https://www.corrieredellacalabria.i...canzoni-di-ndrangheta-spopolano-sul-web/

social mafias
From “Reguli i ndrina” to “Ricordi i nu sequestratu”: 'ndrangheta songs are becoming popular on the web
For some, simple “folklore”, for others, celebratory music: the videos on the Calabrese mafia that get thousands of views
Published: 22/08/2024 – 14:04

Songs dedicated to fugitives, the 'ndrangheta and the honoured society. Some neomelodic, others that take up the typical rhythm of traditional Calabrian music. Hundreds of thousands of views and comments that exalt the 'ndranghetisti as "men of honour who show respect and must be respected" . While concerts of singers criticised for lyrics linked to the criminal world are cancelled in the squares, entire albums and songs dedicated to Calabrian crime are freely popular on social media (especially on YouTube). And while Meta, the agency that controls Facebook and Instagram, has recently introduced the possibility of reporting for "organised crime" (receiving the compliments of the president of the anti-mafia commission Chiara Colosimo), songs about the 'ndrangheta are still easily accessible on the platform owned by Google.



The album “covers”
Thousands of views
The song “'Ndrangheta, camurra e mafia”, released in 2018, has almost 600 thousand views. Other “soundtracks” are based on the numbered albums of the 'ndrangheta, the same ones requested in prison – as emerged from the habanero investigation – by the alleged boss of the Preserre Francesco Capomolla. Inside are singles like “ Reguli i 'ndrina ”, “ Ricordi i nu sequestratu ” and “ A società furmata ”, all easily reproducible online. Here too, the views reach 40 thousand. In the comments, some dating back years but still clearly visible, there are those who approve, those who praise Calabria, but also those who speak of 'ndranghetisti as «men of honor» who «don't talk», that is, who keep their mouths shut. Among the dozens of comments, there are also those who protest about the songs and launch a warning: « Whoever lives this life ends up either killed or in prison ».

READ ALSO: CDs on the 'Ndrangheta and “holy cards”: Capomolla's requests (from prison). «You can find them at the Vibo market»
Folklore or hymnal music?
If there are those who condemn this type of music, believing that it praises the 'ndrangheta, there are also those who defend it by claiming that it is only " Calabrian folklore ". Popular music based on the region's tradition, from the brigandage of historical times to the underworld of today. "My songs are inspired by the tradition of Calabria, not by the 'ndrangheta" Teresa Merante , one of the Calabrian singers who ended up in the dust for the criticism of some of her lyrics, defended herself, adding that "there is no difference with fiction that talks about the mafia". Others, however, underline the absence of references to crime in songs that limit themselves to talking about "romantic" stories or brigandage of times gone by. But while there is discussion about whether or not it is appropriate to have singers perform in the squares, songs by "unknown" artists openly praising the 'ndrangheta and the "honoured society" are easily accessible on the internet. The same are then used on other social networks such as TikTok, often associating them with images that recall 'ndrangheta rites and culture.


Controversies and cancelled concerts
The latest controversy on the matter has ignited in Cetraro, where some members of civil society, including the parish priest and local parties, protested the organization of a concert by Salvatore Benincasa, a neomelodic singer who, according to the protesters, has in his repertoire lyrics praising the 'ndrangheta. Also playing as a mockery is the fact that the event is being screened contemporaneously, also in Cetraro, with a film about Giannino Losardo , the communist mayor killed by organized crime in 1980. A case that recalls those of the aforementioned Teresa Merante and Andrea Zeta (stage name for Filippo Zuccaro), the latter the son of a mafia boss who has been banned from performing publicly in the Vibo Valentia area. ( Ma.Ru .)

I think he is related to the repentant Giuseppe Perricciolo who said that in a ceremony, held in Vibo Valentia, in which he had been awarded the title of “sgarrista”, Chiefari had been entrusted with the “locale” of Chiaravalle and Torre that had been created on that very occasion.

Economy
‘Ndrangheta, the TAR confirms the dissolution of the Municipality of Capistrano
By John

2024-08-23

'Ndrangheta, the TAR confirms the dissolution of the Municipality of Capistrano
“Concrete, univocal and relevant” elements have led to the administration of the Municipality of Capistrano, in the province of Vibo Valentia, for mafia infiltration. “Little respect for the law and influence of organized crime on the municipal administration”. With these reasons, the TAR of Lazio has rejected, considering it manifestly unfounded, the appeal filed by the former mayor of Capistrano Mark Martinfrom the former deputy mayor Vito Pirruccio and by 5 former city councilors, confirming the dissolution of the agency for mafia infiltration decided in September 2023 by the Council of Ministers on the proposal of the Minister of the Interior, Matthew Piantedosi.
In the sentence the TAR underlines that «the messages exchanged between Nensy Chimirri, companion of Emanuel Mancusoa leading member of the gang who later dissociated himself, and the mayor Marco Martino (Forza Italia) constitute “clear evidence of the administrator’s reverence and attention towards this particular town”.
According to the TAR, “the relationship between members of the underworld and local administrators is also fully proven”, with the dissolved majority having created a “dummy” list so as not to invalidate the electoral round in the event of failure to reach the quorum, with “the absence of a genuine electoral debate”, “very close family ties between the signatories and the candidates of the two lists”.
The defeated mayoral candidate, Rocco Tinothen declared «to the access commission that he had participated in the competition only at the request of the former deputy mayor Pirruccio». The public tenders were also «managed in such a way as to guarantee the award to relatives of the administrators. For example – the TAR points out – the contracts in favor of Pasceri Stefano’s company were repeated in violation of the rotation, with the entrepreneur who is also the father of the appellant Carlo Pasceri, majority councilor, a circumstance that demonstrates the overall family-like management of the res publica».

Mario Lavorato (born January 31, 1956 in Mandatoriccio ) [ 1 ] [ 2 ] is a convicted Italian mafioso . The innkeeper became known because he had served public figures in the Stuttgart area. The CDU politician Günther Oettinger was friends with him in the 1990s. There were already investigations against the mafioso at that time, but these only led to a conviction for money laundering . Lavorato was arrested by the Italian judiciary in 2018 and sentenced to eleven years in prison because he has ties to the 'Ndrangheta and is a member of the Farao Marincola clan

https://www.faz.net/aktuell/gesells...htskraeftig-verurteilt-ist-19771330.html

Judgment in final instance:
Mafia verdict against Stuttgart restaurateur final
By David Klaubert
07.06.2024, 09:31Reading time: 2 min.
The Farao-Marincola mafia clan had brought important economic and commercial sectors around the Calabrian municipality of Cirò under its control.
Mario L. was well connected in Baden-Württemberg politics - until mafia allegations against him became known. Years later, the Italian Court of Cassation has now confirmed the innkeeper's conviction.

Press
In the trial against members of a Calabrian mafia clan, the highest Italian court has confirmed the conviction of Mario L. The innkeeper, who had run pizzerias and restaurants in the Stuttgart area for many years, was convicted in Calabria in October 2019, among other things, of membership in a mafia organization. As the governor of the Farao Marincola clan from the Cirò region, he had forced Calabrian innkeepers in Germany to sell wine at inflated prices.

In the second instance, the prison sentence was later reduced from just over ten to eight years and eight months. This verdict is now legally binding, as can be seen from the decision of the Court of Cassation in Rome, which MDR and FAZ have received. The detailed reasoning behind the final verdict is still pending.

In total, the Court of Cassation has now rejected the appeals of 46 defendants. In addition to several leading figures of the Farao Marincola clan, the convicted include the innkeeper and fishmonger Domenico P. from Fellbach in Baden-Württemberg. He was sentenced to eight years in prison. The Court of Cassation overturned the verdict against Francesco B., who had lived in northern Hesse. The case against him was referred back to the second instance.

“Serie A Clan”
Investigators in Italy and Germany arrested a total of 169 suspected Mafiosi and supporters of the Farao Marincola clan as part of "Operation Stige" at the beginning of 2018. The investigating prosecutor Nicola Gratteri spoke at the time of a "Serie A clan". The Mafiosi had brought important economic and commercial sectors under their control in the region around Cirò, including the production and distribution of wine, bread, fish and other foodstuffs, services in ports, gambling, laundries and waste disposal. Several defendants were acquitted in the course of the proceedings. For some, the process through the courts is still ongoing, including other suspected Mafiosi from northern Hesse.

