https://www.corrieredellacalabria.i...a-per-le-indagini-sono-piu-furbi-di-noi/clean money
'Ndrangheta, the «people's house» of Gaglianesi and the fear of investigations. «They are smarter than us»
A shack in Mater Domini as the gang's "headquarters". Fear of investigations and extortion of the funeral home
Published: 28/02/2025 – 16:15
CATANZARO A consolidated group, headed by the alleged boss Lorenzo Iiritano , flanked by historical affiliates such as Pietro Procopio and Maurizio Sabato . It was the “uncle” who gave the orders from the Gaglianesi headquarters, a wooden shack surrounded by a large square and located on “a piece of land owned by the municipality” in the Mater Domini neighborhood. There, until late at night, the meetings and gatherings of the gang took place, as demonstrated by the investigations that led to yesterday's operation called Clean Money against the Catanzaro 'ndrangheta. The investigators are reconstructing hierarchies, relationships with other clans and the attempt by the “revived” Gaglianesi 'ndrina to establish itself as the hegemonic gang in the Catanzaro area.
The authority of Iiritano and the "people's house" as headquarters
: After the arrest of the historic boss Girolamo Costanzo, Lorenzo Iiritano, whose authority was recognized by all the members, would have held power. As Maurizio Sabato states, recalling an episode in which, trying to quell a fight over trivial reasons, “uncle” Iiritano «had reduced everyone to silence and peace with a gesture that at the same time served to remind everyone of his power and control». The alleged boss would have taken the knife, then « he stuck it in the middle… for ten minutes no one spoke ». The clan's headquarters was, in fact, the « people's house » in the Mater Domini neighborhood, where meetings were «frequent, intense and crowded», which only decreased when lighting work was done in the neighborhood, near where the video surveillance camera had been positioned, probably «found or identified» so as to have alerted all the frequenters of the shack.
Fear of investigations
Attention to the control systems of the police forces also determined by the constant " fear of investigations ". "Beware of this f****** phone" Pancrazio Opipari, arrested, is said to have said in a conversation, recommending to use the cell phone as little as possible for fear of interceptions. Opipari is also said to have recommended to use at least as much cryptic language as possible which " could have been suspicious, because they (the police, ed.) are smarter than us ". The constant fear of investigations imposed strict rules on the gang for every type of illicit action, which before being carried out had to be submitted to the higher levels. An example of this is a series of intimidating acts carried out against two funeral homes in Catanzaro Lido. It is always Opipari who reprimands one of the subjects involved, underlining that "such an action cannot be carried out without a prior activation of the group rules", that is, to warn the "superiors" before carrying it out. "There are those f****** steps, you understand? The ranks», he would have said, claiming «a criminal hierarchy to be respected before moving on the territory».
Extortion of the funeral home
The same intimidation would have irritated the clan because it risked altering the structure that «the clan had created in the business sector of funeral services». The episode shows the imposition of a bribe to funeral services companies to «take a mortucedu», or «celebrate a funeral in the Gagliano neighborhood». An extortion worth 600 euros in total for a single rite celebrated. For this reason, the intimidating acts risked «clashing with this agreement between the group and the company, which could have complained of having suffered the extortionate demand, despite having paid what was “due” to the clan». A situation that ends with the associate's “apology” to the company for the mistake made. ( ma.ru. )
