original_query: What are the economic activities of the Mafia that have been analyzed by academics?
query: What are the economic activities of the Sicilian Mafia that have been analyzed by academics?
answer: Academic analyses of the Sicilian Mafia's economic activities include its roles in protection racketeering (acting as a cartel of private protection firms), extortion (pizzo), smuggling (particularly cigarettes and heroin), bid-rigging, loan sharking, and control of public and private contracts.