More on the topic

“They have already discussed where to blow me up”
Mario L. had already come under the scrutiny of the German public prosecutor's office in the 1990s. Italian investigators suspected him of being a leading member of the Farao Marincola clan and of organizing drug and weapons transports and money laundering on their behalf. The allegations caused a great stir when it became known that Günther Oettinger, then CDU parliamentary group leader in Baden-Württemberg, was a regular customer at L's restaurant. The Union parliamentary group also hired the Italian for events. Mario L. worked "completely free of charge," Oettinger said at the time in an interview with SWR. The restaurant owner was one of his "best friends."

At the time, Mario L. could only be convicted of tax evasion. Oettinger, who later became Prime Minister and then EU Budget Commissioner, has since stressed that he no longer has any contact with L.

https://www.corrieredellacalabria.i...n-brasile-un-business-che-vale-miliardi/

the alarm
Drug trafficking, the 'Ndrangheta increasingly protagonist in Brazil: a business worth billions
Lula's policies, so far, have not worked and the risk is that the country will turn into a "narco-state". And the 'ndrine do golden business with the white powder
Published: 26/08/2024 – 18:39
LAMEZIA TERME «The port of Santos , in the state of San Paolo, continues to be an important hub for cocaine trafficking towards Europe, thanks also to the increasingly strong presence of the 'ndrangheta». This is the analysis of Maria Zuppello, a journalist and essayist expert in terrorism and international crime. In an interview with “La Verità” , Zuppello analyzed the criminal situation that particularly concerns Brazil. Here, in fact, President Lula had promised before the elections that he would defeat drug traffickers, but the situation seems to have further worsened. This is reported by the data of the annual public security report according to which from 2013 to 2023 cocaine seizures in the country increased by 73%, in total in this decade 730 tons were seized: in 2019 alone 104.6 tons were confiscated. «Brazil – Zuppello pointed out – continues to be the second largest cocaine consumption market in the world, second only to the United States».

The role of the 'ndrangheta
And it is in this worrying scenario that the 'ndrangheta would play a fundamental role. The port of Santos, in the state of São Paulo, continues to be an important hub for cocaine trafficking towards Europe, thanks also to the increasingly strong presence of Calabrian organised crime. A few weeks ago, a load of 500 kilos of cocaine was discovered in a sugar shipment in a container terminal in Cubatão, not far from the port of Santos, with the risk – concrete – that Brazil will soon turn into a real «narco-state» . With a recent ordinance, all containers headed towards Lebanon, Russia, Australia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Turkey, Georgia, Syria, Israel and Saudi Arabia will have to be checked with a special scanner. «The cocaine business in Brazil – Zuppello underlines to La Verità – is worth billions of dollars, so much so that now the main criminal group in the country, the First Command of the Capital (PCC), is laundering its gigantic proceeds also in soccer teams, in agencies that manage the careers of players and even in the candidacies of politicians for the upcoming administrative elections of October 6».

Pasquino Vincenzo 'ndrangheta
Business in Brazil, Pasquino's statements
That Brazil is one of the destinations marked on the maps of drug traffickers doing business with the 'ndrangheta is nothing new. The most consistent elements to support this theory emerge in particular from recent news stories related to the statements of Vincenzo Pasquino, born in 1990 and raised in Turin but considered a leading member of the Calabrian 'ndrangheta and fully included at the top of the 'ndrangheta local of Volpiano, in Piedmont, and a new collaborator of justice. His stories to the anti-mafia magistrates are full of details of a transnational organization dedicated to money laundering, drug trafficking and weapons throughout the world and on which the DDA of Reggio Calabria, Milan and Genoa worked, together with investigators from Germany, Belgium and Portugal.

Pasquino Vincenzo 'ndrangheta
Code names, 'Ndrangheta business and Albanian contacts: what Brazilian authorities want to know from Pasquino
Vincenzo Pasquino lived in the city of San Paolo and from there, according to investigators, he negotiated with the criminal faction. He had already provided the code names of the Brazilian criminals, which were omitted from the document so as not to hinder the investigation. According to Pasquino, in 2020, a trafficker left from Brasilia, made several stops in Brazil to deceive the authorities, until arriving in Aracaju, where the Italian lived, to handle a load of cocaine to Europe. The agreement was to divide the load between Brazilians and Italians in Europe.
«Brazilian criminals use cryptocurrencies, invest in the stock market and even buy ethanol factories. The methamphetamine and fentanyl business has recently been added to cocaine in synergy with the Mexican cartels that have also begun to infiltrate Brazil». ( g.curcio@corrierecal.it )

https://www.corrieredellacalabria.i...ccinasco-dallaffiliazione-al-pentimento/

stories of 'ndrine
'Ndrangheta, the Agresta offspring contested between Volpiano and Buccinasco: from affiliation to repentance
The fate was sealed for the class of '88, heir to a long dynasty of powerful exponents of the 'ndrine of Platì. «Those were not my values»
Published: 26/08/2024 – 6:43

TURIN Detention in prison, then the choice to take the plunge and collaborate with justice, in October 2016. «The values ??of the 'ndrangheta are not profound and positive values. I also understood that the values ??and the life I was immersed in were all wrong». This is how Domenico Agresta (class of '88) known as “Micu Mcdonald”, had motivated his decision, the result of an awareness that had gradually matured. This is what the 'ndrangheta chronicles tell us about Piedmont, a territory marked by the presence of powerful 'ndrine still linked to Calabria, and hit by numerous anti-mafia investigations, from “Cerbero” to “Minotauro” passing through “Barbarossa” and “Carminius”. From his statements, moreover, the “Platinum” operation was carried out with which the Dda and the Dia of Turin had made about thirty arrests.


Young Agresta and Repentance
Born in Locri on September 22, 1988, Domenico Agresta is the son of Saverio Anna Marando, both parents linked to the 'ndrangheta operating in Platì, among the most influential in Locride and Northern Italy. On the paternal side, the collaborator's grandfather, Domenico Agresta (class of '34) was one of the founders of the 'ndrangheta, as well as responsible for all of Piedmont until his death. On the maternal side, the collaborator's uncle is Pasquale Marando known as "Pasqualino", "one of the most charismatic figures in the family", the investigators write, to the point of assuming the role of "guide of the 'ndrangheta in Piedmont" upon the death of Domenico Agresta (class of '34), the investigators further emphasize.
The collaborator of justice will explain to the magistrates: "While I was following this path, I continued to receive "gifts" of 'ndrangheta in prison. This condition began to weigh on me, I lived it as a mask, I could no longer continue to stay in this situation. I am not a silent person or able to respect the rules of the 'ndrangheta, I am not made like that". And again: "My uncle was on top of me and oppressed me, he complained because, in his opinion, I was taking school too seriously and was going to the educator too much".


The scion with a sealed fate
As reconstructed, in fact, Domenico Agresta (class of '88) spent his childhood between Volpiano and Buccinasco and, when his father Saverio was arrested, the family moved permanently to Volpiano, where the collaborator attended elementary school and the first year of middle school, at the end of which he failed. His uncle Pasqualino Marando decided, therefore, to enroll his nephew in the "S. Francesco" college in Lodi, making a house available to the family between Corsico and Cesano Boscone, where the collaborator then moved with his mother and two sisters. The path will then be marked by the murder of his uncle Marando and then, in his youth and after finishing school, the current collaborator of justice began to carry out his "work" activity in the wake of family tradition, namely in drug trafficking and the installation of video poker machines. Agresta, therefore, lived until the age of thirty "completely immersed in the values ??and rules of the 'ndrangheta, especially for reasons related to his family background" the investigators note.


