II (similarity 0.81)
- Locating bases in poor crime-ridden areas entwines the military with organized crime (similarity 0.80)