Foreword: The view from Zulette Avenue

Introduction: 'The true princes who govern us'

Part I: Genesis. The long scourge: Banditry and the prehistory of mafias

Love and relaxation for sale: Vice and the roots of organized crime

Part II: Consolidation. Origins: Mafias of the early twentieth century

From booze to dope: The advent of global mafias

Part III: Transformation. Godfathers: The high tide of old mafias

Between decline and revolution: Mafias at century's end

Conclusion: The great dilution: Making sense of the twenty-first century.