'Ndrangheta

'Ndrangheta

'Ndrangheta's structure
Founding location Calabria, Italy
Years active 1860s – present[1]
Territory Based in Calabria; active in all Italy, with worldwide ramifications
Ethnicity Calabrians
Membership (est.) roughly 6,000[1]
Criminal activities Human trafficking, pimping, racketeering, drug trafficking, fraud, loan-sharking, weapons trafficking, waste management, money laundering, insurance fraud, corruption, extortion, murder, skimming, political corruption, contract killing, robbery and conspiracy
Allies Campanian, Sicilian, American, Albanian and Russian mafias; Latin American drug cartels, including Los Zetas
Rivals Occasional violent feuds between various 'Ndrangheta clans

The 'Ndràngheta (Italian pronunciation: [(n)ˈdraŋɡeta])[2] is organized crime centered in Calabria. Despite not being as famous abroad as the Sicilian Mafia, and having been considered more rural than the Neapolitan Camorra and the Apulian Sacra Corona Unita, the 'Ndrangheta became the most powerful crime syndicate in Italy in the late 1990s and early 2000s. While commonly tied together with the Sicilian Mafia, the 'Ndrangheta operates independently from them, though there is contact between the two, due to the geographical proximity and shared culture and language between Calabria and Sicily. A US diplomat estimated that the organization's narcotics trafficking, extortion and money laundering activities accounted for at least 3% of Italy's GDP.[3] Since the 1950s, the organization has spread towards Northern Italy and worldwide. According to a 2013 "Threat Assessment on Italian Organised Crime" of Europol, the 'Ndrangheta is among the richest and most powerful organised crime groups at a global level.[4]

History

Origin and etymology

In 1861 the prefect of Reggio Calabria already noticed the presence of so-called camorristi, a term used at the time since there was no formal name for the phenomenon in Calabria (the Camorra was the older and better known criminal organization in Naples).[5][6] Since the 1880s, there is ample evidence of 'Ndrangheta-type groups in police reports and sentences by local courts. At the time they were often being referred to as the picciotteria, onorata società (honoured society) or camorra and mafia.[7]

These secret societies in the areas of Calabria rich in olives and vines were distinct from the often anarchic forms of banditry and were organized hierarchically with a code of conduct that included omertà – the code of silence – according to a sentence from the court in Reggio Calabria in 1890. An 1897 sentence from the court in Palmi mentioned a written code of rules found in the village of Seminara based on honour, secrecy, violence, solidarity (often based on blood relationships) and mutual assistance.[8]

In the folk culture surrounding 'Ndrangheta in Calabria, references to the Spanish Garduña often appear. Aside from these references, however, there is nothing to substantiate a link between the two organizations. The Calabrian word 'Ndrangheta derives from Greek[9] ἀνδραγαθία andragathía for "heroism" and manly "virtue"[10] or ἀνδράγαϑος andragathos, compound words of ἀνήρ, anēr (gen. andros), i.e. man[11] and ἀγαθός, agathos, i.e. good, brave,[12] meaning a courageous man.[13][14] In many areas of Calabria the verb 'ndranghitiari, from the Greek verb andragathizesthai,[15] means "to engage in a defiant and valiant attitude".[16]

The first time the word 'Ndrangheta was mentioned before a wider audience was by the Calabrian writer Corrado Alvaro in the Corriere della Sera in September 1955.[17][18]

Modern history

Until 1975, the 'Ndrangheta restricted their Italian operations to Calabria, mainly involved in extortion and blackmailing. Their involvement in cigarette contraband expanded their scope and contacts with the Sicilian Mafia and the neapolitan Camorra. With the arrival of large public works in Calabria, skimming off public contracts became an important source of income. Disagreements over how to distribute the spoils led to the First 'Ndrangheta war killing 233 people.[19] The prevailing factions began to kidnap rich people from northern Italy for ransom. It is believed that John Paul Getty III, kidnapped for ransom in 1973, was one of their victims.[20]

The Second 'Ndrangheta war raged from 1985 to 1991. The bloody six-year war between the Condello-Imerti-Serraino-Rosmini clans and the De Stefano-Tegano-Libri-Latella clans led to more than 600 deaths.[21][22] The Sicilian Mafia contributed to the end of the conflict and probably suggested the subsequent set up of a superordinate body, called La Provincia, to avoid further infighting. In the 1990s, the organization started to invest in the illegal international drug trade, mainly importing cocaine from Colombia.[23]

Deputy President of the regional parliament of Calabria Francesco Fortugno was killed by the 'Ndrangheta on 16 October 2005 in Locri. Demonstrations against the organization then ensued, with young protesters carrying banderoles reading "Ammazzateci tutti!",[24] Italian for "Kill us all". The national government started a large-scale enforcement operation in Calabria and arrested numerous 'ndranghetisti including the murderers of Fortugno.[25]

The 'Ndrangheta has recently expanded its activities to Northern Italy, mainly to sell drugs and to invest in legal businesses which could be used for money laundering. In May 2007 twenty members of 'Ndrangheta were arrested in Milan.[25] On 30 August 2007, hundreds of police raided the town of San Luca, the focal point of the bitter San Luca feud between rival clans among the 'Ndrangheta. Over 30 men and women, linked to the killing of six Italian men in Germany, were arrested.[26]

