Organized crime: Robert Moracchini, "founding member" of the Sea Breeze, murdered in Bastia city center
By Antoine Gianniniagiannini@corsematin.com

Published on 03/29/25 at 08:44 - Updated on 03/29/25 at 19:42

Robert Moracchini, one of the founders of La Brise de mer, was shot dead this Saturday morning, March 29, in Bastia.

CHRISTIAN BUFFA

Robert Moracchini, 65, described by police as one of the pillars of the Brise de Mer criminal gang, was murdered shortly before 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 29, in the city center of Bastia. The Marseille Interregional Specialized Jurisdiction (Jirs) has taken charge of the investigation.
Robert Moracchini, 65, was murdered on the morning of Saturday, March 29, in the city center of Bastia.

He was presented by the justice and police services as one of the founding members of the Sea Breeze criminal gang, which ruled the island's banditry for nearly thirty years.

Robert Moracchini had not been heard of since the late 2000s and the wave of murders that decimated the criminal gang. He had been a shopkeeper in Bastia for many years, notably running a tobacco shop, and in May 2023 became the first Corsican to have climbed Everest.

The shooter(s) are still at large. "At this stage, we can only report the death of an individual known to the judicial authorities (...) and the opening of an investigation ," said Jean-Philippe Navarre, Bastia's public prosecutor. This is the fifth settling of scores in Corsica since January. It's a particularly deadly start to the year despite a citizen mobilization against violence and the mafia in early March in Ajaccio (Corsica).

It's getting crazy in Corsica right now.

Highest murder rate per capita in Europe and they're all Mob murders. Meanwhile, Corsica has the lowest petty criminal rate in France. That's how you we're dealing with a real Mafia here.

That's the founding members of the infamous "Brise de Mer" crew which ran the Corsican Mafia and dominated the Mob in France for several decades.

Most of them have been killed in internal vendettas. Robert Moracchini, the guy who was killed yesterday, is in the upper right.

I always found the Corsican Mob to be an interesting bunch.

Good post.

With "eighteen homicides and sixteen attempted homicides" in 2024 for 355,000 inhabitants – the equivalent of the population of Nice – Corsica is "at the national forefront in this area ," the Prefect of Corsica, Jérôme Filippini, recently recalled.

Curious about the role of powerful Charles Pieri who brokered deals between feuding parties in the past.

And there's no rats.

Based on those statistics, it must feel like a constant bloodbath on the island.

Not yet !

28 February 2025
France’s Justice Minister, Gérald Darmanin, has announced a crackdown on mafia networks operating in Corsica, marking a major shift in the French state policy.

Speaking to the Corsica National Assembly on February 27, Darmanin declared what he called a “revolution in state action” against organised crime on the island.

Darmanin’s acknowledgement of the reality of mafia influence in Corsica stunned local leaders.

To dismantle the mafia’s grip on the island, the government is deploying new tools.

A specialised judicial unit will be established in Bastia, staffed with handpicked prosecutors and judges. This unprecedented structure will operate alongside the newly created National Anti-Organised Crime Prosecution Service (PNACO), which will bring together 60 magistrates when it launches in January 2026.

The Ajaccio and Bastia courts will also see reinforcements, with 50 additional judicial personnel, including 17 magistrates, set to strengthen the island’s legal firepower.

Meanwhile, a new territorial criminal law directive will make tackling drug trafficking and money laundering a priority on the island.

Although initially pleased with the shift, faced with this new measure, Corsica Regional President Simeoni remained cautious.

“‘The increase in organised crime and mafia aberrations throughout France, Europe, the world and Corsica requires and justifies adapting the legislative arsenal. We want this adaptation and reinforcement to be carried out with strict respect for individual freedoms and fundamental liberties,” he said.

The French Justice Minister was alongside Italian MEP Leoluca Orlando, known for his strong opposition to the Sicilian Mafia.

Orlando stressed the responsibility of the local political class in Corsica.

The announcement comes in the wake of the assassination of Chloé Aldrovandi, gunned down in a suspected mafia ambush on February 15 in Ponte-Leccia.

The killing was one of many in Corsica’s long history of gangland violence.

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau also vowed quick and decisive action from the state.

In an interview with a Corsican newspaper on February 27, he stated: “The hand of the State will not tremble.”

He emphasised that the fight against organised crime is now a national cause, warning that Corsican mafia activity poses a threat not just to the island but to the entire country.

And still Corsica is one of the best tourist destinations in Southern Europe.

No doubt about that. Its a magical place -- steeped in legend and antiquity.

Yep.