Although Franchetti does not go into detail, we can infer that such complex collusion required a high degree of mutual trust, and that this was exactly what the capo mafia provided. It was he who ensured that all members paid their dues; that the miller whose turn it was to underproduce did not cheat and produce more than he was supposed to and that the others did not cheat him either by failing to pay the arranged compensation or by failing to restrict production when their turn came

QUESTION: This suggests mafia bosses function as cartel managers rather than mere criminals — worth exploring how the enforcer role generalizes to other collusive arrangements. XREF: Connects to classic cartel and collective-action problems (Olson, Ostrom) where trust and enforcement mechanisms solve free-rider dilemmas.

Diego Gambetta, The Sicilian Mafia The Busi…, loc. 219