For almost a century the Italian mafia has been regarded by the United States and other countries as the prototype of organized crime. Two of Italy’s largest and most powerful mafia associations are the Sicilian Cosa Nostra and the Calabrian `Ndrangheta. This article reviews the different forms of organized crime in Italy; the two above as well as others. It analyzes the Sicilian Cosa Nostra and the Calabrian `Ndrangheta focusing on their internal organization and culture and singling out their peculiarities in relation to other forms of organized crime. In addition, other groups and networks with varying degrees of justification and described as organized crime are reviewed. Future trends of Italian organized crime conclude the article. It is stated that if the mafia groups do not receive the political support they desperately need, in the long-term Italy might end up having the same type of organized crime that is widespread in the rest of Europe. Notes, references