The affiliation
«There was something that had been talked about in my family for a while. He made me understand that it was about my affiliation, telling me that if I hadn't been affiliated, I wouldn't have been anyone, I wouldn't have been a real man». Domenico Agresta also recounts a conversation that took place in the Vercelli prison, when he noticed his father Saverio approaching his cousin Domenico (class of '86) to whisper in his ear for a few minutes. «In my case it wasn't necessary to see what my behavior was» says the repentant «because my father is respected by everyone in the 'ndrangheta, but in any case the procedure requires that the “Mastro di Giornata” “carry out” the entry into the 'ndrangheta and ask for authorization from the “Capo Società” and the “Capo Locale”». In April 2007 (or 2008) Domenico Agresta (class of '86) reportedly told his cousin to be ready for the following day. First he should have disconnected the phone card, left it at home, and gone to Giuseppe Romeo's garden around 10 am. Then the story of the Agresta informer continues: «At a certain point they all went into a small cement house in the garden, inside there was a table. Both my uncle and Giuseppe Romeo told me that as soon as I entered my cousin Domenico Agresta (class of '86) as "youth leader" would have asked me in Calabrian dialect: "young man what are you looking for" and I had to say "blood and honor"». And again: «He "why don't you have blood and honor?", to which I had to answer "yes, but I want that of the company". My cousin had to tell me "from now on this young man is no longer recognized as a young man of honor but as a picciotto belonging to this body of society"». "Then he told me to shake hands with everyone, I also wanted to give a kiss but he told me that a picciotto couldn't greet by giving kisses" explained the repentant Agresta.

Disputed between Volpiano and Buccinasco
«Then those present wished me a happy birthday, immediately after they gave me an overview of the positions at the Volpiano club, explaining that we are all brothers, they explained the rules to me, telling me that I cannot speak to anyone who does not belong to the 'ndrangheta society and that from that moment on I was "active", from that moment on I was "activated", even if I had already committed crimes before». Later, the collaborator would even learn that he had been "disputed" between the Volpiano club and the Buccinasco one. In fact, Pasquale Barbaro, as the person in charge of the entire 'ndrangheta for Lombardy and a distant cousin of his father, wanted to affiliate him with Buccinasco. Instead, all the relatives on the Agresta side «wanted him to be affiliated with Volpiano», he says. In the end, according to the collaborator «my father decided for Volpiano». ( g.curcio@corrierecal.it )

https://www.corrieredellacalabria.i...ando-socio-minoritario-della-ndrangheta/

the interview
De Lucia: «Cosa Nostra is a Minority Member of the 'Ndrangheta»
The prosecutor: «The State can say it is winning against the mafia. But we are in a delicate moment»
Published: 29/08/2024 – 10:12

"The investigations tell us that Cosa Nostra's main problem is to become rich again. The organization is therefore moving towards a series of relationships, even if as a minority partner, but as a partner, with the 'ndrangheta ." This is what the Palermo prosecutor Maurizio De Lucia states in an interview with Repubblica. "To increase that importation of drugs, which is the only real business that allows for rapid and very substantial enrichment. The mafiosi know that only a renewed economic strength will allow for a new military force and the restoration of the conditions for dialogue with the gray area." During the interview, the prosecutor also remembered Libero Grassi , the entrepreneur who refused to pay the pizzo and was killed on August 29, 1991: "He was an extraordinary man," he says, "Libero Grassi was a citizen, not a policeman and a magistrate who takes into account the risks of his job. A citizen who many years later, let's not forget, has become a model for young economic operators who have found the maturity to start a new path, also thanks to the guys from Addiopizzo. But there is still a lot to do, and Libero Grassi's message remains very current".

The investigations on Matteo Messina Denaro
The prosecutor explains the new criminal interests of Cosa Nostra: "Extortion, albeit in a reduced form, remains a point of reference, because the mafia organization needs to stay on the territory through this type of pressure. The investigations have also highlighted infiltration in the world of gaming, a sector in which the clans manage to circulate a lot of money with ease." The attention of the Prosecutor's Office is directed both at new and "old" businesses, with an ongoing search for those who helped Matteo Messina Denaro during his time as a fugitive. " The investigations have never stopped, and now they follow different lines : one of our objectives is to identify and prosecute all those who helped him. Another objective is to reconstruct that incredibly long period of time as a fugitive. Third, we aim to identify Messina Denaro's wealth that still exists. All questions that return to concern the mafia bourgeoisie, that gray area that remains at this time one of the most important fronts of investigation."

The new measures and the fight against the mafia
"Investigations on white-collar crimes are more difficult because it is not possible to use the legislative system that works against the mafia - he continues -, we have different tools, certainly less invasive, but also less effective". There has been a lot of controversy over the abolition of the crime of abuse of office. " Perhaps the abolition of abuse of office will have a symbolic value for some, but we had already intervened in this area. There is a question of more general method - he explains -: the current choices in criminal policies follow one another in a chaotic manner without leaving time for the approved rules to settle. It is difficult for legal practitioners to adapt to changes". To be more effective in investigations on white-collar crimes according to De Lucia from a regulatory point of view "you have to be very cautious especially with regard to wiretaps. Corruption, like the mafia, is a hidden crime that is discovered not because someone tells you, but because you listen to those who commit the crimes". As for the amendment that would reduce wiretaps to 45 days , with this «we risk introducing a worrying element for those who investigate public administration, because it limits them greatly – he continues -. Instead, it would be enough to take note of the fact that wiretaps are already authorized by a third-party judge, in the presence of rigorous requirements». Finally, a reflection. «After a long season, the State can say it is winning against the mafia . But we are in a delicate moment, in which Cosa Nostra is aiming for reorganization – he concludes -. If the State does not continue to invest in this fight, putting the prosecutors in a position to work at full capacity, we risk losing the game we are winning».

https://www.corrieredellacalabria.i...al-condizionamento-politico-ai-processi/

the clans in lazio
Nettuno, "outpost of the 'Ndrangheta" on the Roman coast: from political conditioning to trials
In the report of the Ministry of the Interior, the analysis of what has been done since 2022. And politics wonders what will happen next
Published: 29/08/2024 – 11:23

ROME On the Roman coast and, in particular, in the municipality of Nettuno, the stable presence of clans linked to the Calabrian 'ndrangheta has been detected, operating «forms of conditioning and infiltration in the Administration, with an inevitable general decline in the reliability and credibility of the local authority». This is perhaps the crucial point at the centre of the latest report by the Ministry of the Interior on the management of municipalities dissolved for mafia reasons, relating to the year 2023. The "Nettuno case" has already been branded as a sort of special case: the authority was dissolved in 2022, but the first episode dates back to 2005. Furthermore, on 27 March 2024, the duration of the dissolution of municipal councils, set at eighteen months, was extended for a further six months.

The Ministry's report
As noted in the ministerial report, therefore, the confirmed mafia-style conditioning has led to widespread forms of "mala gestio" and dysfunctions in various sectors of the municipal administration, with "obvious negative repercussions on the services provided and on the relationship of trust with citizens". The spotlight is then on the work carried out by the Extraordinary Commission which has allowed a series of significant organizational criticalities to be recorded: from the failure to identify those responsible for the procedure, to the difficulties in finding documents and the disorder of the archives. And then the poor internal communication and interaction between the offices, the low level of transparency and the inadequacy of internal controls. The Extraordinary Commission established in the Municipality of Nettuno has therefore paid priority attention to the internal reorganization of the offices, the introduction of good practices and, more generally, to the correct and efficient management of resources. The imposition of a clear separation between the political and managerial spheres was also fundamental.


Connections with the clans
But it was at the end of the inspection that the existence of "elements proving links with local organized crime" emerged for a municipal manager, it is stated. The manager, suspended from service for a period of six months, then saw the extension of another six months of suspension "in relation to the disciplinary profiles that emerged from the documentation in the institution's files". Once back in service, at the end of the two periods of suspension, the manager in question was assigned to another Area. The work of the Commission was then used to identify a new general secretary and a permanent manager, then assigned to the economic-financial area, while a further managerial qualification unit was selected in the last months of 2023 to replace another manager placed in a command position at another administration.

