Antonio La Spina is presently full professor of Sociology and Public policy at the LUISS University “Guido Carli”, Rome. Former teacher at the Catholic University in Milan (Security policies and their evaluation; Sociology of law). He also taught at the universities of Messina, Macerata and Palermo. He is presently still enegaged in some European research projects concerning organized crime at the University of Palermo. At the University of Palermo he was, among other things: head of the Department of social sciences; chairman of the degree courses in Communication Sciences; director of the School of Journalism "Mario Francese". He also was Director of the targeted Project "Regulatory impact analysis", Department of Public Administration, Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Rome (2000-2001). Jean Monnet fellow at the Law Department of the European University Institute, Florence (1989/90); research fellow at the Social and Political Sciences Department, EUI, in the project “Regulating Europe” directed by G. Majone (1990/91). PhD in Sociology of Law, Università statale, Milan (1987). His recent publications include: Analisi e valutazione delle politiche pubbliche (with E. Espa), Mulino, 2011; Fondazione Rocco Chinnici, I costi dell’illegalità. Mafia ed estorsioni in Sicilia (ed.), Mulino, 2008, and Camorra ed estorsioni in Campania (ed. with G. Di Gennaro), Mulino, 2010; Le autorità indipendenti (with S. Cavatorto), Mulino, 2008; Mafia, legalità debole e sviluppo del Mezzogiorno, Mulino, 2005; La politica per il Mezzogiorno, Mulino, 2003; Lo Stato regolatore (with G. Majone), Bologna, Mulino, 2000; “Recent Anti-Mafia Strategies: The Italian Experience”, in D. Siegel e H. Nelen (eds.), Organized Crime. Cuture, Markets and Policies, Springer, 2008; “The Paradox of Effectiveness: Growth, Institutionalization and Evaluation of Anti-Mafia Policies in Italy”, in C. Fijnaut and L. Paoli (eds.) Organised Crime in Europe, Springer, 2004.