‘Ndrangheta “maxi-trial” aims to give 322 defendants 5,000 years in prison.
Hundreds of alleged members of the ‘Ndrangheta and their white-collar collaborators face sentencing this week following a historic, nearly three-year trial.
Prosecutors have asked for 5,000 years worth of prison sentences for 322 defendants, who bear nicknames like “The Wolf,” “Fatty,” “Sweetie,” and “Lamb Thigh” and are accused of a variety of offenses.
Based in the poor southern region of Calabria, the ‘Ndrangheta is Italy’s wealthiest and most powerful criminal organization, which has a near-monopoly on the European cocaine trade.
While it has expanded to now operate in more than 35 countries, back home the ‘Ndrangheta has exerted pressure on the local economy and infiltrated public institutions.
Since January 2021, three judges in Calabria have heard thousands of hours of testimony — including from dozens of mobsters turned state’s witness — about the Mancuso clan and its associates, which control the province of Vibo Valentia.
“It’s an important trial because it targets one of the most powerful ‘Ndrangheta families based in Calabria, with international ramifications,” mafia expert Antonio Nicaso told AFP.
The sentences could come this week.
Uncovering Secrets
The trial’s most colourful testimony came from more than 50 former mafia operatives turned state’s witnesses — including Luigi Mancuso’s nephew, Emanuele.
They recounted long-buried secrets, from weapons hidden in cemetery chapels and ambulances used to transport drugs, to municipal water supplies diverted to weed crops.
Those who opposed the mafia discovered dead puppies, dolphins or goat heads on their doorsteps, torched cars or smashed up storefronts.
Less lucky ones were beaten or shot — or their bodies were never found.
The courtroom is a former call center converted to accommodate hundreds of lawyers, outfitted with more than 20 television screens piping in images of incarcerated defendants and informants by video link.
Source / original article: https://www.macaubusiness.com/hundreds-of-mobsters-face-hard-time-after-italian-maxi-trial/
