The financial exposure of the mafia has crucial consequences, for it is no longer just money which is at stake but the credibility of the guarantor as well. This exposure generates a formidable incentive to ensure that the business runs smoothly in all its phases. When this functioning proved straightforward, mafiosi and smugglers remained separate; but when it became problematic, mafiosi responded by internalizing key smugglers.

Diego Gambetta, The Sicilian Mafia The Busi…, loc. 621