On 9 October 2012, following a months long investigation by the central government the City Council of Reggio Calabria headed by Mayor Demetrio Arena was dissolved for alleged ties to the group. Arena and all the 30 city councilors were sacked to prevent any "mafia contagion" in the local government.[27][28] This was the first time a government of a capital of a provincial government was dismissed. Three central government-appointed administrators will govern the city for 18 months until new elections.[29] The move came after unnamed councilors were suspected of having ties to the 'Ndrangheta under the 10-year centre-right rule of Mayor Giuseppe Scopelliti.[30]

'Ndrangheta infiltration of political offices is not limited to Calabria. On 10 October 2012, the commissioner of Milan's regional government in charge of public housing, Domenico Zambetti of People of Freedom (PDL), was arrested on accusations he paid the 'Ndrangheta in exchange for an election victory and to extort favours and contracts from the housing official, including construction tenders for the World Expo 2015 in Milan.[31] The probe of alleged vote-buying underscores the infiltration of the 'Ndrangheta in the political machine of Italy's affluent northern Lombardy region. Zambetti's arrest marked the biggest case of 'Ndrangheta infiltration so far uncovered in northern Italy and prompted calls for Lombardy governor Roberto Formigoni to resign.[32][33]

In 2014, in FBI and Italian police's joint operation New Bridge arrested members of both the Gambino and Bonanno families.[34] In June 2014, Pope Francis denounced the 'Ndrangheta as the "adoration of evil and contempt of the common good" and vowed that the Church would help tackle organized crime, saying that Mafiosi were excommunicated. A spokesperson for the Vatican clarified that the pope's words did not constitute a formal excommunication under canon law, as a period of legal process is required beforehand.[35]

Characteristics

Italian anti-organized crime agencies estimated in 2007 that the 'Ndrangheta has annual revenue of about € 35–40 billion (US$50–60 billion), which amounts to approximately 3.5% of the GDP of Italy.[23][25] This comes mostly from illegal drug trafficking, but also from ostensibly legal businesses such as construction, restaurants and supermarkets.[36] The 'Ndrangheta has a strong grip on the economy and governance in Calabria. According to a US Embassy cable leaked by Wikileaks, Calabria would be a failed state if it were not part of Italy. The 'Ndrangheta controls huge segments of its territory and economy, and accounts for at least three percent of Italy's GDP through drug trafficking, extortion, skimming of public contracts, and usury. Law enforcement is hampered by a lack of both human and financial resources.[37][38]

The principal difference with the Mafia is in recruitment methods. The 'Ndrangheta recruits members on the criterion of blood relationships resulting in an extraordinary cohesion within the family clan that presents a major obstacle to investigation. Sons of ‘ndranghetisti are expected to follow in their fathers' footsteps, and go through a grooming process in their youth to become giovani d’onore (boys of honor) before they eventually enter the ranks as uomini d’onore (men of honor). There are relatively few Calabrian mafiosi who have opted out to become a pentito; at the end of 2002, there were 157 Calabrian witnesses in the state witness protection program.[39] Unlike the Sicilian Mafia in the early 1990s, they have meticulously avoided a head-on confrontation with the Italian state.

Prosecution in Calabria is hindered by the fact that Italian judges and prosecutors who score highly in exams get to choose their posting; those who are forced to work in Calabria will usually request to be transferred right away.[23] With weak government presence and corrupt officials, few civilians are willing to speak out against the organization.

Structure

Organizational structure

Formulas from the code of the ‘Ndrangheta: The three handwritten pages describe the text for the speech held when a member is promoted to a higher ranking. The text reads awkwardly for a native speaker—it is composed in an uncertain Italian with many grammatical and orthographic mistakes.[39]
'Ndrangheta structure (labeled in Italian).

Both the Sicilian Cosa Nostra and the 'Ndrangheta are loose confederations of about one hundred organised groups, also called "cosche" or families, each of which claims sovereignty over a territory, usually a town or village, though without ever fully conquering and legitimizing its monopoly of violence.[40]

There are approximately 100 of these families, totaling between 4,000 and 5,000 members in Reggio Calabria.[36][41][42] Other estimates mention 6,000-7,000 men; worldwide there might be some 10,000 members.[23]

Most of the groups (86) operate in the Province of Reggio Calabria, although a portion of the recorded 70 criminal groups based in the Calabrian provinces Catanzaro and Cosenza also appears to be formally affiliated with the 'Ndrangheta.[43] The families are concentrated in poor villages in Calabria such as Platì, Locri, San Luca, Africo and Altomonte as well as the main city and provincial capital Reggio Calabria.[44] San Luca is considered to be the stronghold of the 'Ndrangheta. According to a former 'ndranghetista, "almost all the male inhabitants belong to the 'Ndrangheta, and the Sanctuary of Polsi has long been the meeting place of the affiliates."[45] Bosses from outside Calabria, from as far as Canada and Australia, regularly attend the meetings at the Sanctuary of Polsi.[43]

