Anti-mafia blitz in Alcamo: 10 arrests, including former senator Papania
PALERMO – Former Democratic Party senator Antonino Papania, 65, founder of the political movement “Via”, ended up in prison on a serious charge. For him, the charge is political-mafia electoral exchange.
The former deputy mayor of Alcamo, Pasquale Perricone, 69 years old, was also arrested: he was allegedly the intermediary between Papania and the Alcamo mafia clan.
They are two of the ten arrested by the Trapani police. The investigation is by the Palermo District Anti-Mafia Directorate. The other suspects are: Savio Gregorio Ascari, 55 years old; Giorgio Benenati, 56 years old; Francesco Coppola, 64 years old; Giosuè DI Gregorio, 54 years old; Salvatore Li Bassi, 66 years old; Antonino Minio, 53 years old; Giuseppe Pipitone, 61 years old and Giuseppe Sciacchitano, 49 years old.
The politician allegedly paid two thousand euros for the clan to support his candidate, Angelo Rocca, for the Sicilian Regional Assembly. It was the 2022 elections. The race for the ARS was not a winner.
The custody order is signed by the president of the Gip office Alfredo Montalto. The mafia family is said to be led by Francesco Coppola.
The investigation revealed who allegedly leads the Calatafimi mafia family and a series of extortions, some carried out and others only attempted.
Among the victims were an entrepreneur from Castellammare del Golfo with interests in the food distribution and real estate sectors , building contractors and car dealers from Alcamo who were allegedly asked for sums of up to 50 thousand euros.
The owner of a riding school , also in Alcamo, was apparently forced to abandon the business following disagreements with a person “protected' by the mafia.
The threat of retaliation allegedly forced a bouncer from Trapani to abandon his job at a commercial establishment in the capital in favor of the son of a well-known criminal.
The investigation finally revealed drug deals in agreement with Albanian wholesalers and the availability of weapons.