The 'ndrangheta and the trials
A few months ago, in an interview with TV7, the prefectural commissioner Antonio Reppucci, former prefect of Catanzaro, explained how the roots of criminal organizations had ancient origins, «it dates back to the 1960s, from Gallace to Novella, Modaffari, especially from the province of Catanzaro and Reggio Calabria: they began to weave connections and relationships with local administrators and from here this penetration into the social and economic fabric of the territory». And again: «When there is a commissioner management, crime generally becomes silent, ready to reappear when an elected administration returns, I see positive signs and I hope this does not happen». In March of this year, the Court of Appeal of Rome confirmed the sentences issued in the trial held with an abbreviated rite born from the “ Tritone ” investigation, a blitz in February 2022 in which the police proceeded to 65 arrests on the Roman coast. The appeal ruling, after the first-degree ruling, confirmed the existence in the Anzio and Nettuno area of ??a "dangerous mafia-type association, which formed a local 'ndrangheta that came to influence the local administrations, both dissolved due to infiltration" , sentencing Bruno Gallace, Vincenzo Italiano, Gregorio Spanò and Fabrizio Schinzari to 20 years in prison. The 25 defendants who opted for the abbreviated trial were sentenced to a total of 260 years in prison.

neptune 'ndrangheta contracts
The path of rebirth
The extraordinary commission, assisted by the guarantor of childhood (identified following a specific public notice), held numerous meetings in schools of all levels on the issues of legality, the fight against mafia culture, femicide, bullying and cyber-bullying, gambling, peace, participatory democracy, immigration, integration and tolerance between peoples as well as the use of social media and psychotropic substances. Numerous initiatives to raise awareness of legality were also organized, with the intervention of schools, representatives of local associations active on the issues of legality, environmental protection and the preservation of society from criminal interference (“Libera”, “Associazione Caponnetto”, “Rete No Bavaglio”).

The M5S question
In the meantime, local politics is taking action. On July 18, a written question was presented by Stefania Ascari, of the 5 Star Movement , to the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of Justice. (…) the questioner asks what further measures the Ministers questioned intend to adopt to ensure the full restoration of legality and the correct management of municipal resources in the municipalities of Anzio and Nettuno, also in light of the extension of the dissolution of the municipal councils for a further six months; what initiatives have been undertaken, or are intended to be undertaken, to monitor and prevent further infiltration of organised crime into the local administrations of Anzio and Nettuno; whether there are further updates regarding the ineligibility procedure, mentioned in the introduction, initiated against some former administrators of the municipalities of Anzio and Nettuno, and what the prospects are for preventing individuals involved in mafia activities from holding public office in the future; whether the adoption of legislative initiatives is foreseen, including amendments to current legislation, to strengthen preventive and repressive measures against mafia conditioning in local administrations, also taking into account the experiences gained in the cases of Anzio and Nettuno". ( g.curcio@corrierecal.it )

https://www.lacnews24.it/cronaca/pi...to-nuovi-software-per-comunicare_195132/

Criminal technology
The (encrypted) phone calls and anonymous chats are silent: «The 'ndrangheta has found new software to communicate»
Organized crime historian Antonio Nicaso: «The mafias invest in technology and look for different ways to evade investigations». Cryptophones have new channels: «Created to protect the privacy of NBA stars, they were sold to drug lords of South American cartels»

https://www.corrieredellacalabria.i...ndrangheta-nella-strage-di-pizzinni-foto

the memory
The memory of Antonio and Bartolo Pesce, the two children killed by the 'ndrangheta in the Pizzinni massacre – PHOTO
The municipal villa in Jonadi was named after the two brothers killed by a bomb at the ages of 10 and 14. The 1982 massacre is still unpunished to this day
Published: 08/31/2024 – 21:27

VIBO VALENTIA Bartolo Pesce, the older brother, was 14. Antonio was only 10. They were playing in the streets of the small village of Pizzinni, a few kilometers from Vibo Valentia. Then a sudden roar and the laughter of the two little brothers can no longer be heard. The streets are covered in a painful silence, broken only by the screams of pain of their mother Fortunata . That evening of October 24, 1982, Bartolo and Antonio do not return home, and will never return. In that attack, the two children lose their lives, brutally killed by the 'ndrangheta . "It was not addressed to them, but to some members of the Soriano family," the repentant Andrea Mantella will explain thirty years later, indicating some members of the Mancuso family as responsible. But today, 42 years later, there is still no procedural truth for the Pizzinni massacre . There are no guilty parties. Only the memory of Bartolo and Antonio remains, the tears of mother Fortunata and father Francesco, the courage of sister Immacolata.

parents antonio and bartolo pesce

The municipal villa named after Bartolo and Antonio
Above all, there remains the commitment to keep the memory of Bartolo and Antonio alive. To remember that the 'ndrangheta violence does not stop even in front of women and children. Their names, from today, will be the first thing that the children of Jonadi , the town bordering Pizzinni, will see when they enter the municipal villa named after them. The one to unveil the plaque is their sister Immacolata. "On behalf of myself and my parents, I thank the mayor and all of you who came here," she says with a voice broken by emotion. A long round of applause accompanies the embrace with mother Fortunata and father Francesco under the names of Antonio and Bartolo . "We really wanted this day. Today we spoke little about the work we did in this villa, but because more important than the cement is the community. The aspect we wanted to give most value to was the dedication to Antonio and Bartolo." The mayor of Jonadi Fabio Signoretta also says little , before taking off his sash and losing himself in a long embrace with his mother Fortunata. "I did what we all wanted to do in that moment."


Victims without justice
A long hug with the parents as if to gather some of the pain they have been carrying on their shoulders for over 40 years. But also to inherit the desire for justice for Bartolo and Antonio, whose murder remains unpunished: « The truth, even today, has not arrived. We have the duty to search for it » adds the mayor. Also present at the meeting were the mayor of Filandari Rita Fuduli , the parish priests and the authorities. Also present was Libera, with the regional representative Giuseppe Borrello who recalled how «the myth that the 'ndrangheta does not kill women and children is an absolute falsehood. Someone might think that Antonio and Bartolo were in the wrong place, but that is not the case. They were playing near their home. In the wrong place and at the wrong time are always the 'ndranghetisti and the mafiosi ». ( Ma.Ru. )

https://www.corrieredellacalabria.i...lazioni-dei-pentiti-alla-prima-sentenza/

"reset"
The blitz against the Cosenza mafia, two years later. From the revelations of the informants to the first sentence
By 2024, the verdict for the defendants in a summary trial. The new collaborators and the clash over the Confederation
Published: 01/09/2024 – 7:02

COSENZA Two years have passed since the blitz of September 1, 2022, when the Catanzaro DDA ordered the “ Reset ” of the confederated 'ndrangheta of Cosenza. An army of suspects, 202, accused to varying degrees of 'ndrangheta-type association, criminal association aimed at drug trafficking, aggravated by mafia methods and purposes, criminal association aimed at committing crimes related to the illicit organization of gaming activities - including gambling - and betting, crimes of money laundering, self-laundering and fraudulent transfer of goods and values, as well as in order to numerous other crimes, also aggravated by mafia methods and purposes. An investigation that dealt a very hard blow to the criminal groups of Cosenza, allowing the uncovering of the illicit activities and business of the 'ndrangheta syndicate headed by " Francesco Patitucci ". For years the regent of the “Italiani” clan, according to the prosecution, he represented «the authoritative and undisputed reference for all the associates of the 'ndrangheta confederation operating in the city and the hinterland of Cosenza, having assumed over time the highest 'ndrangheta qualities corresponding to that of “company boss” ». A pivotal figure, capable of acting as a glue between the various groups, as a mediator in the thorniest issues and ready to delegate when necessary to his «dolphin», Roberto Porcaro .

The new repentants
In the meantime, Gianluca Maestri, involved in the operation codenamed “Athena” and in “Reset”, has decided to jump the gun. He decided – at the beginning of 2024 – to collaborate with justice and is considered the promoter and organizer of the “Zingari” association , strategically close to Gennaro Presta. Francesco Greco , former “lieutenant of Roberto Porcaro” , has also decided to collaborate with justice . The main accusations are directed precisely against the former regent of the “Italians”. “ Porcaro often told me that he had a large availability of weapons to the point of being able to “wage war”. Within the association, each group and each contact managed their own arsenal. Thus, for example, the arsenal that was found in 2018 in the “Zingari” neighborhood was, in fact, attributable to the Abbruzzese ”.