The basic local organizational unit of the 'Ndrangheta is called a locale (local or place) with jurisdiction over an entire town or an area in a large urban center.[46] A locale may have branches, called 'ndrina (plural: 'ndrine), in the districts of the same city, in neighbouring towns and villages, or even outside Calabria, in cities and towns in the industrial North of Italy in and around Turin and Milan: for example, the small towns of Corsico and Buccinasco in Lombardy are considered to be strongholds of the 'Ndrangheta. Sometimes sotto 'ndrine are established. These subunits enjoy a high degree of autonomy – they have a leader and independent staff. In some contexts the 'ndrine have become more powerful than the locale on which they formally depend.[45] Other observers maintain that the 'ndrina is the basic organizational unit. Each 'ndrina is "autonomous on its territory and no formal authority stands above the " 'ndrina boss", according to the Antimafia Commission. The 'ndrina is usually in control of a small town or a neighborhood. If more than one 'ndrina operates in the same town, they form a locale.[43]

Blood family and membership of the crime family overlap to a great extent within the 'Ndrangheta. By and large, the 'ndrine consist of men belonging to the same family lineage. Salvatore Boemi, anti-mafia prosecutor in Reggio Calabria, told the Italian Antimafia Commission that "one becomes a member for the simple fact of being born in a mafia family," although other reasons might attract a young man to seek membership, and non-kin have also been admitted. Marriages help cement relations within each 'ndrina and to expand membership. As a result, a few blood families constitute each group, hence "a high number of people with the same last name often end up being prosecuted for membership of a given 'ndrina." Indeed, since there is no limit to the membership of a single unit, bosses try to maximize descendants.[43]

At the bottom of the chain of command are the picciotti d’onore or soldiers, who are expected to perform tasks with blind obedience until they are promoted to the next level of cammorista, where they will be granted command over their own group of soldiers. The next level, separated by the 'ndrina but part of 'Ndrangheta, is known as santista and higher still is the vangelista, upon which the up-and-coming gangster has to swear their dedication to a life of crime on the Bible. The Quintino, also called Padrino, is the second-highest level of command in a 'Ndrangheta clan (name Ndrina), being made up of five privileged members of the crime family who report directly to the boss, the capobastone (head of command).[47]

Power structure

For many years, the power apparatus of the single families were the sole ruling bodies within the two associations, and they have remained the real centers of power even after superordinate bodies were created in the Cosa Nostra beginning in the 1950s (the Sicilian Mafia Commission) and in the 'Ndrangheta a superordinate body was created only in 1991 as the result of negotiations to end years of inter-family violence.[40]

Unlike the Sicilian Mafia, the 'Ndrangheta managed to maintain a horizontal organizational structure up to the early 1990s, avoiding the establishment of a formal superordinate body. Information of several witnesses has undermined the myth of absolute autonomy of Calabrian crime families, however. At least since the end of the 19th century, stable mechanisms for coordination and dispute settlement were created. Contacts and meetings among the bosses of the locali were frequent.[48]

A new investigation, known as Operation Crimine, which ended in July 2010 with an arrest of 305 'Ndrangheta members revealed that the 'ndrangheta was extremely "hierarchical, united and pyramidal," and not just clan-based as previously believed, as said by Italy's chief anti-mafia prosecutor Piero Grasso.[49]

At least since the 1950s, the chiefs of the 'Ndrangheta locali have met regularly near the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Polsi in the municipality of San Luca during the September Feast. These annual meetings, known as the crimine, have traditionally served as a forum to discuss future strategies and settle disputes among the locali. The assembly exercises weak supervisory powers over the activities of all 'Ndrangheta groups. Strong emphasis was placed on the temporary character of the position of the crimine boss. A new representative was elected at each meeting.[48] Far from being the "boss of the bosses," the capo crimine actually has comparatively little authority to interfere in family feuds or to control the level of interfamily violence.[43]

At these meetings, every boss "must give account of all the activities carried out during the year and of all the most important facts taking place in his territory such as kidnappings, homicides, etc."[48] The historical preeminence of the San Luca family is such that every new group or locale must obtain its authorization to operate and every group belonging to the 'Ndrangheta "still has to deposit a small percentage of illicit proceeds to the principale of San Luca in recognition of the latter's primordial supremacy."[50]

Security concerns have led to the creation in the 'Ndrangheta of a secret society within the secret society: La Santa. Membership in the Santa is only known to other members. Contrary to the code, it allowed bosses to establish close connections with state representatives, even to the extent that some were affiliated with the Santa. These connections were often established through the Freemasonry, which the santisti - breaking another rule of the traditional code - were allowed to join.[40][51]

Since the end of the Second 'Ndrangheta war in 1991, the 'Ndrangheta is ruled by a collegial body or Commission, known as La Provincia. Its primary function is the settlement of inter-family disputes.[52][53] The body, also referred to as the Commission in reference to its Sicilian counterpart, is composed of three lower bodies, known as mandamenti. One for the clans on the Ionic side (the Aspromonte mountains and Locride) of Calabria, a second for the Tyrrhenian side (the plains of Gioia Tauro) and one central mandamento for the city of Reggio Calabria.[52]

According to a 2013 "Threat Assessment on Italian Organised Crime" of Europol, the 'Ndrangheta is among the richest and most powerful organised crime groups at a global level.[4]

Activities

According to Italian DIA (Direzione Investigativa Antimafia, Department of the Police of Italy against organized crime) and Guardia di Finanza (Italian Financial Police and Customs Police) the "'Ndrangheta is now one of the most powerful criminal organizations in the world."[54][55] Economic activities of 'Ndrangheta include international cocaine and weapons smuggling, with Italian investigators estimating that 80% of Europe's cocaine passes through the Calabrian port of Gioia Tauro and is controlled by the 'Ndrangheta.[23] However, according to a report of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and Europol, the Iberian Peninsula is considered the main entry point for cocaine into Europe and a gateway to the European market.[56] The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimated that in 2007 nearly ten times as much cocaine was intercepted in Spain (almost 38 MT) in comparison with Italy (almost 4 MT).[57]

'Ndrangheta groups and Sicilian Cosa Nostra groups sometimes act as joint ventures in cocaine trafficking enterprises.[58][59] Further activities include skimming money off large public work construction projects, money laundering and traditional crimes such as usury and extortion. 'Ndrangheta invests illegal profits in legal real estate and financial activities.

