Thanks very much.
I wonder if this holds true anywhere in North America.
Sicilian neighborhoods in NY (if any such neighborhoods are left):
https://www.rt.com/usa/323032-mafia-isis-warning-gambino/ I wouldn't know how to identify an area that's 'controlled by the mafia'. I only know, in a general way, of some of the areas where their people are known to live. They seem to be the Italian areas. I know that sounds a bit stupid but I don't know enough about this to know if all Italian neighborhoods are 'mafia controlled'. I wouldn't want to jump to conclusions.
The MAFIA is a *Sicilian* Italian criminal organization. It's not "Italian" in the general sense. So, *Sicilian* neighborhoods, not just "Italian" neighborhoods.
The Camorra for example are an Italian criminal organization from Campania. So, know any Napolitano or Peidmontese Italians? :) At one time the Camorra were unified with American MAFIA, but are now operating independently and quite a bit more successfully than the MAFIA (since they are organized a bit more like terror cells unlike the hierarchical MAFIA). Surprisingly they operate more with Russians than Sicilian MAFIA.
There's also the 'Ndragheta from Calabria. I've no idea what, if any activity they have in the states, but like the Camorra, they're much more powerful now and the Sicilian MAFIA is greatly weakened since RICO, so there's definitely a power vacuum they could fill.
Americans use the term MAFIA as a catch-all for Italian organized crime, but they are ethnically different, and organized differently (differently enough that the law enforcement tactics that were effective against the MAFIA are not as helpful versus the Camorra)
This might be a good time to move into an Italian neighborhood, that's why I'm interested.
See above. Also, I think that's a terrible reason. I'm not ready to give so much credit to the Moors.