Mafia violence is primarily instrumental, serving to establish territorial control, punish betrayers, and enforce illicit agreements through intimidation and fear

. While information on specific modern “torture techniques” is limited to anecdotal accounts and historical practices, common methods of violence and body disposal associated with the Mafia include: 

Methods of Violence and Intimidation

• Strangulation: This is a historically common method. One specific, ritualistic method used by the Italian Mafia is incaprettamento, where a victim’s neck is tied to their legs bent behind their back, leading to self-strangulation.
• Beating and Mutilation: Violence, including severe beatings and physical mutilation, is used to make defiant people submit and to serve as a warning to others.
• “Shock Treatment”: Brutal displays, such as the use of a meat grinder, have been described in some informant accounts as a way to instill panic and show what happens to those who “cross the line”.
• Psychological Terror: The element of fear and uncertainty is a key component. Threats to the victim’s life and family, and the creation of “disappearances” (lupara bianca), are potent tools for control. 

Body Disposal Techniques

To prevent the discovery of the body, which hinders investigations and prevents the victim’s family from having a proper funeral, the Mafia uses various disposal methods, often referred to as lupara bianca: 

• Burying in remote areas: Hiding bodies in the open countryside or other remote locations.
• Sealing in concrete: Placing victims in buckets or boxes and filling them with wet concrete, then disposing of them in water or at construction sites.
• Dissolving in acid: A method widely associated with the Sicilian Mafia’s Corleonesi faction. While informant claims suggested bodies dissolved in minutes, forensic studies indicate the process takes days, especially for the bones, but can still effectively make the corpse unidentifiable.
• Feeding to animals: Anecdotal reports mention feeding remains to hogs.
• Burning: Incineration of bodies to eliminate traces and make identification difficult. 

These acts are designed to project power, enforce obedience, and maintain secrecy within the organization.