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'Ndrangheta, the Raso murder and the escape to Milan of Pino “U lupu”. The informer: «Uncle Luigi lent him 70 thousand euros to start again»
Pasquale Megna's stories to the PMs of the Catanzaro DDA. "Giovanni Mezzodente explained to me that he had sent two Romanians to punish the Di Capua brothers"
Published: 02/16/2025 – 6:49
VIBO VALENTIA «Some time ago I heard Domenico Cupitò, known as “Pignuni”, and my father, while they were talking to Antonio Mancuso, son of Peppe 'Mbrogghia, that Giuseppe Albanese, known as Pino “U lupu”, wanted to take over the guardianships in Nicotera Marina. I witnessed this conversation around 2003/2004, when Operation Dynasty had already been carried out. The Raso family, at the time referred to in the story, had the guardianships of the lands in the Nicotera area». The person speaking is the collaborator of justice, Pasquale Megna (born in '85), in front of the prosecutors of the Catanzaro DDA. The minutes have now also been acquired in the Rinascita-Scott appeal trial.
The Murder of Giovanni Raso
Among the many topics brought up by Megna, there is also the murder of Giovanni Raso. «“Pignuni” – he said – said that Pino “u lupu”, after his arrest for the murder of Giovanni Raso, wanted to sing it and said to Antonio Mancuso: ”thank goodness they immediately freed him because, otherwise, he would have sung it and certainly ruined your father” , referring to Peppe 'Mbrogghia». And, the repentant still recalls, «while “Pinguni” was saying these words, my father nodded and nodded because he in turn was aware of these events». In Pasquale Megna's story to the prosecutors, "Pignuni" allegedly stated, to the best of his knowledge, that Pino "u lupu" had accompanied Giovanni Raso to the place where I was later murdered and "that Giovanni Raso's mother herself had accused him because Pino "u lupu" had been the last person her son had left the house with". Furthermore, "I heard them say that, after Giovanni Raso's death, it was Pino "u lupu" himself who took over the guardianship of the Nicotera lands that were previously managed by the Raso family". "I can't say who then physically killed Giovanni Raso" the repentant reiterated but "I certainly heard "Pignuni" say that Pinu "u lupu" had accompanied him to the place of the murder and that it was a good thing he had been released from prison immediately, otherwise he would have sung and ruined his father". "Shortly after Giovanni Raso's death, his uncle, whose name I can't say, but I know he's called "the Vampire", was also killed in Rosarno." "I know that the murder dates back to before I was born and I also know that Giovanni Raso's body was found in a well in a field in the countryside. I can't say if there was a trial, I only know that Pino "u lupu", after his arrest, was immediately released from prison."
The escape to Milan of Pino “u lupu”
The investigators’ questions to the repentant Megna focus, in particular, on the figure of Giuseppe Albanese, Pino “u lupu”. “Since he returned to Nicotera Marina,” he said, “I know that he is with his uncle Luigi. First they had sent him away and he had moved to Milan, I remember that the fact dates back to shortly after Luni “Scarpuni” had become engaged to my aunt Tita Buccafusca , but I cannot say why he was kicked out of Nicotera Marina but I only know that my uncle “Scarpuni” had kicked him out.” And again: “Since Albanese returned to Nicotera he was with uncle Luigi, I know because my friend Leo Lentini had to recover some money that belonged to uncle Luigi. Leo told me that Albanese had received 70 thousand euros from uncle Luigi when he returned to Calabria to start over, to “restart”. And so he had to give him back this money. Therefore, Albanese had put a piece of land he owned up for sale to recover this money.” Regarding the land, the repentant clarified: «I know that before the murder I committed, the land had been sold in two parts: a first piece had been purchased by a saleswoman who works at my fish shop and then Albanese sold the other piece, larger with a little house on it, to Domenico DI Capua's children, Giuseppe and Lisa, but I don't know which of the two he sold it to and who registered it in his name».
The Romanians' attack on the bar in Nicotera Marina
Still on the subject of Albanese, Pasquale Megna told the prosecutors other episodes that allegedly involved him. «There was a fight in a bar in Nicotera Marina, where two Romanians who worked for Giovanni Rizzo “Mezzodente” had pulled out knives and attacked the brothers Carlo Di Capua and Salvatore Di Capua, because some time ago these two brothers had had a fight or at least there had been some heated words with Pino “u lupu”, then I learned from Giovanni “Mezzodente” that he had sent these two Romanians». However, as Salvatore Zungri also told me, these two Romanians killed Salvatore Di Capua because they had him under them and Salvatore Zungri himself had managed to take the knife out of their hands, while one of the two Romanians who had him under them and was holding him by the hair was about to cut his neck». «It was “Mezzodente” who told me that he had sent them. These two Di Capua brothers got drunk and always created trouble: because of one of them, Carletto, I had the problem that led me to commit the murder of Giuseppe Muzzupappa". ( g.curcio@corrierecal.it )
