Unless they have a direct interest at stake, mafiosi do not protect a nameless, faceless "public," which would be difficult to "tax." Only in small towns, where everybody can be controlled, do mafiosi occasionally appoint themselves caretakers of anything that could be called law and order. Specific individuals make far more appealing clients and are often energetically solicited.

Diego Gambetta, The Sicilian Mafia The Busi…, loc. 426