Is the Mafia Still Powerful in Italy?
Even people who have never been to Italy have probably heard of Italy’s infamous mafia organised crime groups. Just how powerful are Italy’s mafia groups today?
Sicilian Mafia – More Businesses in Palermo Say No to the Pizzo
Seven years ago, I wrote about businesses in Palermo, Sicily that were refusing to pay ‘pizzo’ extortion money to the Sicilian mafia. How is the situation today? Well, to find out, I spoke to Giusy Galluzzo of Addiopizzo, an organization that is working to end mafia extortion in Palermo. Ms Galluzzo told me that Addiopizzo is […]
Communion and Liberation – An Unholy Italian Organisation?
Every year as summer draws to a close, Italy’s media fills with reports of two major meetings. One is the Meeting for friendship among peoples and the other is the Ambrosetti Forum. Both are attended by Italian and international movers and shakers. Usually, Italy’s prime ministers make an appearance at these meetings too. This year, 2014, Italy’s latest […]
Italy’s Mafia Issue – Is Mafia Power Growing or Falling?
Is the mafia still a problem for Italy? The Berlusconi government claimed it seized a record number of mafia assets and arrests of mafia bosses do seem commonplace. However, reports of the mafia infiltrating Italy’s local councils and of councils being dissolved because of mafia control pop up in Italy’s press regularly too. Preparations for […]
Brindisi School Bomb Tragedy
Today a bomb went off outside a high school in the city of Brindisi, Puglia in southern Italy. One sixteen year old girl has been killed, others have been injured. Reports are coming though that one girl has died and another eight or so pupils have been injured, one seriously. Sadly, death toll may have […]
The Mafia Moves into Milan
While the mafia has long been associated with Italy’s poorer southern regions and Sicily, there is now strong evidence to suggest that the tentacles of organized crime in Italy have well and truly penetrated Italy’s economic powerhouse – Milan. This penetration has occurred slowly and silently, but has not gone unnoticed. Writer of mafia expose […]
Italy’s Parliament: A Safe Haven for Criminals?
Today Italy’s parliament voted against the arrest of one Marco Milanese, a member of parliament who Italy’s upholders of law and order would very much like to put away. Milanese stands accused of corruption, passing on state secrets, interfering with appointments within Italy’s Guardia di Finanza tax police, accepting gifts including a Ferrari, a boat, […]
Video of Mafia at Work in Naples, Italy
This is shocking video footage. What you will see is young mafia members, for that’s what they most probably are, dumping rubbish on the streets of Naples in Italy. Where are the police? Who knows. Looks as if they are too frightened to intervene. And Italy’s government? How the heck can they let something like […]
Italian Mafia Moves North
There have been a growing number of reports in Italy’s press on Italian mafia operations expanding into Italy’s north. Traditionally, Italy’s infamous organized crime syndicates did their dirty work predominantly in Italy’s south, or at least that was the stereotypical impression one got. For those not living in Italy, I suspect that the whole of Italy […]