Is it more acceptable in certain regions? I guess Milan is a pretty important city, so I can't see the Mafia being tolerated. But what about for small shops in villages etc.?
Really, Italy is a young and complex countries with regional differences that are almost ununderstandable to foreign people. There are many "mafias", more or less violent, more or less connected with the economic and political powers, it's not simple and it's not dicothomic, there is a very big grey area.