The process
From the papers to the court. The “Reset” chapter is discussed in the bunker courtroom of Lamezia Terme, before the collegiate court of Cosenza. After a series of prosecutors, the prosecutors of the Catanzaro DDA Vito Valerio and Corrado Cubellotti – who represent the prosecution – have called a series of informants to testify. Starting with the “historical” collaborators. As underlined by the informer Luciano Impieri, “Gypsies” and “Italians” would have made “ peace agreements ” , in particular “ 60% of extortion and drugs were taken by the “Italians” while the “Gypsies” 40% ”. Drug dealing – again according to Impieri – would be the most profitable business for organized crime, necessary to feed the “basin”, the common fund: dirty money useful for financing investments in activities that are only apparently legal. There is a rule in the drug market: the only purchases allowed to pushers are those related and referable to the “ System ” and under-the-counter, or supply from third-party sources, is not allowed. According to Zaffonte: « within the System, pushers can move from one group to another because… it is always as if it were the same thing.. ».

A Confederation of 'Ndrangheta?
In addition to the accusations made against the individual defendants, the real game between prosecution and defense is played on the presence or absence of the 'ndrangheta Confederation. The game between prosecution and defense is played on the existence of the 'ndrangheta Confederation . The theory of the presence of a single large 'ndrangheta Cupola is supported by the DDA, but strongly rejected by the leaders of the Cosenza clans. Recently, during another trial, Francesco Patitucci, former regent of the Lanzino-Ruà-Patitucci clan, made interesting spontaneous statements. The boss, now in 41 bis, admitted "to being part of a mafia association, to having been its leader, but to never having been part of a Confederation". Daniele Lamanna , now a repentant but once a man of honor, thinks differently . Affiliated to the Bruni-Zingari clan , he retraced the steps that convinced the groups to bury the hatchet and establish the pax: preceded by two meetings. « At the top there were those who had an importance in the 'ndrangheta concept », says Lamanna who concludes: « When I speak of groups I refer to Patitucci-Ruà-Lanzino and then to the Tundis, the Calabria brothers, Muto, and Maurizio Rango who was the representative of the Zingari ».

The abbreviated rite
The ordinary procedure is still in its infancy, many other collaborators will be heard in the coming months starting from next September 12th when the cross-examination of the repentant Luca Pellicori is scheduled (here are the statements made in the last hearing) . The path is different for those who have opted for the abbreviated procedure. The next steps are scheduled for September 11th, September 25th and October 7th. The timing indicates the possible sentence within 2024, a first step to test the accusatory weight of the maxi operation against the Cosenza mala. (fb)

https://www.lacnews24.it/cronaca/tu...o-salvo-nei-racconti-del-pentito_195356/


«All the works in the Vibo Marina area were managed by the Tripodi». The monopoly of the Porto Salvo clan in the stories of the repentant

https://www.corrieredellacalabria.i...s-per-luomo-dei-grande-aracri-in-emilia/

the decision
'Ndrangheta, 41bis confirmed for the Grande Aracri man in Emilia
Nicolino Sarcone has a series of convictions behind him: from 15 years in the “Aemilia” trial to 8 in “Perseverance”
Published: 02/09/2024 – 12:17
ROME The Court of Cassation has confirmed the 41bis for Nicolino Sarcone, considered a leading figure within the Grande Aracri di Cutro 'ndrangheta gang. Therefore, the appeal presented by the defense (Gravagnuolo and Belardi) against the order of the Rome Tdl of last February 1st, which had ordered harsh prison for the 59-year-old from Cutro, is inadmissible.
A series of sentences weigh on him: 8 years of imprisonment from the "Perseverance" investigation and then 10 years in the Edilpiovra trial and 15 in the maxi-trial "Aemilia". But the heaviest sentence, 30 years, Nicolino Sarcone received in the trial for the 1992 murders, committed in the province of Reggio Emilia, during the mafia war that bloodied Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and Calabria.

https://www.corrieredellacalabria.i...nte-della-ndrangheta-non-mi-piaceva-piu/

Hearing
Maestrale, the repentant Megna speaks: «I didn't like the 'ndrangheta environment anymore. Women are untouchable»
The '85-born justice collaborator makes his debut in the bunker courtroom trial. "I wanted to remove my children from the criminal context of Nicotera"
Published: 03/09/2024 – 14:01

LAMEZIA TERME «I decided to collaborate on February 18, 2023. I wanted to change my life, I wanted it for my children and I feared above all for my safety» . Thus, 39-year-old Pasquale Alessandro Megna, a collaborator of justice, son of Assunto Megna and nephew of Pantaleone Mancuso, known as “Luni Scarpuni” , a top member of the Mancuso clan of Limbadi, made his debut in the “Maestrale-Carthago” trial before the judges of the Court of Vibo Valentia, in the bunker courtroom.

Megna's Repentance
Megna, among the defendants in the trial, was arrested in January last year for the murder of Francesco Muzzupappa, killed in an ambush on the evening of November 26, 2022 in the center of Nicotera Marina, in the Vibo Valentia area. Upon input from the PM of the anti-mafia pool of the Catanzaro DDA, Annamaria Frustaci, he explained the origins of his collaboration with justice. "I was in prison because I was detained for the murder of Muzzupappa dating back to November 26, 2022. The order was issued in December, but I was arrested on January 9. From that day on, I had left Nicotera Marina, until my arrest." Over the years, Megna explained, "I have suffered many attacks: bombs in my house, fires, all because they attributed to me my closeness to Pantaleone Mancuso "the engineer" and for the 2011 murder of Domenico Campisi." Megna explains that, on the evening of the murder, Angelo Carrieri was with him. "He witnessed the scene, but he didn't know anything, even though I didn't actually know how it would end. Shortly before I had said to call my father, unfortunately he arrived too late, 5 minutes after the murder. In fact, he thought that the one on the ground was me. "For years, however, my family had been forced to watch their backs for Muzzupappa, he said he would shoot us. And I don't know how many times I went to his relatives' house asking for help, but no one intervened, perhaps it could have been avoided."

Family ties
In his statements, Megna also illustrated his family ties. «I belong to the Mancuso 'ndrangheta family linked to “Scarpuni”, married to my aunt. My wife is Ciccio Tabacco's niece, I was part of the Engineer's group». «I'm talking about Santa Buccafusca, my mother's sister while my wife's mother and Francesco Mancuso's wife are sisters». «My father Assunto Megna was therefore part of the context linked to “the Engineer” who was part of Peppe 'Mbrogghia's branch. However, relations had cooled after the double attempted murder of Romana Mancuso and Giovanni Rizzo “mezzo dente”, respectively an aunt belonging to the “11” and the Engineer's nephew». «I killed Giuseppe Muzzupappa who was linked to the Campisi, the Cuturello and the 'Mbrogghia branch and was the nephew of Salvatore Cuturello and Giovanni Rizzo, cousin of Antonio Campisi». «I remember that the attempted murder of Dominik Signoretta, linked to the Engineer, had already occurred; he was a killer who worked for him».

"Touching women is a choice I don't agree with"
Regarding the choice to repent, Megna explained: «Of all the reasons, the most important was to take my children out of that context, out of Nicotera and its 'ndrangheta environment». Megna explained that «I no longer liked the behaviour of the 'ndrangheta members , let's just say that I no longer agreed with what was happening. Touching women are choices that I cannot agree with». And again: «I have accused myself of association, weapons, aiding and abetting the fugitives Marcello Pesce, Luigi and Pantaleone Mancuso, I had made myself available several times to help them». ( g.curcio@corrierecal.it )

https://www.corrieredellacalabria.i...riciclaggio-e-nella-gestione-del-denaro/

honored women
Women in the 'ndrangheta, Frustaci: «involved in money laundering and management»
The deputy prosecutor of the Catanzaro DDA on “Specchio”. «They don’t receive the dowries, but three are at 41 bsi»
Published: 03/09/2024 – 7:43

LAMEZIA TERME A magistrate in the trenches in the fight against Calabrian organised crime, the deputy prosecutor of the Catanzaro DDA Annamaria Frustaci , together with her colleagues Antonio De Bernardo and Andrea Mancuso, supported the prosecution in the maxi Rinascita Scott trial against the Vibo Valentia 'ndrangheta clans . Author of the book "The girl who dreamed of defeating the mafia ", Frustaci, during a long interview in "Specchio", an insert of the daily newspaper "La Stampa", spoke about the role of women in the 'ndrangheta. «Women do not participate in the initiation rites, they do not receive positions and dowries, nor are there female names that appear in the copies. A second difference - which has been changing in recent years - the greater involvement of female figures in the laundering and reinvestment of illicit proceeds, or in the management of the assets and economic and entrepreneurial activities of the clan, rather than in decision-making conduct».

