The fight against organised crime is today a very fertile ground for policy making at various levels. On one side, manifestations of organised crime have historically shaped social and institutional perceptions of local and national threats, while on the other side - because of the perceived transnationality of the phenomenon - national states have been inclined to develop harmonised and coordinated responses, struggling towards agreed definitions of organised crime. This research is a socio-legal comparative · investigation carried out in England and in Italy through thematic analysis of in-depth interviews and official documents, wishing to compare the evolution of two national policing models against organised crime. For the purposes of this research, criticisms of the label of 'organised crime' as a unique or collective category have not been assumed but have instead been assessed throughout the research process. Clearly, definitional issues around terminology of organised crime and mafia identities occupy a large part of the study. The research findings are aligned with the theoretical framework of comparative research in criminal justice, with a first stage analysis of the systems under scrutiny and a second stage analysis of the convergences and divergences between the two systems. At the first level are therefore be the two national models - the Italian Structure Model and the English Activity Model - constructed on the basis of legislation and institutional perceptions gathered from interviews and documents. At the second level is the' proper comparative effort to identify convergences and divergences of policies and practices between the two states. Such comparative exercise does not only improve our understanding of national approaches, beyond cultural, linguistic and legal 'boundaries, but can also improve the dialogue towards concerted efforts at the international level. Nevertheless, globalisation of criminal markets and internationalisation of policies have influenced perceptions of organised crime and related policing tactics also at national levels. This research has considered the influence of international perspectives on convergences and divergences between the two models. Including international perspectives completes this study through an enhanced understanding of both models and with a view to highlight policy recommendations for both countries.