According to a Italian think tank, the Italian Mafia earns $17 billion (12.6 Euros) from loansharking each year. An estimated 180,000 merchants directly or indirectly receive their loans from the Mafia in Italy.
Overall, the Mafia generates about $167 billion (130 billion Euros) in revenue.
Source: Associated Press, “Italy’s Mafia thrives in global financial meltdown,” Google News, April 25, 2009.
More organized crime intelligence.