Giovanni Nicolazzo

Giovanni Nicolazzo

Ph.D. Student in Criminology

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan

Biography

Hey there! I'm Giovanni, a criminology Ph.D. student and researcher at Transcrime, based in Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, in Milan. My area of focus? Financial crime, corruption, and the dirtiest side of the economy.

At Transcrime, I'm part of the TOM working group where we delve into the labyrinth of business ownership structures. We try to uncover who truly controls companies, how they do it, and their links to criminal activities.

I'm big fan of mixing computational social science and criminology. Think about it - AI, network techniques, and machine learning used to crack the crime code. If you want to dive into my humble steps in this exciting world of data-driven criminology, you are in the right place!

Experience

 
 
 
 
 
University X
Ph.D. Student in Criminology
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
October 2021 – February 2025 Milan, Italy
Enterprises as a means for crimes: a study of patterns, offences, and actors
My Ph.D. research strives to enhance understanding of the criminal infiltration methods in legitimate businesses and their impact on our economy. By studying cases of businesses used criminally and proposing a multi-level risk assessment approach, it aims to refine prevention techniques and lay the groundwork for a comprehensive statistical methodology to counter illicit exploitation of economic entities.

Projects

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All In progress Concluded
KLEPTOTRACE
As the coordinator of an EU-funded project, I harness innovative data tools and a global network of partners to fortify the fight against high-level corruption and sanctions evasion.
Website Follow
KLEPTOTRACE
Criminal Infiltration in Lombardia
I'm leading a project in Lombardia, thoroughly analyzing business structures to identify suspicious elements and assess the risk of illicit infiltration.
Report not available yet More info on the project
Example Project
DATACROS II
As an analyst in an EU project, I'm developing tools and metrics to analyze European business structures, identify risks, and enhance transparency, thus aiming to expose illicit activities.
Website Follow
Datacros
Anti-corruption model to assess the risk of corruption stemming from third parties
In this project, I created a model aligned with France's Sapin II Law, fusing various data sources to assess the risk of corruption during business agreements.
Report not available yet
Example Project
PROMENADE
As part of an EU project team, I helped develop a real-time risk assessment tool for the maritime industry, combining ownership data, satellite tracking, and legal precedents to enhance the industry's safety profile.
Website Follow
Example Project
Identification and evalutation of conflict of interests
I coordinated an experimental project for the Italian Anticorruption agency to map the interests of public officials, revealing potential corruption risks and enhancing transparency.
Report not yet available More info on the project
Example Project

Featured Publications

Giovanni Nicolazzo, Michele Riccardi
March, 2022 In Transcrime Corner
An example conference paper
Inside the matrioska: the firms controlled by sanctioned ‘oligarchs’ across European regions and sectors

Our latest report, "Inside the Matrioska," unveils the pervasive influence of sanctioned Russian 'oligarchs' across key European markets, controlling approximately 1,400 firms with a combined worth of $440 billion, highlighting the often-underestimated exposure of the European economy to these entities.

Report (in English)
Antonio Bosisio Giovanni Nicolazzo, Michele Riccardi
April, 2021 In Transcrime Research in Brief
An example conference paper
Changes in Ownership of Italian Companies during the Covid-19 Emergency: Trends and Risk Factors

Our research at Transcrime, supported by Bureau van Dijk, gives insights on how the Covid-19 pandemic created opportunities for criminal infiltration and money laundering within Italian companies, emphasizing the need for wider scrutiny on potential infiltration avenues in the post-pandemic context.
Report (in Italian)

Recent & Upcoming Talks

Collecting Digital Evidence During Armed Conflicts: Response to International Crimes in the Times of Hybrid Warfar
I will present the paper Framing and detecting EU targeted sanctions evasion and circumvention techniques by designated Russian individuals and entities.
January 22-24, 2024 HORIZON Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Project 'Hybrid Cyber Warfare and Common Security in Europe, Tromso, NO
Slides (soon)
Jan 24
Fifth International Research Conference on Empirical Approaches to Anti-Money Laundering and Financial Crime
I will present the paper Framing and detecting EU targeted sanctions evasion and circumvention techniques by designated Russian individuals and entities.
January 18-19, 2024 International Research Conference on Empirical Approaches to Anti-Money Laundering and Financial Crime, Nassau, BA
Paper
Jan 24
American Society of Criminology Conference, 2023
I will present three papers Firms Controlled by Russian Oligarchs and Their Links with Financial Crime:; Identifying Anomalous Companies: A New Approach for Assessing Risk of Money Laundering, Organized Crime, Corporate Crimes and Enterprises as a Means for Crime: A Study of Patterns, Offenses, and Actors:.
November 15-18, 2023 American Society of Criminology, Philadelphia, PA
Slides (soon) Follow
Nov 23
European Society of Criminology Conference, 2023
My collegue Matteo Anastasio and I will be presenting Framing and Detecting EU Targeted Sanctions Evasion and Circumvention Techniques by Russian Individuals and Entities. This analysis is conducted as part of the KLEPTOTRACE project, co-funded by the European Commission, ISF police.
September 6-9, 2023 European Society of Criminology, Florence, Italy
Slides (soon) Follow
Sep 23
White-collar and organisational crime: New ideas, directions, and perspectives
The workshop was an opportunity for PhD candidates and early career researchers to present, discuss and receive feedback on their research in sessions chaired by senior discussants.
July 6-7, 2023 University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Slides (soon) Follow
July 23
European Society of Criminology Conference, 2022
I presented the results related to spotted attempt to circumvents targeted restrictive measures by Russian sanctioned entities, in order to identify main patterns of sanction evasion activities.
September 22-24, 2022 European Society of Criminology, Malaga, Spain
Slides (soon) Follow
Sep 22

Recent Posts

The Hidden World of Criminal Infiltration in Legitimate Business!
The world of crime is vast, complex, and often, not what it seems on the surface. It goes beyond the confines of notorious mafia syndicates and infiltrates the very fabric of our everyday lives—right into the heart of the businesses we interact with. This series aims to shed light on this intricate phenomenon. We'll challenge established beliefs, question traditional research, and journey beyond the visible, structured world of organized crime to uncover the full spectrum of criminal infiltration in legal businesses. Welcome, and prepare to see the hidden intersections of crime and business in a whole new light.
Giovanni Nicolazzo
Aug 2, 2023 1 min read Infiltration in the legal economy

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