Addiopizzo

In 2004, the Founders of Addiopizzo tried to open a business and faced the problem of potential extortion threats on behalf of the mafia. Out of frustration over the pizzo’s control over the local economy, the group covered the streets of the city with stickers saying “an entire people that pays the pizzo is a people without dignity.” The response to this informal campaign was significant and sparked the creation of Addiopizzo, a citizen organization that works to fight the pizzo by supporting local businesses that refuse to pay extortion money.

Addiopizzo has pursued several strategies to fight the pizzo. Firstly, to raise awareness and change the public perception of the pizzo, Addiopizzo launched a campaign around “Critical Consumption,” where consumers (10’236 in 2012) commit to shopping at stores whose owners have filed official complaints against the pizzo. More than three thousand citizens signed a petition offering their support in 2006. The Addiopizzo conscious consuming campaign has raised public awareness and shifted media attention back on the problem of the mafia.

Secondly, Addiopizzo pursues changes from a legal point of view and combats the pizzo by participating in criminal trials against extortionists. Before Addiopizzo, no organization had ever taken part in criminal trials and sought compensation on behalf of shopkeepers or entrepreneurs damaged by the criminal activities of mafia. Judges ruled in favour of Addiopizzo saying that the shopkeepers had the right to receive compensation and ordered members of the mafia to pay the damages.

Since 2007, Addiopizzo has participated as civil defenders and claimants in eighty-six criminal trials in which it has assisted 38 people and 12 businesses. In addition it has supported hundreds of small and large businesses – having grown its list of businesses committed to not paying the pizzo from 110 to 797. Addiopizzo has successfully created a social network formed by businesses, hundreds of schools, thousands of citizens and dozens of associations.

The association Addiopizzo Community, a social enterprise incubator, manages tourist services to its members, to travel agencies and tour operators by matching tourists with activities, producers (e.g. wine tasting) and events that have the Addiopizzo extortion-free Certification.