The business volume of the 'Ndrangheta is estimated at almost 44 billion euro in 2007, approximately 2.9% of Italy's GDP, according to Eurispes (European Institute of Political, Economic and Social Studies) in Italy. Drug trafficking is the most profitable activity with 62% of the total turnover.[60]

Total turnover of the 'Ndrangheta in 2007
Illicit activity Income
Drug trafficking  €   27.240 billion
Commercial enterprise and public contracts    €   5.733 billion
Extortion and usury  €   5.017 billion
Arms trafficking  €   2.938 billion
Prostitution and human trafficking  €   2.867 billion
Total  € 43.795 billion

Outside Italy

The 'Ndrangheta has had a remarkable ability to establish branches abroad, mainly through migration. The overlap of blood and mafia family seems to have helped the 'Ndrangheta expand beyond its traditional territory: "The familial bond has not only worked as a shield to protect secrets and enhance security, but also helped to maintain identity in the territory of origin and reproduce it in territories where the family has migrated." 'Ndrine are reported to be operating in northern Italy, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, the rest of Europe, the United States, Canada, and Australia.[43] One group of 'ndranghetistas discovered outside Italy was in Ontario, Canada, several decades ago. They were dubbed the Siderno Group by Canadian judges as most of its members hailed from Siderno.[61]

Magistrates in Calabria sounded the alarm a few years ago about the international scale of the 'Ndrangheta's operations. It is now believed to have surpassed the traditional axis between the Sicilian and American Cosa Nostra, to become the major importer of cocaine to Europe.[62] Outside Italy 'Ndrangheta operates in several countries, such as:

Argentina

In November 2006, a cocaine trafficking network that operated in Argentina, Spain and Italy was dismantled. The Argentinian police said the ‘Ndrangheta had roots in the country and shipped cocaine through Spain to Milan and Turin.[63]

Australia

Known by the name "The Honoured Society," the 'Ndrangheta controlled Italian-Australian organized crime all along the East Coast of Australia since the early 20th century. 'Ndrangheta operating in Australia include the Sergi, Barbaro and Papalia clans.[64] Similarly in Victoria the major families are named as Italiano, Arena, Muratore, Benvenuto, and Condello. In the 1960s warfare among 'Ndrangheta clans broke out over the control of the Victoria Market in Melbourne, where an estimated $45 million worth of fruits and vegetables passed through each year. After the death of Domenico Italiano, known as Il Papa, different clans tried to gain control over the produce market. At the time it was unclear that most involved were affiliated with the 'Ndrangheta.[65][66]

The 'Ndrangheta began in Australia in Queensland, where they continued their form of rural organized crime, especially in the fruit and vegetable industry. After the 1998–2006 Melbourne gangland killings which included the murder of 'Ndrangheta Godfather Frank Benvenuto. In 2008, the 'Ndrangheta were tied to the importation of 15 million ecstasy pills to Melbourne, at the time the world's largest ecstasy haul. The pills were hidden in a container-load of tomato cans from Calabria. Australian 'Ndrangheta boss Pasquale Barbaro was arrested. Pasquale Barbaro's father Francesco Barbaro was a boss throughout the 1970s and early 1980s until his retirement.[67] Several of the Barbaro clan, including among others, Francesco, were suspected in orchestrating the murder of Australian businessman Donald Mackay in July 1977 for his anti-drugs campaign.[68]

Italian authorities believe that former Western Australian mayor of the city of Stirling, Tony Vallelonga, is an associate of Giuseppe Commisso, boss of the Siderno clan of the Ndrangheta.[69] In 2009, Italian police overheard the two discussing Ndrangheta activities.[69] Since migrating from Italy to Australia in 1963, Vallelonga has "established a long career in grass-roots politics."[70]

The 'Ndrangheta are also tied to large cocaine imports. Up to 500 kilograms of cocaine was documented relating to the mafia and Australian associates smuggled in slabs of marble, plastic tubes and canned tuna, coming from South America to Melbourne via Italy between 2002 and 2004.[71]

Belgium

'Ndrangheta clans purchased almost "an entire neighbourhood" in Brussels with laundered money originating from drug trafficking. On 5 March 2004, 47 people were arrested, accused of drug trafficking and money laundering to purchase real estate in Brussels for some 28 million euros. The activities extended to the Netherlands where large quantities of heroin and cocaine had been purchased by the Pesce-Bellocco clan from Rosarno and the Strangio clan from San Luca.[72][73]

