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Econ Brief

Cutting-edge research from the UCL Department of Economics

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Author: Marco Castelluccio

  • How financial distress drives firms into the arms of organised crime

    Business & trade

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    7th May 2026

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    Marco Castelluccio

    Evidence from Italian businesses whose revenues collapsed during lockdown illustrates how the mafia operates as a predatory lender of last resort, stepping in when a firm’s financial foundations begin to fail. The state must provide fast, accessible liquidity to beat the criminals at their own game.

    How financial distress drives firms into the arms of organised crime

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