Anti-mafia blitz between Villaseta and Porto Empedocle, 19 arrests made

AGRIGENTO – Blitz in Agrigento. The Carabinieri of the Investigative Unit, under the command of Colonel Vincenzo Bulla, carried out a new operation this morning against the mafia clans of Villaseta and Porto Empedocle. The operation represents the natural development of the twenty-four arrests made less than a month ago. There are fifty-one suspects. Thirty-six of them have been ordered to be held in prison, while another fifteen have been ordered to be held in house arrest.

The provision is signed by the investigating judge of the Palermo court, Antonella Consiglio, at the request of the deputy prosecutor Sergio Demontis and the substitutes Claudio Camilleri, Giorgia Righi and Luisa Bettiol. The charges – in various capacities – are mafia-style criminal association, criminal association aimed at drug trafficking, extortion, possession of weapons. Many of the suspects are already in prison because they were reached, just three weeks ago, by a precautionary measure.

https://livesicilia.it/blitz-antimafia-tra-villaseta-e-porto-empedocle-scattano-19-arresti/

Coup against Barcellona clan, 15 arrests in police raid

The crimes range from mafia-type criminal association, extortion, embezzlement to theft of seized property. 150 agents have been on the scene since dawn

Since the first light of dawn, the State Police of Messina, as part of an operation against the Barcellona organized crime, has been executing a precautionary custody order signed by the investigating judge of the Messina court, at the request of the DDA, against 15 people.

The elements acquired have revealed the existence and operation of a well-structured criminal group, of mafia origin, dedicated to the crimes of extortion, embezzlement, fraudulent transfer of values, violation of public custody of things and theft of things subject to seizure, committed with the aggravating circumstance of the mafia method and purpose, through the illicit management of a company, based in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, in the sector of solid urban waste disposal, special waste disposal and vehicle demolition.

For the judicial police operations, coordinated by the local police station and the Flying Squad of the Messina Police Headquarters, approximately 150 State Police officers are employed, including personnel from the Flying Squads of Palermo, Catania, Syracuse, Enna and Vibo Valentia; from the SISCO of Palermo, Catania and Messina; from the Crime Prevention Unit "Eastern Sicily"; from the Dog Unit of the Vibo Valentia Police Headquarters; from the PS Police Stations of the province of Messina.

https://www.rainews.it/tgr/sicilia/...ddb1b2c-1850-4bfa-9685-543dfa54993a.html

among the arrested Salvatore Virgillito, president of the Catania accountants; he was the judicial administrator of a waste company confiscated 13 years ago, but still de facto controlled by the mafia clan headed by Domenico Ofria

Anti-mafia operation in Siracusa, police arrested 22 members of the Bottaro-Attanasio clan on charges of mafia-type association, drug trafficking, illegal possession of weapons and other crimes

https://www.corrieredellacalabria.i...ne-relazioni-illecite-con-la-ndrangheta/

THE RELATIONSHIP
Cosa Nostra "maintains illicit relations with the 'ndrangheta"
The President of the Court of Appeal of Palermo: «It retains the capacity to infiltrate economic and social sectors»
Published: 24/01/2025 – 18:49

“The investigations and subsequent trials of recent years have been able to highlight how Cosa Nostra has remained perfectly active, with ever new contacts for its needs to control the territory and, above all, has continued to maintain its old mafia rules by quickly and unscrupulously reconstituting the top management whenever the previous ones have been arrested and tried”. This is stated in the report of the president of the Court of Appeal of Palermo, Matteo Frasca, on the occasion of the inauguration of the Judicial Year scheduled for tomorrow. The criminal presence of the mafia is “still particularly active and economically flourishing today”. With reference to the structures that operate in the provinces of Agrigento and Trapani, “the most recent investigations have proven the extraordinary activity and solidity of the connection with the Palermo mafia structure. These investigations have made it possible to discover the mafia nature of certain criminal phenomena that were previously underestimated and, furthermore, to grasp the connections existing between local mafia-style crime and the various territorial economic and political-administrative realities”. Cosa nostra “not only maintains important and very frequent illicit relations with other mafia-type criminal organizations, such as the ndrangheta, but at the same time maintains the ability to infiltrate economic and social sectors with clear connections to public procurement, ecomafia, the illicit management of community funds, the control of large-scale distribution and all those mechanisms that allow the mafia consortium to obtain positions of favor in the economic and financial market, polluting and impoverishing the resistant and parallel legal market”. “The strong development of drug trafficking”, a channel of “very flourishing profits for the mafia organization that draws daily sustenance and enrichment from this illicit trade”, is of great alarm.