The role of women
We have dealt with women inside and against the 'ndrangheta (READ HERE) . «They don't stay at home waiting for their criminal partners or husbands, but they take on an important role in the organization», claims Stefano Nazzi interviewed by Corriere della Calabria during the preparation of an episode of “Calabria dell'altro Mondo”. A thesis also supported by Frustaci. « There are three Calabrian women subjected to 41 bis. They are Aurora Spanò (at the top of the Bellocco clan of San Ferdinando), Teresa Gallico (regent of the 'ndrina Gallico of Palmi) and Nella Serpa (regent of the homonymous consorteria clan of Paola). They have embodied the role of top of the reference clans, giving orders and directives and even, as in the case of Nella Serpa, planning murders to avenge relatives who fell in a feud». The “honoured” Calabrians are distinguished from the rascals linked to the Camorra. «In the Camorra (…) female figures of criminal importance since the early 1970s have historically played a crucial role in the domestic nucleus, as advisors and custodians of mafia values». Finally, Frustaci focuses on the relationship between honor. « The role of the mother of the justice witness Maria Concetta Cacciola comes to mind. The latter begins to make statements because she wants to change her life, thanks to the romantic relationship she had recently begun and which had opened her eyes. Nostalgia for her children who remained in Calabria, led the witness to call her mother, Anna Rosalba Lazzaro, who played a key role in abandoning the protected area». For the prosecutor, Cacciola's story recalls the case of Saman Abbas . A comparison that the prosecutor of Reggio Emilia Gaetano Paci had also suggested. « The structure of the Abbas family is similar to that of a Calabrian 'ndrina ». A story, which Paci had also mentioned, recalls a justice witness who was a victim of the 'ndrangheta : « Maria Concetta Cacciola, forced by her family in 2011 to swallow hydrochloric acid ». (redazione@corrierecal.it)

A member of the notorious Bellocco clan murdered by an Football Ultra.

Mafia-Linked Murder in Cernusco sul Naviglio: The Killing of Antonio Bellocco by Inter Ultra Leader

https://www.ilmessaggero.it/en/mafi...locco_by_inter_ultra_leader-8333978.html

https://www.lacnews24.it/cronaca/ma...e-dinamiche-criminali-di-mileto-_195615/

Maestrale Trial: The Repentant Bartolomeo Arena and the Criminal Dynamics of Mileto

https://www.corrieredellacalabria.i...-al-business-la-camorra-e-la-ndrangheta/

computer pirates
Fight against the "pezzotto", De Siervo: «The Camorra and the 'Ndrangheta are behind the business»
The CEO of Lega Serie A in an interview with “Il Mattino”. «We would like more teams from the South to enhance the story of the South»
Published: 06/09/2024 – 12:41

ROME The long battle against pirates and the “pezzotto”, the system set up by those who illegally sell access to viewing sporting events through platforms. Sites blocked, servers connected all over the world, links spread and shared via apps and social media. A tangle of fraudulent systems that put at risk the survival of a sport like football, which in Italy moves hundreds of millions of euros every year. In an interview with the newspaper “Il Mattino”, the CEO of Lega Serie A Luigi De Siervo focuses on the phenomenon: « Behind the pirates there is the Camorra, the 'ndrangheta, there is the information Wild West that reigns and outside Italy, there are at least 300 million euros that every year end up in the pockets of organised crime and not football clubs » . The CEO denies a drop in ratings and admits: « The number of matches is exaggerated. But it is not our fault: the matches that we organize as a League are always the same. For years. We have a legal battle underway with FIFA for the Club World Cup. But there is also a discussion underway with UEFA: in just a few years, the number of matches in the new Champions League and national teams has grown dramatically." De Siervo then imagines a South that is a protagonist in the Serie A championship, with too few teams. "We would like more, precisely to enhance the story of a South that wins , that knows how to build and that knows how to shine. There is Napoli, which is one of the big teams, but also Lecce, which has shown its ability to be competitive with its expertise."

https://www.corrieredellacalabria.i...e-gregari-della-ndrangheta-reggina-nomi/

the sentence
“Epicentro”, 10 sentences handed down to members and followers of the Reggio Calabria 'ndrangheta – NAMES
Five acquittals. The trial brings together the investigations “Malefix”, “Metameria” and “Nuovo Corso” which have highlighted the hegemony of the De Stefano clan
Published: 06/09/2024 – 16:28

REGGIO CALABRIA The “Epicentro” trial, held with the ordinary procedure and including the three investigations of the Reggio Calabria DDA “Malefix”, “Metameria” and “Nuovo Corso”, ended with ten convictions and five acquittals . The decision of the collegiate court presided over by judge Silvia Capone arrived in the afternoon. The investigations, in particular, highlighted the criminal hegemony of the De Stefano gang , around which the 'ndrine Tegano, Molinetti, Libri, Condello, Barreca, Rugolino, Ficara, Latella, Zito and Bertuca revolved . Mafia association, extortion and damage are the main accusations made by the Prosecutor's Office led by Giovanni Bombardieri and supported in court by the deputy Walter Ignazitto and the substitute Nicola De Caria. Charges developed thanks to the contribution of collaborators of justice. In the abbreviated appeal trial last July, 44 convictions were handed down with sentences ranging from four years to twenty-one years of imprisonment against members and associates of the most powerful 'ndrangheta clans in Reggio Calabria. ( mr )

The sentences
Domenico Bruno 14 years
Roberto Smeriglio 3 years
Alessio Smeriglio 2 years (probationary)
Salvatore Laganà 15 years
Giuseppe Condello 2 years
Salvatore Giuseppe Molinetti 19 years
Alfonso Molinetti 14 years
Giovanni Domenico Rugolino 30 years (continued)
Alessio D'Agostino 3 years and 4 months
Francesco Minniti 12 years

Acquitted: Maria Carlo, Antonio Esposito, Francesco Vazzana (defended by the lawyer Managò), Timothy Rizzo and Maria Stivilla.

https://www.corrieredellacalabria.i...danne-alla-ndrangheta-destefanocentrica/

the criminal network
Checkmate to the Reggio clans, the trials and convictions of the «destefanocentric» 'ndrangheta
The representatives of the most powerful clans, united by interests and money, were sentenced. "We don't wage wars anymore. There's too much money at stake"
Published: 07/09/2024 – 11:15

REGGIO CALABRIA A "consolidated and common active operational synergy" in a context in which the De Stefano, Tegano, Condello and Libri clans are defined as the "four families" among which the proceeds of extortion imposed on merchants and entrepreneurs in the historic center of Reggio Calabria are divided. Mafia association, extortion and damage are the main accusations brought by the Reggio Calabria Prosecutor's Office against the defendants, many of whom were convicted, during the "Epicentro" trial. The DDA's sights were set on members and associates of the most powerful clans of the Reggio Calabria 'ndrangheta. Three investigations have merged into a single proceeding: born from the " Malefix", "Metameria" and "Nuovo corso" investigations , the maxi-trial "Epicentro" is the continuation of the "Olimpia" and "Meta" trials. Ten convictions in the ordinary trial, five acquittals. In July, the sentence on appeal of the abbreviated trial arrived with 44 convictions and 11 acquittals.
Among the heaviest sentences were those of Carmine De Stefano (20 years), 12 years and eight months for his cousin Giorgio De Stefano , Luigi “Gino” Molinetti (18 years), Paolo De Stefano (9 years), Antonio Libri (18 years), Orazio De Stefano (15 years), Salvatore Giuseppe Molinetti (19 years) Carmine Polimeni (14 years), Donatello Canzonieri (21 years), Domenico Tegano (12 years and 8 months), Filippo Barreca (19 years and 6 months), Domenico Calabrò (18 years), Demetrio Condello (16 years), Giandomenico Condello (14 years and six months), considered the leading exponents of the homonymous mafia 'ndrine.

