The son of a New York Mafia boss has warned that the Vatican will come to rue the day it excommunicates members of the famed Cosa Nostra, due to its protective role in Italy.

Pope Francis has taken a hard line against mobsters, saying they are destined to hell, and the Vatican hosted a conference earlier this month to consider a new legal doctrine for the Catholic Church to drive out people convicted of mafia-related crimes.

Giovanni Gambino, the son of a key figure in the Gambino crime syndicate, told Dailymail.com: 'Pope Francis considers excommunicating the mafia...in the meantime, priests accused of sex abuse get a second chance in South America.'

Gambino also added that the mafia has played a crucial role in protecting Italy from ISIS - and that without it, the Vatican would likely cease to exist.

The Vatican (pictured left, Pope Francis) is considering a legal doctrine to excommunicate those convicted of mafia-related crimes. But Giovanni Gambino said efforts to do so would only harm Italy since the Sicilian Mafia helps ward off ISIS

Once all-powerful in Sicily, the world's most famous crime gang, known as Cosa Nostra, or 'Our Thing', has been squeezed over the past two decades.

Mob bosses were put behind bars and many of its businesses were isolated, while locals were ready to defy the gang.

Gambino blamed the Italian government for Sicily's changing demographic, telling Dailymail.com: 'Back in the days, Sicily was feared and illegal immigrants stayed away. Now, Sicily is getting drowned by illegal immigrants.

'The Italian government and the fight against the mafia are killing business in Sicily... Sicilians are moving to foreign countries and are slowly disappearing from the motherland while immigrants are taking over.'

Pictured Gambino with Hillary Clinton. He asked for his drug kingpin father to be released early from prison in exchange for votes during the presidential primary in 2007

Gambino (left with Bill Clinton) also raised the issue of over-populated prisons during the 2007 meeting

Gambino also said the Vatican was making a big mistake by considering a new doctrine that threatens the mafia with excommunication- one of the most severe penalties in the Catholic Church.

He said: 'Pope Francis considers excommunicating the mafia...in the meantime, priests accused of sex abuse get a second chance in South America.

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'To me, excommunicating the mafia from the Catholic Church is not a Christian gesture. Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."'

Gambino previously told the Dailymail: 'The Mafia has a bad reputation, but much of that's undeserved.

'As with everything in life, there are good, bad and ugly parts – the rise of global terrorism gives the Mafia a chance to show its good side.'

Gambino says that because ISIS fears the Sicilian Mafia, no underground terror cells have taken root on the island.

'The mafia served as a wall, stopping radical extremists from entering Italy,' he said.

He was also adamant that without the mafia, 'radical Muslims are going after the Vatican'.

He added: 'Within 15 years Radical Muslims are gonna convert the Vatican into a mosque.

'The Pope is gonna bite his tongue by excommunicating the mafia from Catholic Church. The heart can't tell the kidneys or liver "I don't need you anymore" and expect to survive.'

Gambino is a pizzeria owner whose kingpin father Francesco 'Ciccio' Gambino was convicted as part of a massive drug round-up in the United States and Italy alongside fellow mafiosos Salvatore Mannino, Antonio Mannino, Grace Mannino and Enzo Varisco.

Giovanni is the cousin of Carlo Gambino, above, the boss of the notorious crime family and one-time head of the American Mafia's governing body

During his trial in 1987, prosecutors claimed Francesco was the leader of the Sicilian Mafia drug network.

He was part of the same family business set up by his cousin Carlo.

Born in Sicily, Carlo immigrated to the United States in 1921 as a ship stowaway, settling in Brooklyn and becoming a gang member under Joe 'the Boss' Masseria.

He then worked for Salvatore Maranzano, Philip and Vincent Mangano, and finally, from 1951, Albert Anastasia. He inherited the crime syndicate when Anastasia was murdered.

In 50 years of crime Carlo only served 22 months in prison.

He was indicted for hijacking in 1970 and an order for his deportation was upheld in the same year, but severe heart attacks deferred trial or deportation. More heart seizures led to his death by natural causes six years later.