Pio La Torre was a leader of the Italian Communist Party. He was killed by the Mafia after he initiated a law that introduced a new crime in the Italian legal system, mafia conspiracy, and extended the power of the courts to seize and confiscate assets of people belonging to a Mafia-type association.

The Sicilian Mafia or Cosa Nostra, also referred to as simply Mafia, is a criminal society originating on the island of Sicily and dates back to the mid-19th century. It is an association of gangs which sell their protection and arbitration services under a common brand. The Mafia's core activities are protection racketeering, the arbitration of disputes between criminals, and the organizing and oversight of illegal agreements and transactions.