A locale (translated as "local" or "place"), is the main local organizational unit of the

'Ndrangheta The 'Ndrangheta (, , ) is a prominent Italian Mafia-type organized crime syndicate and criminal society based in the peninsular and mountainous region of Calabria and dating back to the late 18th century. It is considered one of the most power ...

with

jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United States, areas of jurisdiction apply to local, state, and federal levels. Ju ...

over criminal activities in an entire town or an area in a large urban center.Paoli, ''Mafia Brotherhoods''
pp. 29-30
/ref>Nicaso & Danesi, ''Made Men''
p. 23
/ref> A ''locale'' is usually made up by one ''

'ndrina The 'ndrina (, plural: ; , plural: ) is the basic unit of the 'Ndrangheta of Calabria, made up of blood relatives, and is the equivalent of the Sicilian Mafia’s "family" or ''cosca''.Varese, How Mafias Migrate'Gratteri & Nicaso ''Fratelli di s ...

'' (in the case of a small town) or several '' 'ndrine'', if more than one '' 'ndrina'' operates in the same town. In the case of larger cities a local may rule over a certain area or neighbourhood of the city. In some contexts a '' 'ndrina'' is more powerful than the ''locale'' on which they formally depend. Each ''locale'' has a boss with authority over members' life and death, a ''capo locale'', usually the capobastone of a 'ndrina. It has at least 49 members and besides the ''capo locale'', there is the ''contabile '' (accountant) who handles the finances - commonly called ''la bacinella'' or ''la valigetta'' (briefcase) - and a ''crimine'' that oversees the illegal activity. All three form a

triumvirate A triumvirate ( la, triumvirātus) or a triarchy is a political institution ruled or dominated by three individuals, known as triumvirs ( la, triumviri). The arrangement can be formal or informal. Though the three leaders in a triumvirate are ...

called the ''Copiata''.Il Crimine, i mastri, le 'ndrine; ecco la Cupola modello Cosa nostra
La Repubblica, July 14, 2010 A ''locale'' is often subdivided into two divisions: the ''società minore'' (the "minor" or lower society) and the ''società maggiore'' ("major" or higher society). The minor is submissive to the major.Paoli, ''Mafia Brotherhoods''
pp. 47-48
/ref> The ''locale'' of

San Luca San Luca is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Calabria in the Italian region Calabria, located about southwest of Catanzaro and about east of Reggio Calabria. The town is situated on the eastern slopes of the Aspromonte moun ...

has a historical preeminence. Every new group or ''locale'' must obtain its authorization to operate and every group belonging to the 'Ndrangheta "still has to deposit a small percentage of illicit proceeds to the ''principale'' of San Luca in recognition of the latter's primordial supremacy."

References

* Gratteri, Nicola & Antonio Nicaso (2006).
Fratelli di sangue
', Cosenza: Pellegrini Editore, * Nicaso, Antonio & Marcel Danesi (2013).
Made Men: Mafia Culture and the Power of Symbols, Rituals, and Myth
', Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, * Paoli, Letizia (2003).
Mafia Brotherhoods: Organized Crime, Italian Style
', New York: Oxford University Press

by Klaus Von Lampe)

by Alexandra V. Orlova) * Varese, Federico.
How Mafias Migrate: The Case of the 'Ndrangheta in Northern Italy
', Discussion Papers in Economic and Social History, Number 59, University of Oxford, July 2005 {{DEFAULTSORT:Locale ('Ndrangheta) History of the 'Ndrangheta Organized crime terminology Italian words and phrases