Our company focused on Calabria for a number of years and there were and still are a number of issues you should be aware of. Yes, the area does have a strong Mafia presence, however this does not really interfere with tourists/outsiders, much the same as organized crime in every region throughout the world.
The biggest issue we found was that often "off-plan" properties, were either hugely delayed before their completion or worse still, did not materialise. Frustratingly, lawyers had done all the correct checks on licensing and the developers financial state of health and they always came up clear. Subsequently, developments were halted because of there proximity to the sea or some other excuse that really should have stopped the developers having their building licenses granted in the first place.
My advice would be to look at completed, established properties that have been in use as a residential dwelling for some time. Again, make sure there are no encumbrances on the property, financial or otherwise through a reputable lawyer.
My honest advice to you is stay away from off plan or near complete projects, for the reasons I have given above and also because of the economic conditions that we are currently experiencing globally. Developers finances are currently pretty precarious, putting you in a dangerous place should they go belly up.