Canada

Further information: Giuseppe Coluccio

In Canada, the 'Ndrangheta is believed to be involved in the smuggling of unlicensed tobacco products through ties with criminal elements in cross-border Native American tribes.[74] According to Alberto Cisterna of the Italian National Anti-Mafia Directorate, the ‘Ndrangheta has a heavy presence in Canada. "There is a massive number of their people in North America, especially in Toronto. And for two reasons. The first is linked to the banking system. Canada's banking system is very secretive; it does not allow investigation. So Canada is the ideal place to launder money. The second reason is to smuggle drugs." The 'Ndrangheta have found Canada a useful North American entry point.[75] A Canadian branch labelled the Siderno Group – because its members primarily came from the Ionian coastal town of Siderno in Calabria – is based in Canada at least since the 1950s. Siderno is also home to one of the 'Ndrangheta's biggest and most important clans, heavily involved in the global cocaine business and money laundering.[75] Antonio Commisso, the alleged leader of the Siderno group, is reported to lead efforts to import "...illicit arms, explosives and drugs...."[76] Elements of 'Ndrangheta have been reported to have been present in Hamilton, Canada as early as 1911.[77] On 2 June 2015, RCMP led police raids across the Greater Toronto Area which resulted in the arrest of 19 men, allegedly affiliated with the 'Ndrangheta. The charges included "importation of drugs," "firearms trafficking" and "extreme violence and extortion".

Colombia

The 'Ndrangheta clans were closely associated with the AUC paramilitary groups led Salvatore Mancuso, a son of Italian immigrants; he surrendered to Álvaro Uribe's government to avoid extradition to the U.S.[78] According to Giuseppe Lumia of the Italian Parliamentary Antimafia Commission, 'Ndrangheta clans are actively involved in the production of cocaine.[79]

Germany

According to a study by the German foreign intelligence service, the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), 'Ndrangheta groups are using Germany to invest cash from drugs and weapons smuggling. Profits are invested in hotels, restaurants and houses, especially along the Baltic coast and in the eastern German states of Thuringia and Saxony.[80][81] Investigators believe that the mafia's bases in Germany are used primarily for clandestine financial transactions. In 1999, the state Office of Criminal Investigation in Stuttgart investigated an Italian from San Luca who had allegedly laundered millions through a local bank, the Sparkasse Ulm. The man claimed that he managed a profitable car dealership, and authorities were unable to prove that the business was not the source of his money. The Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) concluded in 2000 that "the activities of this 'Ndrangheta clan represent a multi-regional criminal phenomenon."[82] In 2009, a confidential report by the BKA said some 229 'Ndrangheta families were living in Germany, and were involved in gun-running, money laundering, drug-dealing, and racketeering, as well as legal businesses. Some 900 people were involved in criminal activity, and were also legal owners of hundreds of restaurants, as well as being major players in the property market in the former East. The most represented 'Ndrangheta family originated from the city of San Luca (Italy), with some 200 members in Germany.[83][84] A war between the two 'Ndrangheta clans Pelle-Romeo (Pelle-Vottari) and Strangio-Nirta from San Luca that had started in 1991 and resulted in several deaths spilled into Germany in 2007; six men were shot to death in front of an Italian restaurant in Duisburg on 15 August 2007.[85][86][87] (See San Luca feud.) According to the head of the German federal police service, Joerg Ziercke, "Half of the criminal groups identified in Germany belong to the 'Ndrangheta. It has been the biggest criminal group since the 1980s. Compared to other groups operating in Germany, the Italians have the strongest organization."[88]

Netherlands

Sebastiano Strangio allegedly lived for 10 years in the Netherlands, where he managed his contacts with Colombian cocaine cartels. He was arrested in Amsterdam on 27 October 2005.[89][90][91] The seaports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam are used to import cocaine. The Giorgi, Nirta and Strangio clans from San Luca have a base in the Netherlands and Brussels (Belgium).[92] In March 2012, the head of the Dutch National Crime Squad (Dienst Nationale Recherche, DNR) stated that the DNR will team up with the Tax and Customs Administration and the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service to combat the 'Ndrangheta.[93]

Malta

David Gonzi, a son of former Prime Minister of Malta Lawrence Gonzi, was accused of illegal activities by acting as a trustee shareholder in a gaming company. The company in question was operated by a Calabrian associate of the 'Ndrangheta in Malta. His name appeared several times on an investigation document of over 750 pages that was commissioned by the tribunal of the Reggio Calabria. Gonzi called the document as unprofessional. A European arrest warrant was published for Gonzi to appear at the tribunal but this never materialised. Gonzi, however, was completely exonerated from the list of potential suspects in the ‘Ndrangheta gaming bust.[94]

After investigation of the presence of the 'Ndrangheta, 21 gaming outlets had their operation license temporarily suspended in Malta due to irregularities in a period of one year.[95][96][97]

Mexico

The 'Ndrangheta works in conjunction with a Mexican drug cartel mercenary army known as Los Zetas in the drug trade.[98]

