Breaking the Calabrian Mafia in Italy | Foreign Correspondent
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Published 2022-04-21
The Calabrian mafia began local but over recent decades it's transformed into a powerful, multi-national criminal organisation, with an estimated turnover of 80 billion dollars a year.
Now Italian prosecutors are running a maxi-trial against members of a family they allege is one of the ‘Ndrangehta’s most powerful clans – the Mancusos.
More than 300 members and associates of the Mancusos have been arrested.
The charge sheet is sobering. It includes murder, extortion, drug trafficking and money laundering.
In this gripping crime saga, Fran Kelly travels to Vibo Valentia to tell the story of this historic attempt to curb the power of the ‘Ndrangheta.
She gains access to the man leading the trial, Chief Prosecutor Nicola Gratteri. He’s been investigating the Calabrian mafia for decades and has long been on the mafia’s kill list.
“There’s always tension. There’s always fear and you must always be careful”, he tells Kelly as he drives to court surrounded by his security motorcade. “You have to tame fear and talk to death.”
Kelly speaks with community members who now feel emboldened to speak out against the mafia.
‘The number of people turning on the mafia has increased’, says anti-mafia activist Giuseppe Borrello. ‘It’s new for Vibo Valentia.”
Gratteri’s actions have given hope to Sara Scarpulla, whose son was blown up in a car bomb organised by a member of the Mancuso family.
Kelly also speaks to an anti-mafia prosecutor in Milan, Italy’s financial heart, where the ‘Ndrangheta has established a strong presence.
In Calabria, not everyone in the community is rallying behind Nicola Gratteri’s maxi-trial.
“There’s vicious mudslinging aimed at the Prosecutor’s Office’, explains lawyer Giovanna Fronte. “That’s how the ‘Ndrangheta operates.”
For the people of Vibo Valentia, the maxi-trial has raised hopes of a new chapter in which the State regains control of a land long thought lost to organised crime.
But can these prosecutions uproot the powerful networks of the ‘Ndrangheta?
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All Comments (21)
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We remember always the great judge Giovanni Falcone who attempted to prosecute the Mafia. He was forced to live in a bunker with his family and was blown up in his car going to court. The next judge suffered the same fate. True heroes who should have statues in every piazza.
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My grandparents were forced to flee Calabria and immigrate because of the mafia, they had their land stolen and were threatened. My grandma had traumas for the rest of her life because of these people. This man is doing gods work prosecuting them.
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"There is no sense living as a coward" truer words have never been spoken, salute.
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This guy is so brave. He's sacrificed his entire life for justice.
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I live in Calabria and prosecutor Gratteri is doing God's work. I respect him so much for what he's been able to achieve so far
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As a Vibo Valentia inhabitant, I’m really glad that someone is starting to notice how mafia really effects in our everyday things. Thank you so much for spreading awareness to the world. Our region is as beautiful as obscure and the most powerful way to fight criminality is consciousness. Once again, thank you! ❤️
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I met judge Gratteri on a plane from Reggio Calabria to Rome (I'm Calabrian, living abroad) . He had no escort, no security guards, apparently he was travelling alone like a normal passenger. I was not feeling good and he came to talk to me asking me if I was OK. He was so friendly, calm, kind and polite that I still find hard to believe he and his family live every single day under threat. I would never be so confident with people I don't know, walking in his shoes. He's a great, brave man. May God always protect him. We need more men like him in the future.
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I live further north, and my neighbours are connected. Their son just did 13 years for planting bombs. On his release, he's been granted an exotic car dealership and is now set to wed a woman twenty years his junior. A couple days ago he sent a local man to hospital for taking "his" parking spot outside (it isn't his; that's a public street). We avoid all contact with our neighbours but of course inevitably we hear about what goes on. Hear their phone arguments. By neighbours, I mean they share a wall with our house; they're ten metres from us at all times. We've lived here for decades, before they moved here in fact. Why should we leave. It's been a constant war of wits. If I get a new car, they're right over here, demanding to be allowed to "have a go" in it. I sold my car. If we want to restructure our house, we'd have to pay them to stay out of our business. This is the reality of life here. It isn't glorified in the foreign press or media. Few outsiders know what goes on.
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That poor family watching their son burn to death. That's up there with one of the worst things to experience ever
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Excellent work, it is the first time that I have seen a reportage done with professionalism, to explain to a non-Italian public what the mafia really is, and what it means to live in southern Italy. Well done.
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The saddest thing is the support the Mafia get from the people, unbelievable. Big thank you and bigger good luck to Gratteri, and his whole team, all of them are doing just great!
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Grazie dottore Gratteri. Tutta la Calabria deve esserle grata. Continui così.
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Judge is being real when he says he'll never live free.
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Onore a chi ogni giorno si oppone alla mafia, a chi nel silenzio combatte per creare un Italia migliore 🇮🇹
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The risk is that the State abandons Gratteri, as it was for Falcone and Borsellino. As Italian, I see that as the key point. It is a terrible battle, but the State can prevail if its will is solid. For now, it's never been constant enough, never present on the territory in the right way. Not to forget that the main battle is cultural. Without changing the common people's mentality, nothing will ever change. Great doc by the way.
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I had no idea the Italians were still dealing with the mafias on this level. This man is incredible. It's so sad he's forced to live in a form of prison while the people terrorizing his country and inflicting their disease worldwide are living life high and powerful. Hopefully pest control takes care of all of these losers in the controlling families.
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Canada here. This documentary shows the every day struggles of the Calabrian people very well. There are many heroes battling against the mafia. My heart goes out to all of you good people and my wish is for this oppression to end. Thank you for the documentary as I learned much that I did not know. Also it is an outstanding piece of filmmaking, kudos.
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Another fact that changes the odds for the Italian Mafia, is that the Government accepted stricter Prison Policies for Mob related prisoners, making their life a living hell in close to total isolation. Resulting in way more clan members breaking their Omerta.
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The mafia are animals. People standing up against them and risking their lives deserve medals for bravery. I'm not sure I would be able to live like that.
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Thanks for the great doc ABC and letting us comment. I hope you'll allow more commenting again in future. I must say I admire the Italian people's determination to root out organized crime in their country. It's not easy but don't give up. Everyone deserves to live with reasonable safety & security. ♥♥♥ 🇮🇹🇦🇺 from 🇨🇦
