Garduna

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The Garduna was a secret criminal society in Spain in the late Middle Ages. It was essentially a prison gang that grew into a more organized entity over time, involved with robbery, kidnapping, arson, and murder-for-hire. Some have claimed to have found documentation listing clients, services, and fees charged by the Garduna.

Some authoritative sources claim that the Garduna was a precursor to the Neapolitan Camorra, a crime syndicate active to this day in southern Italy, and was transplanted when Spain controlled Naples and much of its criminal element was transported (or deported) there.

A Calabrian folk song suggests a much larger legacy. It tells the story of three Garduna "brothers" who are shipwrecked on Sardinia. One makes his way to Naples and founds the Camorra. One makes his way to Calabria and founds the 'Ndrangheta. The third makes his way to Sicily and founds the Mafia. Additionally, the circumstances surrounding the original shipwreck seem to suggest their main occupations as pirates, and alludes to a connection with pirates throughout the Spanish Empire, including the Americas.