On April 16, 2026, Professor Luciano Brancaccio of the University of Naples Federico II visited the UC Berkeley campus and gave a lecture to a group of 18 individuals titled “Tracing a social history of the Neapolitan Camorra: markets, power, families”. Professor Brancaccio’s lecture discussed the mafia systems in southern Italy, specifically the Camorra including their structure, evolution, and social foundations. The lecture focused on how the Camorra differs from other mafia organizations and emphasized the importance of analyzing it through historical, economic, and sociological perspectives.
Brancaccio introduced the Camorra providing context to the study of organized crime, including criminal justice indicators, economic infiltration, and political or administrative influence. He then introduced the three major forms of mafia organizations in Italy including the Camorra in Naples, the ’Ndrangheta in Calabria, and the Sicilian Cosa Nostra. While the ’Ndrangheta is formed by a hierarchical structure rooted in blood families, and Cosa Nostra is known for holding centralized power and international influence, the Camorra stands apart for a lack of a unified structure. The Camorra instead operates as a network of clans and individuals, who often compete with one another, with no central leader. 
Professor Brancaccio described the Camorra as a product of its environment. Brancaccio emphasized that mafia organizations emerge from specific social and economic conditions. The Camorra developed alongside shifts in economic activity, for example, in the 1960s and 1970s, cigarette smuggling became a major source of profit, followed by drug trafficking and involvement in post-earthquake reconstruction in the 1980s. The organization continues adapting to new markets, including online betting, digital trade, and international money laundering. This adaptability demonstrates the Camorra’s ability to exploit changing economic opportunities.
Brancaccio’s research around the Camorra places an emphasis on the role families play in the operation of the clan. The Camorra uses large family networks which span over multiple generations. These families maintain power through strategic marriages, alliances, and, when necessary, violence to control territory. However, unlike mafia systems with centralized power, the Camorra’s lack of structure leads to a fight for power over territories, particularly in the urban environment of Naples.
Brancaccio argued for a new approach in how organized crime is studied. Rather than focusing solely on individual criminals or cultural explanations, scholars should examine the social and economic conditions which allow such groups to persist. The Camorra, therefore, should be understood as a complex system through examining the historical change, market dynamics, and collective social behavior. This perspective will help scholars with a more complete understanding of organized crime and its role within modern society.