An Italian court sentenced this Monday 20,207 mafiosi and collaborators of the ‘Ndrangheta, the powerful Calabrian mafia. The trial, which lasted nearly three years, exposed the group’s criminal methods, including storing weapons in cemeteries and transporting drugs in ambulances.
The president of the Vibo Valentia court, Brigida Cavasino, read out the names of the perpetrators and their sentences for more than an hour and a half. Penalties ranged from a few months to 30 years in prison. Prosecutors had demanded prison sentences totaling almost 5,000 years for the 322 defendants. However, the court decided to impose penalties equal to about half of that period.
According to Globo, those convicted include four experienced ‘Ndrangheta members who were each sentenced to 30 years in prison. In addition, the court acquitted 131 defendants, including 16 for whom the prosecution recommended acquittal.
Particularly noteworthy is the involvement of Giancarlo Pittelli, a 70yearold former parliamentarian and criminal defense attorney who is accused of being a mafia negotiator. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison, less than the 17 years sought by prosecutors.
The verdict represents a major blow to the ‘Ndrangheta, one of the world’s most powerful organized crime groups. The mafia, which originated in the poor region of Calabria, has spread beyond Italy’s borders and has a near monopoly in the European cocaine trade, with a presence in more than 40 countries.
During the trial, witnesses revealed the ‘Ndrangheta’s brutality and their dominance over the territory. Criminal practices uncovered included violent ambushes, extortion, fraud in public tenders and vote buying. Testimony also revealed how weapons were hidden in cemeteries and drugs were transported in ambulances.
The group’s leader, Luigi “The Supreme” Mancuso, was removed from the list of defendants last year and tried separately.
The historic trial marked the first time that nonmafia members were included in the list of defendants. These included police officers, civil servants and others. A highranking member of Italy’s financial police has been sentenced to ten years in prison for passing on investigation details to the ‘Ndrangheta.
The verdicts can be appealed twice and mark the culmination of the largest mafia trial in Italy in decades.