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Monitoring Quality of Mafia‐Connected Accountants

Pietro A. Bianchi et al.

Journal of Accounting Research2026https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-679x.70055article
FT50UTD24AJG 4*ABDC A*
Weight
0.50

Abstract

We investigate the monitoring quality of accountants with ties to the Mafia in their role as auditors for “clean” firms—those with no known ties to organized crime. Using a proprietary government database, we identify Italian firms with alleged ties to the Mafia through their executives, directors, or shareholders. We define “suspect accountants” as those who serve as auditors for these Mafia‐connected firms, acknowledging their potential associations with criminal entities. We predict and find evidence that “clean” clients (treatment group) monitored by suspect accountants are more likely to engage in earnings management practices that reduce taxable income, compared with a control sample of “clean” firms monitored by accountants with no known Mafia ties (control group). Our findings suggest that accountants with ties to the Mafia act as low‐quality monitors in the “clean” economy.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-679x.70055

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@article{pietro2026,
  title        = {{Monitoring Quality of Mafia‐Connected Accountants}},
  author       = {Pietro A. Bianchi et al.},
  journal      = {Journal of Accounting Research},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-679x.70055},
}

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.