Former Boss Nino Mandalà: Rehabilitated Without Collaborating
Giuseppe Cirillo January 28, 2025

The court accepts the appeal of the man, once close to Bernardo Provenzano: "Distant from his criminal past"
The Palermo surveillance court has accepted the appeal of former boss Nino Mandalà , who will turn 86 in a few months. Sentenced on appeal to eight years in prison on charges of being the mafia boss of Villabate, Mandalà has now been rehabilitated. This recognition marks the return to society for the former Cosa Nostra boss - founder and president of one of the first Forza Italia clubs in Sicily - with all the legal and civic implications of the case. This despite the fact that he has never collaborated with justice. For the judging panel, presided over by Luisa Leone , Mandalà has demonstrated a definitive detachment from his criminal past. According to the judges, in fact, the former boss, considered to be among the closest to Bernardo Provenzano , has taken concrete actions to reintegrate into society:

https://www.antimafiaduemila.com/ho...-riabilitato-senza-aver-collaborato.html

The return of the old bosses released from prison, 19 arrests for mafia in Palermo

PALERMO (ITALPRESS) – A severe blow to the Uditore-Passo di Rigano mafia mandamento in Palermo. Agents of the State Police Flying Squad and the Sisco, on behalf of the District Anti-Mafia Directorate of the Prosecutor's Office, have executed a precautionary custody order against 19 suspects, 17 of whom are in prison and 2 under house arrest, held responsible in various capacities for mafia-style association, aggravated extortion, fictitious registration of assets and other related crimes. The operation is part of a broader investigative context initiated with the coordination of the Palermo DDA on the Uditore-Passo di Rigano mandamento and has seen the involvement, among the recipients of the precautionary measure, of top figures of the mafia gang who have already emerged in past investigations as men of honor belonging to the Corleone wing of Cosa Nostra. In particular, during the course of this investigation, the will of some of the suspects, after having served a period of detention, to consolidate their positions of power within the gang also emerged through the control and management, within the district, of productive activities linked in particular to the construction sector. In this business logic, the return to the current criminal structures of a mafia exponent, a leading figure in the historical dynamics of Cosa Nostra, was recorded, who was particularly active in the reorganization of a qualified relational network with the aim of reaffirming his own strength and interference, but also with the aim of sharing the economic benefits of the aforementioned entrepreneurial initiatives. In fact, from the investigative acquisitions, sporadic meetings at hospitality venues were documented with the aim of establishing and consolidating relationships with Sicilian exponents of political and business life. In this regard, periodic meetings have also been documented between some of the recipients of this precautionary measure, which took place inside an agricultural estate in the Passo di Rigano area, in a highly confidential manner aimed at comparing the state of the mafia association. On this occasion, the investigators learned that there is a guarantee agreement between the suspects for a large debt accrued in the past in favor of another historic mafioso who served a life sentence and committed massacres in the same area, now in a harsh prison regime. In the investigative line traced among the various extortion hypotheses attributable to the investigated mafia organization, reference is made to the pressure exerted by the association in order to guarantee control of the production activities in the construction sector, favoring the companies connected to entrepreneurs who are associates of the current precautionary measure. In the same investigative context, circumstantial evidence has also been acquired against some new members, associates of the same mafia group, active in extortion practices,as well as key figures in some particularly profitable business initiatives for the aforementioned criminal group. Among these, the company, AC Milano, which managed the Notre Club nightclub, where, since its inauguration, several episodes of violence have occurred, culminating also, on December 21, 2023, with the murder of a 22-year-old, Rosolino Celesia. During the operation, the investigators also proceeded with the preventive seizure of real estate and businesses, including company shares, as well as bank accounts attributable, in various capacities, to the suspects for an estimated value of approximately 10 million euros.

among the arrested the bosses of Uditore-Passo di Rigano mandamento Franco Bonura, Agostino Sansone e Girolamo Buscemi

Mafia 4.0: Don Ciotti in Trapani, "The Mafia is Stronger Today" https://www.tp24.it/immagini_artico...trapani-la-mafia-oggi-e-piu-forte-parte- 1.jpg

" The mafia is stronger ," thunders Don Ciotti, founder of Libera, shaking the consciences of those present. No longer just shotguns and coppolas, but white collars, technology and an aura of normality: the mafia has evolved, becoming more devious and dangerous.

