https://www.corrieredellacalabria.i...onto-del-pentito-ianno-ci-siamo-opposti/offshoot process
«In '98-99 'ndrangheta families wanted to kill a magistrate». The story of the repentant Iannò: «We opposed»
The collaborator of justice: «The old 'ndrangheta was like this, the State was untouchable». «The local 'ndrangheta members are scattered all over the world»
Published: 10/31/2024 – 19:20
ROME « In 98-99 some families had put forward the proposal to touch (kill ed.) a magistrate, but we all opposed it. The 'ndranghetista always avoided going against the State, then things changed from what you read. But the 'ndrangheta said that you should never touch or go against the State, if anything you should conquer it, corrupt it. The old 'ndrangheta was like that ». This was said by the collaborator of justice Paolo Iannò during the “Propaggine” trial underway in Rome, which arose from the operation that shed light on the interests of the 'ndrangheta in the Capital and which sees exponents of the Alvaro gang in the dock. Iannò, affiliated with the Gallico club in Reggio Calabria, arrested in December 2000 and a collaborator of justice since 2002, answering questions from the public prosecutor Giovanni Musarò, spoke about the criminal dynamics surrounding the business of the Reggio Calabria 'ndrangheta, from customs to organization, up to the conflicts represented by the second mafia war . "I got my talents from Domenico Alvaro and Francesco Alvaro, I was taken in by them, I was one of the family, they came to visit me when I was a fugitive", explained Iannò referring to the Sinopoli clan. " The Alvaro family is one of the historic families of the 'ndrangheta, the most powerful, well-known and respected ". "Domenico Alvaro - he added - was the one who guaranteed the maxi peace for the Condello, Imerti, Serraino clan. On our side he guaranteed the maxi peace together with the Nirtas".
The mafia war and the peace
And referring to the role of the Alvaros in the context of the mafia peace, the collaborator of justice recounted the beginning of what was a long trail of blood that began with the killing of Antonino Imerti, cousin of Pasquale Condello and lasted until the very early 90s: «Pasquale Condello was like an uncle to me. He came from Archi and was part of Paolo De Stefano's group, after the car bombing of his cousin there was a rift. The mafia war began in '85 with the death of Imerti, later there was the response with the death of Paolo De Stefano , boss of Reggio Calabria and beyond, who had won the first mafia war against the Tripodi family. Pasquale Condello was his right-hand man». It was « Mico Alvaro who put a stone on the peace of the mafia war», «To participate in the interlocutory meeting in view of the maxi peace we were in the upper part of Sinopoli. We talked about making peace for our women and our children who were tired. The final meeting – Iannò continued – took place in the countryside of Sinopoli».
“ Sons of 'ndrangheta” and “adoptive sons ”
Answering a question from prosecutor Musarò, Iannò explained what he means when he talks about “children of the 'ndrangheta” and “adoptive children”: «Children of the 'ndrangheta are when someone is a 'ndranghetista by family, but it's always a choice, I have a brother who has remained outside of that world. Then there are the boys who approach even though they have no one who is a 'ndranghetista in their family. It was customary for the 'ndranghetisti to baptize their children as soon as they are born, they made them picciotti or giovani d'onore ».
And speaking about the conferral of dowries, Iannò explained: «The family acts as a shield, when there is the name of a known family behind it it is a great guarantee, but then the “merits” of the subjects count». A world from which one cannot escape, as confirmed by other collaborators before him: "One can also take a step back, remain in good order, dormant, and choose to stop for health or family reasons, but one cannot take away one's qualities starting from an insult, an insult can only be removed with death ".
The Plan to Kill a Magistrate
With reference to the decisions taken by the clans, the prosecutor asked the collaborator of justice how those regarding the commission of murders were taken. And Iannò, referring to a period in which he was a fugitive, explained: « In 98-99 some families had put forward the proposal to touch (kill ed.) a magistrate, but we were all opposed ». As recalled by the prosecutor, the collaborator of justice had also spoken about it during a testimony in 2013, with reference to the Zavettieri, Morabito and Paviglianiti families. « The 'ndranghetista - Iannò explained - always avoided going against the State, then things changed from what you read. But the 'ndrangheta said that you should never touch or go against the State, but rather conquer it, corrupt it. The old 'ndrangheta was like that ».
«Ndrangheta locations around the world, from Australia to America»
The collaborator of justice also explained how the 'ndrangheta "locali" are formed, for which authorization from the "mamma", Calabria, is needed: «The final decision is up to all the locals, if there is no one against it, it is done. Permission was requested - the repentant revealed - to form a 'ndrangheta local in Ventimiglia, in Liguria . They had asked for permission and it was granted». « The 'ndrangheta local - he remarked - exists in Australia, in America, from what the old people told me, the 'ndranghetista locals are spread all over the world. Unlike the mafioso and the camorrista, the 'ndranghetista loves to form the local, to have his own territory. The ' ndranghetista loves to take over a territory, he doesn't just think about the business he can make, he loves to say: "I'm here, I'm in charge"». (m.ripolo@corrierecal.it)
