The fate of Giuseppe Di Stefano is a powerful illustration of the fact that established protection firms in Sicily cannot easily be displaced by outside groups even during a war. Judge Giovanni Falcone wrote that bloodshed in the streets of Sicilian towns is often a sign of conflict between a mafia family and a group which does not belong to the cartel (Falcone and Padovani 1991: 37-38). Firms may fight one another, but they do so as coalitions rather than individuals. Coalitions have a number of advantages in this market. In peacetime they allow firms to become securely settled, extending the loyal networks of both customers and employees, and ultimately making them capable of survival and regeneration even when a war is lost.

XREF: Connects to theories of incumbent advantage and market entry barriers in organized crime economics.

Diego Gambetta, The Sicilian Mafia The Busi…, loc. 275