Switzerland

The crime syndicate has a significant presence in Switzerland since the early 1970s but has operated there with little scrutiny due to the inconspicuous life styles of their members, the Swiss legal landscape, and solid foundations in local businesses. In the aftermath of the San Luca feud in 2007 and subsequent arrests in Italy (Operation "Crimine"), it became clear that the group had also infiltrated the economically proliferous regions of Switzerland and Southern Germany. In March 2016, Swiss law enforcement in cooperation with Italian state prosecutors arrested a total of 15 individuals, 13 in the city of Frauenfeld, 2 in the Kanton of Valais, accusing them of active membership to an organized crime syndicate also known as "Operazione Helvetica".[99] Since 2015, the Swiss federal police has conducted undercover surveillance and recorded the group's meetings in a restaurant establishment in a small village just outside of Frauenfeld. The meetings were taking place in a relatively remote location using the now defunct entity the "Wängi Boccia Club" as its cover. According to the Italian prosecutor Antonio De Bernardo, there are several cells operating within the jurisdiction of the Swiss Federation, estimating the number of operatives per cell to about 40, and a couple of 100 in total. All of the arrested persons are Italian citizens, the two men arrested in the Valais have already been extradited to Italy, and as of August 2016, one individual arrested in Frauenfeld has been approved for extradition to Italy.[100]

United Kingdom

In London, the Aracri and Fazzari clans are thought to be active in money laundering, catering and drug trafficking.[101]

United States

The earliest evidence of 'Ndrangheta activity in the U.S. points to an intimidation scheme run by the syndicate in Pennsylvania mining towns; this scheme was unearthed in 1906.[102] Current 'Ndrangheta activities in America mainly involve drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and money laundering. It is known that the 'Ndrangheta branches in North America have been associating with Italian-American organized crime. The Suraci family from Reggio Calabria has moved some of its operations to the U.S. The family was founded by Giuseppe Suraci who has been in the United States since 1962. His younger cousin, D'Agostino, runs the family in Calabria. On Tuesday, 11 February 2014, both F.B.I. and Italian Police intercepted the transatlantic network of U.S. and Italian crime families. The raid targeted the Gambino and Bonanno families in the U.S. while in Italy, it targeted the Ursino 'ndrina from Gioiosa Jonica. The defendants were charged with drug trafficking, money laundering and firearms offenses, based, in part, on their participation in a transnational heroin and cocaine trafficking conspiracy involving the 'Ndrangheta.[103] The operation began in 2012 when investigators detected a plan by members of the Ursino clan of the 'Ndrangheta to smuggle large amounts of drugs. An undercover agent was dispatched to Italy and was successful in infiltrating the clan. An undercover agent was also involved in the handover of 1.3 kg of heroin in New York as part of the infiltration operation.[104]

