The cartel achieved these impressive results with at most the assistance of corrupt politicians who rejected new applicants. But collusive arrangements remain intrinsically fragile: in the late 1970s one firm tried to increase its share by enlisting the protection of an aggressive gang, the Nuova camorra Organizzata. The other funeral homes first attempted to repel the move politically, as it were, then called in rival racketeers. The catch is that protectors, once enlisted, invariably overstay their welcome.

XREF: Connects to general insights about collusion, organized crime, and the fragility of trust-based arrangements in competitive markets.

Diego Gambetta, The Sicilian Mafia The Busi…, loc. 518