READ ALSO: “Epicentro”, 10 sentences handed down to members and followers of the Reggio Calabria 'ndrangheta – NAMES

The «destefanocentric» Reggio Calabria 'ndrangheta
The investigations revealed a «destefanocentric» 'ndrangheta. For the DDA, the Archi clan is «the most powerful and authoritative, the one in front of which everyone eventually takes a step back». A criminal hegemony, that of the “De Stefano” clan , around which the 'ndrine Tegano, Molinetti, Libri, Condello, Barreca, Rugolino, Ficara, Latella, Zito and Bertuca revolved . The relationships between the various 'ndrangheta articulations in Reggio Calabria were analyzed in detail in a memorandum filed by the Attorney General at the Court of Appeal of Reggio Calabria as part of the “Epicentro” trial. Over 900 pages that tell the story of the «community management» of criminal affairs, through «a constant dialogue of solidarity and a planned sharing of the 'ndrangheta project by the various Reggio articulations».
A sort of "reductio ad unum ", aimed at a "communal and profitable management of the various claims, headed by the De Stefano family, of recognized superiority in terms of criminal authority, prestige and capacity for dialogue and infiltration of large sectors of society, in the person of Carmine De Stefano ", writes the Reggio Calabria Prosecutor's Office, which outlines the figure of the boss belonging to the historic Archi family and underlines De Stefano's ability to "aggregate around himself the new recruits also coming from other families, including those once opposed in the bloody 'ndrangheta war".

The federation between 'ndrine. «We don't make wars anymore. There's too much money at stake»
The associative structure, the result of the federation between 'ndrine, is proven «by a series of unequivocal demonstrative elements recently acquired in the context of the investigations that have merged into the present proceeding». A proceeding that «has definitively confirmed – in the perspective of the now recognized unitary vocation of the 'ndrangheta – the existence of a federation between the historic mafia families of Reggio , operating in close operational connection with each other and, in any case, all subordinate to the catalyzing predominance of the Archi group, ultimately headed by the boss Carmine De Stefano». The De Stefanos, the Teganos, the Condellos and the Libris, the “four families” among whom the proceeds of the extortion imposed on merchants and entrepreneurs in the historic center of Reggio Calabria are divided. Various points are analyzed in the document, which would demonstrate a «consolidated and common active operational synergy» : the organization of “tables” between the representatives of the various clans; the existence of confidential discussions; the commonality of purpose among the various 'ndrine; the obvious expansion of territorial borders and the possibility for the branches operating in the neighboring neighborhoods to extend their territorial control into nearby areas. Mutual aid and reciprocal assistance among the various 'ndrine, «so that entrepreneurs from their respective territories paid the necessary 'ndrangheta contribution to the representatives of the neighborhoods in which, from time to time, they went to operate». The frequent organization of meetings among the heads of the various branches, «functional to agree on common operating methods and to implement mutual exchanges of information for the joint planning of extortion». «The extension of the 'ndrangheta influence of the Archi clans up to the territory of Villa San Giovanni, in agreement with the historic 'ndrine of the place». «The organization of collections in favor of prisoners of the various 'ndrine, in order to extend the duties of solidarity typical of mafia associations well beyond the narrow circle of associates of each clan». Reconstructions developed also thanks to the contribution of collaborators of justice, among them Maurizio De Carlo. « There is too much money at stake » , he told the magistrates: « Today, wars, doctor, are no longer waged because there is too much money at stake and therefore they prefer to sit down and divide ... ». (m.ripolo@corrierecal.it)

https://mowmag.com/attualita/omicid...eretta-le-scommesse-la-juventus-e-tiktok

Murder of Andrea Bellocco, 'ndrangheta expert Nicaso speaks out. “Serie A increasingly infiltrated”, the curves a business “that should be cleaned up”, and on retaliation, betting and politics...

https://www.lacnews24.it/cronaca/ma...sizione-del-collaboratore-vescio_195729/

Maestrale Trial: weapons and drugs on the Mileto-Lamezia axis in the deposition of the repentant Matteo Vescio

https://www.lasicilia.it/cronaca/il...drangheta-nel-traffico-di-droga-2254475/

The direct line to the narcos of Brazil: this is how the Sicilian mafia tries to undermine the primacy of the 'ndrangheta in drug trafficking
Investigations into the load of pure cocaine seized in the body of water between Catania and Ragusa

Cosa Nostra is trying to return to being the first criminal power in Italy. For decades, in fact, it has been ousted from the mafia primacy by the 'ndrangheta. The secret of Calabrian organized crime is to have its coffers full of billions in drug revenue. The Sicilian bosses, therefore, are trying to compete with their Calabrian "colleagues" - to whom up to now they have paid millions of euros to supply themselves with cocaine - to find direct contacts with the South American drug cartels.
And to oust the 'ndrine, the island's mafiosi may have sought new drug routes, different from those already explored and known. One of these is the one "intercepted" by investigators from the Catania Guardia di Finanza's Gico that connects Brazil to the Mediterranean. Over five quintals of pure cocaine were seized by the military during an operation in the stretch of water between Catania and Ragusa. The military boarded a fishing boat from the Syracuse navy as soon as it brought on board the floating packages abandoned by a cargo ship. Which, according to a series of clues, had left from a Brazilian port several days ago. The Sicilian mafia would naturally have received a part of the "drug booty". The rest would have been sold by the broker - perhaps even a member of Cosa Nostra - who was waiting for the load all over Europe.
Record seizure of 540 kilos of cocaine in the sea between Catania and Ragusa: it would have brought in 100 million euros
The broker
Identifying the broker who had hired the fishermen for the transport and was supposed to receive the cocaine load on Tuesday is now the investigators' priority. The Syracusan fishermen would be simple laborers. Paid by the “token” for the delicate work of recovering the floating packages. It is the most exposed moment of the entire operation, the most risky. And for this reason the profit had to be equated with the risk of ending up behind bars. As it ultimately happened.

The criminal chain was interrupted thanks to the ability of the financiers to anticipate the steps of the drug "ferrymen". The economic loss for the South American cartel was huge. The news of the seizure will have already reached overseas. But when these things happen, communications are prohibited, a wrong move can open a gap to defeat the narcos. In the meantime, the investigators have 100 million euros of cocaine in their hands.
The buyers will be impatient. But even with them there is silence at the moment. And it is in this chain that the mafias could insert themselves: Cosa Nostra and Camorra. Because the 'ndrangheta might not be involved, the Calabrian clans have their direct channels with the cocaine producing countries. And it would be inexplicable why drugs destined for the 'ndrine should end up in the hands of Sicilian fishermen.

Ever closer
Narcos and Cosa Nostra therefore seem to be getting closer and closer. And without intermediaries. A criminal scenario already anticipated last year in the columns of La Sicilia. But which the Palermo prosecutor, Maurizio de Lucia, also spoke about after a record seizure - five tons of cocaine - which took place in July 2023 off the coast of Agrigento aboard a fishing boat that left from Calabria with a crew also made up of Sicilians. The drugs had been brought out to sea on that occasion by the mother ship flying the flag of Palau. The investigators said that they had stolen 850 million euros of illicit profits from the mafia. Nothing like the Financial Act.

