In the greatest mob bust in years, Italy
opened a huge trial linked to the powerful âNdrangheta crime syndicate in the southern region of Calabria on Wednesday.
The details. The âNdrangheta â headed by the infamous Mancuso family â are one of the worldâs most powerful drug-trafficking syndicates, controlling over
80% of Europeâs cocaine trade.
A
study by the Demoskopika Research Institute found the syndicate is richer than Deutsche Bank and McDonalds combined, bringing home an annual revenue of $55bn.
But the âNdrangheta has surpassed the traditional realm of drug trafficking, using shell companies to reinvest illegal gains in the legitimate economy. Federico Varese, criminologist at Oxford University,
says the mob infiltrates every area of life in Calabria:
âIf you want to open a shop, if you want to build anything, you have to go through them. They are the authority.âÂ
Whoâs on trial? 325 people. At a pre-trial hearing, it took over three hours to read the names of all the defendants. The list includes leaders of the âNdrangehta, national politicians, civil servants and white collar professionals. The most high profile defendant is 66-year-old clan leader Luigi Mancuso, nicknamed âThe Uncleâ.
Prosecutors are hoping the trial, codenamed Rinascita (âRebirthâ), will untangle an intricate web of crime - including murder, extortion, money laundering and drug trafficking.
THE TAKEAWAY
Historic. This is the most far-reaching action against a criminal organization in Italy since the Sicilian mafia trials in the â80s. Those same trials that led to the Sicilian mafiaâs decline helped clear the way for the 'Ndranghetaâs rise.
Looking ahead⊠the prosecutionâs biggest obstacle is âsnitches get stitches.â Theyâre hoping having a high-profile trial will encourage witnesses to come forward and break the culture of silence surrounding the âNdrangheta.
The star witness so far is Emanuele Mancuso, nephew of mob boss Luigi, whoâs been revealing the clanâs secrets under police protection. Heâs set to testify against his uncle.
Also under police protection is the chief prosecutor, Nicola Graterri. Despite several plots to kill him, Gratteri remains undeterred in his
aim:
- âTo make more livable a region that has been martyrized for over a decade.â