Bloomberg: Mafia's Power Waxes in Italy

Bloomberg contributes to a growing refrain throughout this blog, that Italy's organized crime syndicates, the cash-rich Cosa Nostra, the 'Ndrangheta, and the Camorra are exploiting the economic downturn to increase their grip on Italy.

Interesting factoids:

• Italian organized crime overall boast twice the annual profits of Exxon Mobil.
  
• Italian banks, weakened by the downturn, are decreasing their vigilance against money laundering.
  
• The 500 euro note ( worth about $690 ) has become the item of choice for smuggling cash. It has been used as far afield as Columbia and Mexico.