For years the Mafia had a love/hate relationship with the world of illegal drugs. The Mafia protested much about its involvement with drugs, but to some extent they always were, and finally the allure of the big money became too great. Narcotics has become a massive moneymaking entity, dwarfing the gross domestic product of most countries. And from the beginning the Mafia was right there in the thick of it. This chapter will look at the Mafia's involvement in the drug trade.