I'm not sure if he actually excommunicated the "mafia" as these news reports are saying. First he was talking about the 'ndrangheta not the mafia, though he did use the word Mafiosi. The 'ndrangheta is more brutal than the mafia and is based in Calabria and Southern Italy, whereas the Mafia is more traditional and has a code of honor and is based in Sicily. The 'ndrangheta had made headlines in that region after a child was killed in a shooting.
The remarks Francis made were during his homily at a Mass during his Pastoral Visit to Cassano all' Jonio. The majority of his homily was about the feast of Corpus Domini (also known as Corpus Christi, Francis uses the phrase Corpus Domini in the homily). One paragraph deals with the 'ndrangheta:
Quando all’adorazione del Signore si sostituisce l’adorazione del denaro, si apre la strada al peccato, all’interesse personale e alla sopraffazione; quando non si adora Dio, il Signore, si diventa adoratori del male, come lo sono coloro i quali vivono di malaffare e di violenza. La vostra terra, tanto bella, conosce i segni e le conseguenze di questo peccato. La ’ndrangheta è questo: adorazione del male e disprezzo del bene comune. Questo male va combattuto, va allontanato! Bisogna dirgli di no! La Chiesa che so tanto impegnata nell’educare le coscienze, deve sempre di più spendersi perché il bene possa prevalere. Ce lo chiedono i nostri ragazzi, ce lo domandano i nostri giovani bisognosi di speranza. Per poter rispondere a queste esigenze, la fede ci può aiutare. Coloro che nella loro vita seguono questa strada di male, come sono i mafiosi, non sono in comunione con Dio: sono scomunicati!
So here Francis transitions from the main topic of the homily to contrast worship of God with what happens when worship of God is substituted for worship of money, opening up the path to sin. Pope Francis says when we don't adore God, the Lord, we become worshippers of evil. He mentions the 'ndrangheta as an example of this "worship of evil", when people worship money instead of God. He says of the 'ndrangheta "we must tell them no!" and that the Church knows the importance of educating consciences. The Pope says that faith can help people and that those who in their lives follow the path of evil - mentioning the "Mafiosi" (likely here referring to organized crime or gangsters, rather than to members of the mafia) are not in communion with God, rather they are "scomunicati" (excommunicated, or separated from God and the Church).
From my reading of the homily I don't think Francis was talking about juridical excommunication, he was making a point saying that those who follow evil are separated from God. I would say that the news reports are mistaken. I don't think Pope Francis was actually excommunicating anyone in the legal sense of the term. I think he was using the term as a metaphor.
Update: Vatican Radio has a translation of the Homily. Here is the section of the homily that I had quoted above:
When adoration of the Lord is substituted by adoration of money, the road to sin opens to personal interest ... When one does not adore the Lord, one becomes an adorer of evil, like those who live by dishonesty and violence. Your land, which so beautiful, knows the signs of the consequences of this sin. The ‘ndrangheta (Calabrian mafia) is this: adoration of evil and contempt of the common good. This evil must be fought, must be expelled. It must be told no. The Church, which is so committed to educating consciences, must always expend itself even more so that good can prevail. Our children ask this of us. Our young people ask this of us, they, who need hope. To be able to respond to this demands, faith can help us. Those who in their lives have taken this evil road, this road of evil, such as the mobsters, they are not in communion with God, they are excommunicated.
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