As Trapani prepares to welcome the river of citizens who will march to shout "No to the Mafia", Don Ciotti launches a warning that goes beyond the commemoration. The Mafia is not a memory of the past, but a living and present reality, which nests in the nodes of the economic and political system.

" The mafias are no longer what they were yesterday - warns Don Ciotti - Artificial intelligence has already become criminal intelligence ", he states, painting a disturbing picture in which criminal organizations exploit new technologies to increase their power. No longer just drug trafficking and extortion, but infiltration into the financial world, the legal economy and politics.

" The mafia has become normalized ," Don Ciotti denounces. It hides behind unsuspecting faces, apparently legal businesses and " widespread, disenchanted and pragmatic " relationships with politics. An invisible enemy that moves in the shadows, undermining the foundations of society. " It is the same entrepreneurs in difficulty who go to the mafias to ask for help ," Don Ciotti reveals, revealing a perverse mechanism that fuels criminal power.



An alarming fact confirms the strength of the mafia: " 80% of the relatives of innocent victims of the mafia do not know the truth ." Omertà, fear and widespread complicity create a wall of silence that protects criminals and prevents justice from being done.

Don Ciotti does not limit himself to reporting, but launches an appeal for everyone's responsibility: citizens, institutions and law enforcement. " We must raise our voices, get busy and have more knowledge - he urges - We must become aware that the mafias are strong and that their business and their power have not disappeared ".

March 21, in Trapani, will not only be a day of commemoration, but an opportunity to reflect on the new mafia and to find new strategies to combat it. " Let's mobilize our associations, let's mobilize everyone! ", is Don Ciotti's invitation. " Let's make our voices heard and show that Trapani is a land that wants to free itself from the mafia ."

Don Ciotti's words on Messina Denaro and on Sodano and Linares open a window on a complex and often contradictory reality. On the one hand, the capture of the mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro after 30 years of being a fugitive represents an important success for the State and a sign of hope in the fight against the mafia. On the other, Don Ciotti's reflections raise doubts and questions on the real extent of this success and on the State's ability to effectively combat the mafia phenomenon.

Messina Denaro: Beyond the Lovers, the Truth

Don Ciotti invites us to go beyond the morbid curiosity for the private aspects of Messina Denaro's life, such as his lovers, and to focus on the fundamental questions: where did his capital go? How were his business affairs managed? Who protected him during his long period as a fugitive? " These people don't talk, these people regenerate ," accuses Don Ciotti, underlining the ability of the mafia to reorganize and adapt even after the blows inflicted by the State.

The capture of Messina Denaro must not be a point of arrival, but a point of departure for a new phase in the fight against the mafia, a phase that requires greater commitment, transparency and the will to shed light on all the grey areas that still surround the mafia phenomenon.

Sodano and Linares: the shadow of complicity

Don Ciotti recalls the case of the prefect Sodano and the Trapani mobile squad led by Giuseppe Linares, who in the 90s distinguished themselves for their commitment in the fight against the mafia, but who encountered obstacles and resistance within the state apparatus itself. " They were chased out by superior order ", denounces Don Ciotti, alluding to possible complicities and cover-ups that Messina Denaro would have enjoyed during his time as a fugitive.

These words cast a disturbing shadow on the State's ability to effectively combat the mafia, and raise questions about the presence of deviant elements within the institutions. The fight against the mafia cannot ignore a profound cleansing and regeneration of the State, which must free itself from every form of connivance and corruption.

A Call for Responsibility

Don Ciotti's reflections on Messina Denaro and on Sodano and Linares are a warning not to lower our guard and not to be satisfied with partial successes. The fight against the mafia requires constant commitment and a deep reflection on the State's ability to effectively combat this phenomenon. Don Ciotti concludes his speech with an appeal to everyone's responsibility: citizens, institutions and law enforcement. Only by joining forces and acting with transparency and determination will it be possible to defeat the mafia and build a future of justice and legality.

ambush in the town of Vittoria (Ragusa), Angelo Ventura, 39, with criminal records and linked to the Ventura clan of the Stidda, was shot dead with a rifle

i disagree, the mafia is clearly weaker than 1980s

I would agree with Italian politicians who deal with the Mafia on a daily basis over some chump on a forum.

according to the DIA Cosa Nostra is weaker than the past, if any organization in Italy is stronger now than in the past, I would say the Ndrangheta

The Mafia is now more business-like, white collar. Like Falcone said follow the money trail.

