The Italian Mafia is spreading to more and more European countries and there is still a lack of adequate legislation. EuroparlTV went to Germany to investigate.

Reporter: On the trail of the Mafia

Six men are killed in a massacre  'all'italiana'.

For the first time, southern Italy's Mafia  is exporting a vendetta to another country.

Germany wakes up:  the Mafia is also here.

the Mafiosi targeted more than fifty Italian  restaurant owners in Berlin.

Pino Bianco comes from the South of Italy.

He and his family left Italy full of hope.

That's why we came to Berlin and why  we don't accept that type of culture.

Two men came to his restaurant  and gave him a letter

asking him for money  in exchange for protection.

It was Christmas time  and the letter said that our guardian angel

Firstly, in order to have a great Christmas,  it said we shouldn't inform the police.

But above all, it said that  when our guardian angel comes to visit us,

we should all give him  a little financial gift.

Like many other victims of extortion  he addressed Fabio Argile,

another Italian restaurant owner in Berlin.

Fabio was one of the founders of the first  anti-mafia organisation outside Italy:

There was a dedicated number  and a unit assigned to us.

There is big difference  between Germany and Italy.

Here people speak and it's beginning  to happen in Italy too.

Within a week the Mafiosi extorters  were arrested.

Bernd Finger is the chief  of Berlin's Criminal Police.

He's pushing for European  anti-mafia legislation.

The re-investment of Mafia capital  into legal businesses

whether this money has originated  from Mafia sources or not.

In other words, legal and illegal funds  are mixed together.

This means we're relying  on close European co-operation.

This is also what the organisation  Mafia? Nein Danke! promotes.

Organised crime is not only Italy's  nor only the Italians' problem.

With the help of authors,  journalists or lawyers,

which motivates people to find out more  in order to fight corruption.

And over the last two years,  we have seen that Italy can't do it alone,

Germany can't do it alone,  only Europe can achieve something.

The young activist, Till Frank, a law student,  is engaged to inform the German people

but also to investigate in depth  the presence of the Mafia in Europe.

They bought hotels, houses  and restaurants

to invest the money and then,  for money laundering reasons

to get legal money out  of these premises.

There are many different nationalities  involved in organised crime in Germany.

Italian organised crime specifically  ranks in third place.

Money-laundering  is classified as business crime

and is always an intrinsic part  of any criminal activity.

In 2010 in Germany, the revenue  of the entire, not just the Italian, Mafia

It's clear that the internationalisation  of organised crime

now threatens more and more  European countries.