In short, distrust, once addressed through mafioso protection, becomes self-perpetuating and self-expanding. Distrust, in other words, becomes endogenous and need no longer be thought of as a precondition external to the mafia protection market.

XREF: Relates to self-fulfilling prophecy and market ecology arguments where supply creates its own demand — classic path dependence. Builds on: "Mafiosi profit by deliberately injecting distrust into markets."

Diego Gambetta, The Sicilian Mafia The Busi…, loc. 70