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Sicilian sulphur and mafia: resources, working conditions and the practice of violence

Author

Listed:
  • Carlo Ciccarelli

    (Department of Economics and Finance, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Columbia 2, 00133, Rome, Italy ; CAGE Research Centre at the University of Warwick, Coventry, UK)

  • Alberto Dalmazzo

    (Department of Economics and Statistics, University of Siena, Piazza San Francesco 7, 53100, Siena, Italy)

  • Tiziano Razzolini

    (Department of Economics and Statistics, University of Siena, Piazza San Francesco 7, 53100, Siena, Italy ; IZA, Bonn, Germany ; ASESD, Siena, Italy)

Abstract

This paper reconsiders the nexus between the abundance of resources and the origins of Sicilian mafia by exploiting a new set of historical data at the municipal level on the Sicilian sulphur industry in the late nineteenth century, obtained from official reports of the Royal Corps of Mining Engineers. Our evidence confirms that sulphur favoured the rise of organized crime, as emphasized in the previous studies. However, we show that the impact of local production on mafia was smaller in the areas richest in sulphur. Moreover, mechanization in the extraction process was associated with lower incidence of mafia. Taken together, our findings suggest that larger lodes encouraged better and more orderly working conditions for the miners, possibly reducing physical and psychic strain and, consequently, their inclination to violence. In other words, the quality of working conditions affected the supply of violent individuals.

Suggested Citation

  • Carlo Ciccarelli & Alberto Dalmazzo & Tiziano Razzolini, 2024. "Sicilian sulphur and mafia: resources, working conditions and the practice of violence," Cliometrica, Journal of Historical Economics and Econometric History, Association Française de Cliométrie (AFC), vol. 18(2), pages 531-565, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:afc:cliome:v:18:y:2024:i:2:p:531-565
    DOI: 10.1007/s11698-023-00272-1
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Natural resources · Working conditions · Mafia;

    JEL classification:

    • N53 - Economic History - - Agriculture, Natural Resources, Environment and Extractive Industries - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • J81 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Working Conditions
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law

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