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OttoVonAuto t1_iuekgle wrote

Reply to comment by agreea in The Discovery that Lemons Cure Scurvy Caused the Formation of the Sicilian Mafia by agreea

I’ve heard of a similar tale about the Sicilian garbage pickers who, also lacking government support and protection, worked with the Mafia which also started the whole mafia and garbage collection issue

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agreea OP t1_iuemip2 wrote

Yeah I’ve heard of waste management as a common industry for mafias to control. I think it’s because it’s so territorial and there’s really only room for one vendor in a given area (who goes shopping for their trash guy?), so being able to use force to crowd out competition determines whether you’ll capture market share.

I’ve also seen firsthand some of these dynamics in informal settlements in Kenya where the government can’t provide waste management due to lack of infrastructure. Though in that case it’s usually more “youth groups/gangs” fighting over garbage collection turf than organized criminal enterprises.

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wallagrargh t1_iuh1lo3 wrote

It's also a convenient industry to control when you sometimes need to make evidence or body bags disappear

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