In popular culture

Beginning in 2000, music producer Francesco Sbano released three CD compilations of Italian mafia folk songs over a five-year period.[105] Collectively known as La Musica della Mafia, these compilations consist mainly of songs written by 'Ndrangheta musicians, often sung in Calabrian and dealing with themes such as vengeance (Sangue chiama sangue), betrayal (I cunfirenti), justice within the 'Ndrangheta (Nun c’è perdono), and the ordeal of prison life (Canto di carcerato).[106]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "FBI — Italian/Mafia". FBI. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  2. ↑ The initial /n/ is silent in Calabrian unless immediately preceded by a vowel.
  3. ↑ "US saw mafia-ridden Italian region as 'failed state,' according to WikiLeaks cable", The Canadian Press, 13 January 2011.
  4. 1 2 Italian Organised Crime: Threat Assessment, Europol, The Hague, June 2013
  5. ↑ (Italian) "Relazione annuale sulla 'Ndrangheta", Italian Antimafia Commission, February 2008.
  6. ↑ Behan, The Camorra, pp. 9-10
  7. ↑ Paoli, Mafia Brotherhoods, p. 36
  8. ↑ Gratteri & Nicaso, Fratelli di sangue, pp. 23-28
  9. ↑ Turone, Giuliano (2008). Il delitto di associazione mafiosa. Giuffrè editore. p. 97. ISBN 978-88-14-13917-8. Il vocabolo deriva infatti dal greco antico ανδραγαθία e significa valore, prodezza, carattere del galantuomo.
  10. ↑ ἀνδραγαθία. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project
  11. ↑ ἀνήρ. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project
  12. ↑ ἀγαθός. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project
  13. ↑ lemma ανδραγαθία; Babiniotis, Georgios. Dictionary of Modern Greek. Athens: Lexicology Centre.
  14. ↑ Rosen, Ralph M.; Sluiter, Ineke, eds. (2003). Andreia: Studies in manliness and courage in classical antiquity. Brill. p. 55. ISBN 9789004119956.
  15. ↑ ἀνδραγαθίζεσθαι. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project
  16. ↑ Gratteri & Nicaso, Fratelli di sangue, p. 21
  17. ↑ (Italian) "La 'ndrangheta transnazionale: Dalla picciotteria alla santa - Analisi di un fenomeno criminale globalizzato" (PDF), Giovanni Tizian, March 2009.
  18. ↑ Fabio Truzzolillo, "The 'Ndrangheta: the current state of historical research," Modern Italy (August 2011) 16#3, pp. 363-383.
  19. ↑ Dickie, Mafia Republic: Italy's Criminal Curse, pp. 137-40
  20. ↑ Catching the Kidnappers, Time, 28 January 1974
  21. ↑ "Godfather's arrest fuels fear of bloody conflict", The Observer, 24 February 2008.
  22. ↑ (Italian) "Condello, leader pacato e spietato", La Repubblica, 19 February 2008.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 "Move over, Cosa Nostra." The Guardian, 8 June 2006.
  24. ↑ (German) "Im Schattenreich der Krake", Süddeutsche Zeitung, 19 May 2010.
  25. 1 2 3 "Mafiosi move north to take over the shops and cafés of Milan", The Times, 5 May 2007.
  26. ↑ "Mafia suspects arrested in Italy", BBC News, 30 August 2007.
  27. ↑ "Italy sacks Reggio Calabria council over 'mafia ties'", BBC News, 9 October 2012.
  28. ↑ "Il Viminale scioglie per mafia il comune di Reggio Calabria", La Repubblica, 9 October 2012.
  29. ↑ "Italy sacks city government over mafia links", Al Jazeera, 9 October 2012
  30. ↑ "Sprechi e mafia, caos Pdl in Calabria", La Repubblica, 23 September 2012.
  31. ↑ "Mafia probe claims political victim", Financial Times, 14 October 2012.
  32. ↑ "Milan politician accused of mafia vote-buying", USA Today, 10 October 2012.
  33. ↑ "Formigoni's Cabinet Member Arrested for Election Fraud", Corriere della Sera, 10 October 2012.
  34. ↑ Laura Smith-Spark and Hada Messia, CNN (11 February 2014). "Gambino, Bonanno family members held in joint US-Italy anti-mafia raid - CNN.com". CNN. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  35. ↑ Pullella, Philip (2014-06-21). "Pope lambasts mobsters, says mafiosi 'are excommunicated'". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2014-06-23. Retrieved 2014-06-23. Those who in their lives follow this path of evil, as mafiosi do, are not in communion with God. They are excommunicated," he said in impromptu comments at a Mass
  36. 1 2 (French) "Six morts dans un règlement de comptes mafieux en Allemagne". Le Monde. 15 August 2007.
  37. ↑ "Can Calabria Be Saved?". Wikileaks.ch. 2008-12-02. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
  38. ↑ "Italy's Brutal Export: The Mafia Goes Global", Time Magazine, 9 March 2011.
  39. 1 2 "Crisis among the 'Men of Honor' ", interview with Letizia Paoli, Max Planck Research, February 2004.
  40. 1 2 3 "Review of: Paoli, ''Mafia Brotherhoods''". Organized-crime.de. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
  41. ↑ Paoli, Mafia Brotherhoods, p. 32.
  42. ↑ (Italian) "Relazione annuale" (PDF), Commissione parlamentare d’inchiesta sul fenomeno della criminalità organizzata mafiosa o similare, 30 July 2003.
  43. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Varese, Federico. "How Mafias Migrate: The Case of the 'Ndrangheta in Northern Italy." Law & Society Review. June 2006.
  44. ↑ (Italian) "La pax della 'ndrangheta soffoca Reggio Calabria". La Repubblica. 25 April 2007.
  45. 1 2 Paoli, Mafia Brotherhoods, p. 29
  46. ↑ Nicaso & Danesi, Made Men, p. 23
  47. ↑ La Sorte, Mike (December 2004). "The 'Ndrangheta Looms Large". americanmafia.com. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  48. 1 2 3 Paoli. Mafia Brotherhoods, p. 59
  49. ↑ "'Ndrangheta mafia structure revealed as Italian police nab 300 alleged mobsters", The Associated Press, csmonitor.com, 13 July 2010.
  50. ↑ Paoli, Mafia Brotherhoods, p. 29-30
  51. ↑ Paoli, Mafia Brotherhoods, p. 116
  52. 1 2 Paoli, Mafia Brotherhoods, pp. 61-62
  53. ↑ (Italian) Gratteri & Nicaso, Fratelli di Sangue, pp. 65-68