But a few months earlier, the same financial police of the Gico of Catania had made another record seizure. That time, however, no boats, but only the waterproof packages that were floating in the waves off the coast of Sicily. When the financial police finished weighing the packages, the scales read 2 tons. The system is called 'drop off': the merchant ship abandons the cargo at sea, a fishing boat picks it up and takes it to its destination. To avoid the many seizures, the narcos would have added the "airborne" control. Perhaps a few days ago something went wrong.
COPYRIGHT LASICILIA.IT © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

https://www.corrieredellacalabria.i...esse-lo-streaming-e-le-mani-sulle-curve/

deflated balls
Football, the sport loved by the 'ndrangheta. Betting, streaming and hands on the Curves
From match-fixing stories to “pezzotto” dealers: the information “wild west” is worth 300 million every year
Published: 08/09/2024 – 10:00
COSENZA Franco Pino was not a fan, but when he was at the top of the Cosenza 'ndrangheta he was allegedly involved in fixing some Cosenza Calcio matches . The circumstance, which emerged in the past, wants the former boss (now repentant) to have intervened to fix the result of two matches : Cosenza-Avellino in 1990 and Cosenza-Pescara in 1994. « The Piromallis evidently had interests in this sense, they asked me to intervene to fix the result ». The alleged intervention of the underworld was however excluded by both parties , both the Cosenza club (at the time of the facts led by Bonaventura Lamacchia) and Pescara were quick to dismantle any hypothesis of "buying and selling the result", underlining the legality of the result and the match. Years later, the episode ended up in the papers of the " Reset " investigation, coordinated by the Catanzaro DDA.

The mafia and the most loved sport by Italians
The circumstance certifies the obvious interest of the mafia, in this case the Cosenza one, in football and the businesses connected to the sport most loved by Italians. Betting, bararinaggio, merchandising, no "service" capable of generating easy and large profits escapes the mafia's tentacles. And there is no doubt that the recent news stories have turned the spotlight back on a relationship that has been at the center of anti-mafia investigations for years. The murder of Antonio Bellocco by Andrea Beretta is a crime that involves two top exponents of Inter's Curva Nord. Bellocco is a scion of the 'ndrangheta clan of the same name, and at the origin of the clash - as Paride Leporace writes in Corriere della Calabria - there would be money coming from ultra material sold to kids from all over Italy, the management of parking lots and the drug market that in Milan has transformed stadium gangs into criminal organizations.

'Ndrangheta and pirates
Sports and especially football live on events, those filmed by the cameras of pay TV giants. Every year, they compete for millions for the rights to broadcast league and cup matches exclusively (or almost) on their respective channels. For years, the Serie A League has declared war on computer pirates and “ pezzotto ” dealers: the system capable of bypassing pay TV subscriptions and guaranteeing “low cost” packages of sporting events. Needless to say, the 'ndrangheta has gotten wind of the deal, also focusing on illegal streaming. The League's CEO, Luigi De Siervo , has raised (in recent days) yet another alarm: « Behind the pirates is the Camorra, the 'ndrangheta , there is the information Wild West that reigns and outside Italy there are at least 300 million euros that every year end up in the pockets of organised crime and not football clubs».

https://www.corrieredellacalabria.i...miliano-chieste-pene-per-oltre-350-anni/

the procedure
'Ndrangheta, “Aspromonte emiliano”: sentences of over 350 years requested
The request to the preliminary investigations judge by the Bologna DDA prosecutor Ceroni against 35 defendants from the Reggio and Crotone clans
Published: 09/09/2024 – 20:36

BOLOGNA Sentences totaling over 350 years in prison, including one to 20 years for Giuseppe Romeo, believed to be the head of the organization . This is what the prosecutor of the Bologna DDA Roberto Ceroni asked the preliminary investigations judge Andrea Salvatore Romito for the 35 defendants who chose the abbreviated procedure in the trial resulting from the “Aspromonte emiliano” operation, which in May 2023 had allowed the dismantling of an organization dedicated to the trafficking of cocaine, hashish and marijuana . This organization included Italians belonging to or close to the Reggio Calabria and Crotone 'ndrangheta and active in Emilia-Romagna, who had direct contact with the Colombian drug cartels, and also Chinese criminals. The defendants are charged, to varying degrees, with the crimes of drug trafficking, money laundering, fictitious registration of assets, kidnapping for the purpose of extortion and weapons, with mafia aggravation , and according to the prosecution the undisputed leader of the criminal organization was Giuseppe Romeo of the 'ndrina of San Luca, a former super fugitive arrested in Spain in 2021 and considered a subject of great criminal importance. The trial will continue with the conclusions of the defense, with the sentence expected to arrive next month.

https://www.lacnews24.it/cronaca/ma...-mafiose-conferite-dai-vibonesi-_195875/

'Ndrangheta
Maestrale Trial: the repentant Cortese, the Serraino clan of Reggio Calabria and the mafia skills conferred by the people of Vibo Valentia
The close ties with members of the Mileto, Zungri, Cessaniti and Vibo Valentia clans in the story of the former regent of the historic Reggio Calabria clan

https://www.lacnews24.it/cronaca/ma...onto-del-collaboratore-accorinti_195959/

'Ndrangheta, the mafia structures in Briatico and the relationships between the various clans in the story of the collaborator Accorinti

https://www.corrieredellacalabria.i...zioni-dello-scioglimento-di-stefanaconi/

the relationship
'Ndrangheta, Solano's reports and direct assignments: the reasons for Stefanaconi's dissolution
The figure of the mayor and the connection with the D'Amicos. Also in the crosshairs are works entrusted to companies "connected with organized crime"
Published: 11/09/2024 – 16:39

VIBO VALENTIA A «direct connection with organized crime» and a relationship of «contiguity» between the mayor Salvatore Solano and his entrepreneur cousins ??Giuseppe and Antonio D'Amico , sentenced to 30 and 18 years respectively in the Petrolmafie trial against the 'ndrangheta of Vibo Valentia. It is a harsh report published by the Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi to justify the dissolution of the municipality of Stefanaconi for mafia infiltration, which took place last July 25. The former mayor, on whom much of the report is focused, was sentenced to one year (with a suspended sentence) in the same trial as his cousins, with the judges who recognized electoral corruption but excluded the aggravating circumstance of mafia, maintaining however in the sentence that Solano was « aware of the methods » with which D'Amico «procured votes» for his election as president of the province.

The Mayor's Connection with the D'Amico Brothers
According to the ministry, there are " concrete, unequivocal and relevant elements " that would demonstrate the connection between the administration and the 'ndrangheta. The judicial investigations would reveal the " explicit support " provided by Giuseppe D'Amico to the mayor Solano "on the occasion of the provincial elections of Vibo Valentia on 31 October 2018", as well as the "dealing with the same of issues relating to the criminal dynamics of the territory". Details emerged from the investigation of the DDA merged into the Petrolmafie trial, in which the entrepreneur Giuseppe D'Amico was intercepted while applying "illegal pressure" to city councilors and mayors to get his cousin to vote. " I just wanted to tell you that the candidate for the Province is my blood cousin " he states in one of the conversations intercepted by the investigators, while in another he would have referred to a photo sent by a mayor to demonstrate his vote. In their sentence, the judges, while excluding the mafia aggravation for Solano, noted " the emotional affinity between today's defendant and the organized crime environment ."

The figure of Solano
The same Prefect in his report had defined the mayor as "indisputably colluding with leading figures of the organized crime in the area", having played a leading role " aimed at favoring and facilitating " exponents linked to the 'ndrangheta. In addition to the criminal proceedings, according to several reports from the Police, Solano "has contraindicated acquaintances, so much so that it is reported that the administrator "is used to associating" with individuals linked to organized crime". Precisely by virtue of these "contraindications" and the small size of the municipality of Stefanaconi "it is undoubted - it is written - that the dominant figure of the mayor, also with respect to the structure, has determined an evident compromise of the smooth running and impartiality of the administration".

Direct assignments to companies "connected to organised crime"
The report then focuses on the activities carried out by the administration, in particular on the 82 direct assignments of works, services and public supplies to companies not present in the wishlist. A number that the prefect Grieco defines as "absolutely disproportionate", especially given that 19 of the companies presented "critical issues of various types", some "close, if not contiguous, to criminal environments ". The report cites the example of a company that had been entrusted with the maintenance of a building, but which was still waiting for the renewal of its registration on the wishlist. The company was shortly thereafter the recipient of an anti-mafia report, with consequent termination of the contract by the Municipality. A situation that was repeated for the works inside a school, for the disposal of bulky waste and for the resurfacing of the road. Elements that, in addition to the relationships with criminal environments that, according to the report, the mayor maintained, led to the dissolution of Stefanaconi. ( Ma.Ru. )

https://www.lacnews24.it/cronaca/ma...-le-motivazioni-della-cassazione_195930/

Life sentence cancelled for Mario Gatto accused of murder, here are the reasons of the Cassation