Ties to trust: Factors influencing collaboration within and across organized criminal groups

Collaboration is a fundamental feature of organized crime, yet research has rarely explored cooperation across groups. This study investigates collaboration within and across formal subgroups of a mafia organization. Drawing on data from three Italian law enforcement operations against the ‘Ndrangheta, we analyze the role of kinship and formal organizational structures using descriptive multiplexity measures and quasi-Poisson MRQAP models. Results show collaboration is associated with multiple complementary mechanisms: shared membership, kinship and leadership are all independently related to collaboration. Within subgroups, both kinship and leadership are positively associated with collaboration, alongside the effects of geographic proximity. Across subgroups, leadership homophily plays a key role, complemented by context-dependent effects of indirect kinship ties. The findings highlight how relational and organizational forces jointly sustain cooperation in mafia-type organizations.