Exactly Hollander, the Ndrangheta overtaking Cosa Nostra has been way overstated. Numerous operations show Cosa Nostra, Camorra, and Ndrangheta clans working together, neck-to-neck, nobody's dominating anybody. Asset seizures alone show that they're playing with far more money than the 1980s.

Don't forget Messina Denaro was dealling with IKEA, Frank Cali with Nestlé many more and tobacco smugglers have links to the major tobacco companies. In Melbourne is a tobacco war going on because of the high prices there.

Yes you can't compare the 80's to 2025. Times has changed.

Exactly bud, the Mafia will never be defeated. Fuck the government.

No group ever will reach the power Sicilian mafia had back in 1980's , connections with P2 that went all the way to Vatican. None had dared not to pay pizzo, now its very different times.

It's not all about pizzo now, some of you are still stuck in the past, old-school Cosa Nostra. Times are way different now. Their political, business, and financial ties are stronger now. Pizzo was always more about territorial control anyway, it wasn't where the big money is. They are far more sophisticated now, as Don Ciotti clearly stated and he's far from the only one.

Extortion and threats, violence is not the way to go anymore I agree that only cause resentment among the civilians.

Hey Strax how are you doing? Any news on Sreten Jocic ?

killing with impunity is a demonstration of strength and this is almost no longer possible today, the anti-mafia laws today are much stronger, the pressure of the police forces too, there are many repentants, and even relations with politics are at a local level, Andreotti's days are over...

the overtaking of the Ndrangheta lies in the fact that it has greater control of drug trafficking and that it is more expanded nationally and internationally, Cosa Nostra was hit hard from the early 1990s and this caused a crisis, according to John Dickie a deep crisis; regarding confiscated assets in the past the laws were much more lenient and in any case the mafia bosses were very rich thanks to international heroin trafficking, contracts etc.

here is an interesting article by John Dickie from 2012 on the state of the mafias in Italy

John Dickie on the Italian Mafia
The biggest Italian mafias remain powerful. The author of Mafia Brotherhoods says it's not all in the family

https://www.salon.com/2012/06/18/john_dickie_on_the_italian_mafia_salpart/

In some ways I'm more impressed with today's Mafia, but in other ways, I'm more impressed with yesterday's Mafia. The political corruption does seem to be more localized. In many instances, that's all you need. But I've seen cases to suggest that they have political and business contacts all over the place, in different regions far from their home base, even in different countries. I don't think they have the same level of "invincibility" anymore, they're definitely not seen as untouchable like they were. But as far as business I'd say it's good.

Bro...respectfully.... you don't have to listen to "a chump on the foums". That "chump" keeps up with all the latest DIA reports. This shit is out the mouth of Italian LE.

Sometimes yall can be a little catty.....

Another thing, you can't be a global criminal power extorting LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES. Like Dicke points out, they can always come up with seed/investment money because they can collect protection. But that's not taking you to global heights and all that....

The flow of drugs is at an all-time high, technology (remember the first computers in the 80s lol), online gambling, crypto and many other money makers they didn't have that in the 1980s. C'mon it's a different/smaller world now. Criminals are also one step beyond LE now.
One push on a button and million dollars are transferred around the world.

Cosa Nostra has always extorted local municipalities, at no point in its existence did it not. Even in the 1980s when it was a global powerhouse as some of you like to claim.

There are plenty of post-2010 articles that show that Cosa Nostra has global reach and assets all over the world. As far as reports from the DIA and other Italian law enforcement groups, they all contradict each other. They can't make their minds up. One moment they're saying it's weakened if not dead the next it's a sophisticated, global, invisible criminal monster.

That's the problem with these overly-generalized claims and exaggerations, nothing is ever true across the board. Which is why it's best to focus on the mob on a case-by-case basis. They like to talk about the Ndrangheta being the most powerful crime syndicate, but not every Ndrangheta clan is powerful. Some are barely past the status of a street gang. Others are immensely powerful.

You have articles like this:

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/a...mafia-is-expanding-in-white-collar-crime

And this:

https://www.bluewin.ch/en/news/inte...revenue-as-top-corporations-2486861.html

Make up your minds.

if on the one hand there are more earning opportunities for criminals, on the other the law enforcement have also evolved and with today's techniques it is easier to solve cases