  54. ↑ "Encounters with the Calabrian Mafia: Inside the World of the 'Ndrangheta - SPIEGEL ONLINE". Spiegel.de. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  55. ↑ "Italian mafia 'Ndrangheta, ndrangheta, calabria, John Paul Getty III, Gioia Tauro, columbian drug trafficking, cocaine smuggling italy, vendetta of San Luca, Strangio-Nirta, Pelle-Vottari-Romeo, Maria Strangio, Giovanni Strangio, Duisberg killings". Understandingitaly.com. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  56. ↑ Cocaine: a European Union perspective in the global context (PDF), EMCDDA/ Europol, Lisbon, April 2010.
  57. ↑ World Drug Report 2009, UNODC, 2009
  58. ↑ The Rothschilds of the Mafia on Aruba, by Tom Blickman, Transnational Organized Crime, Vol. 3, No. 2, Summer 1997
  59. ↑ (Italian) "Uno degli affari di Cosa Nostra e 'Ndrangheta insieme", Notiziario Droghe, 30 May 2005.
  60. ↑ (Italian) "Il fatturato della ’Ndrangheta Holding: 2,9% del Pil nel 2007", 'Ndrangheta Holding Dossier 2008, Centro Documentazione Eurispes.
  61. ↑ Lamberti, Rob (11 February 2005). "Clans here for 50 years". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 7 April 2007.
  62. ↑ Close family ties and bitter blood feuds, The Guardian, 16 August 2007
  63. ↑ (Spanish) Mafia calabresa: cae una red que traficaba droga desde Argentina, Clarín, 8 November 2006.
  64. ↑ McKenna, Jo (15 March 2010). "Mafia deeply entrenched in Australia". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  65. ↑ Omerta in the Antipodes, Time Magazine, 31 January 1964
  66. ↑ L’ascesa della 'Ndrangheta in Australia, by Pierluigi Spagnolo, Altreitalie, January–June 2010
  67. ↑ AFP lands 'world's biggest drug haul', news.com.au, 8 August 2008
  68. ↑ Bob Bottom (1988). Shadow of Shame: How the mafia got away with the murder of Donald Mackay. Victoria, Australia: Sun Books.
  69. 1 2 Sean Cowan (10 March 2011). "Vallelonga 'met senior mafia man'". The West Australian
  70. ↑ Nicole Cox et al. "Shocked former Stirling mayor Tony Vallelonga denies mafia connection". News.com.au (9 March 2011).
  71. ↑ Four face trial over Mafia-run drug ring, The Sydney Morning Herald, January 12, 2010
  72. ↑ (Italian) "A Bruxelles un intero quartiere comprato dalla 'ndrangheta." La Repubblica. 5 March 2004.
  73. ↑ (French) La mafia calabraise recycle à Bruxelles, La Libre Belgique, 6 March 2004.
  74. ↑ Thompson, John C. (January 1994). "Sin-Tax Failure: The Market in Contraband Tobacco and Public Safety". The Mackenzie Institute. Archived from the original on 15 April 2007. Retrieved 7 April 2007.
  75. 1 2 Why Italy's scariest Mob loves Canada, National Post, 24 November 2007
  76. ↑ "Organized Crime in Canada: A Quarterly Summary". Nathanson Society. June 2005. Archived from the original on 30 March 2007. Retrieved 7 April 2007.
  77. ↑ Nicaso, Antonio (24 June 2001). "The twisted code of silence: Part 4 — Murder, extortion and drug dealing exemplified organized crime in Toronto". Corriere Canadese. Viewed 7 April 2007.
  78. ↑ (Spanish) "Tiene Italia indicios sobre presencia de cárteles mexicanos en Europa", El Universal, 15 April 2007.
  79. ↑ (Spanish) "La mafia calabresa produce su cocaína en Colombia", El Universal (Caracas), 30 October 2007.
  80. ↑ "Italian Mafia Invests Millions in Germany", Deutsche Welle, 13 November 2006.
  81. ↑ (German) "Mafia setzt sich in Deutschland fest" ("Mafia sets firmly in Germany"), Berliner Zeitung, 11 November 2006.
  82. ↑ "A Mafia Wake-Up Call", Der Spiegel, 20 August 2007.
  83. ↑ "Report: Germany losing battle against Calabrian mafia", The Earth Times, 12 August 2009.
  84. ↑ (German) "Italienische Mafia wird in Deutschland heimisch" ("Italian Mafia makes home in Germany"), Die Zeit, 12 August 2009.
  85. ↑ "A mafia family feud spills over", BBC News Online, 16 August 2007.
  86. ↑ "How the tentacles of the Calabrian Mafia spread from Italy", Times Online, 15 August 2007.
  87. ↑ "Six Italians Killed in Duisburg", Spiegel Online, 15 August 2007.
  88. ↑ "One in two crime gangs in Germany are Italian, police boss says", Business Ghana, 8 January 2013.
  89. ↑ (Italian) "'Ndrangheta, preso ad Amsterdam il boss Sebastiano Strangio", La Repubblica, 28 October 2005.
  90. ↑ (Italian) "'Ndrangheta, estradato dall'Olanda il boss Sebastiano Strangio", La Repubblica, 27 March 2006.
  91. ↑ (Dutch) "Maffiakillers Duisburg zijn hier", De Telegraaf, 19 August 2007.
  92. ↑ (Italian) "Olanda, Paese-rifugio dei killer", Il Sole 24 Ore, 18 August 2007.
  93. ↑ (Dutch) "Recherche onderzoekt 'Ndrangheta", NOS, 10 March 2012.
  94. ↑ "Lawyer, consultant exonerated from list of potential suspects in 'Ndrangheta gaming bust". The Malta Independent. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
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  96. ↑ Balzan, Jurden (2 August 2015), "David Gonzi brushes off European arrest warrant threat", Malta Today,
  97. ↑ Orland, Kevin Schembri (10 October 2015), "‘Ndrangheta links to companies: Malta Gaming Authority 'effective regulator' - Jose Herrera", The Malta Independent.
  98. ↑ (Spanish) "Los Zetas toman el control por la ‘Forza’: Nicola Gratteri", Excelsior, 12 October 2008.
  99. ↑ "Die ’Ndrangheta kann sich in der Schweiz nicht mehr sicher fühlen"-Interview with A. De Bernardo- (in German). Tages Anzeiger online. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  100. ↑ "Schweiz liefert ersten Frauenfelder Mafioso aus" (in German). Tages Anzeiger online. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
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  102. ↑ "Who are the 'Ndrangheta", Reuters, 15 August 2007.
  103. ↑ Laura Smith-Spark and Hada Messia, CNN (11 February 2014). "Gambino, Bonanno family members held in joint US-Italy anti-mafia raid - CNN.com". CNN. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  104. ↑ "Anti-mafia raids in U.S. and Italy". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  105. ↑ "Songs of the Criminal Life", NPR, 2 October 2002. Retrieved 8 September 2009. Archived 10 September 2009.
  106. ↑ Gerd Ribbeck. "La musica della Mafia" [The music of the Mafia]. Archived from the original on 11 September 2009. Retrieved 8 September 2009.

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