Italian police were able to break up a major mafia clan by arresting 74 people and seizing businesses along with property, race horses, and an online gambling company. Even politicians and local businessmen in the city of Bari were among those caught by police after a three year investigation.



48-year-old Savino Parisi the head of the clan along with his connections were arrested overnight. They face allegations and charges of attempted murder, drug trafficking, loan-sharking, interfering with the bidding procedure for public contracts and money laundering.



Approximately $330 million or ?220 million were confiscated by police. There were also nine warrants served for suspects already locked up for other crimes. The anti-Mafia prosecutor Piero Grasso said after the arrests that “It’s a criminality that is project in investments, in businesses that suck part of the resources of this land and invests it abroad.”



Following this crack down there was another one on a Sicilian mafia in which 11 people were arrested. The Mafia has an unbelievably strong hold on Italy. Similar to the Bari bust, politicians and businessmen were mixed up with the clan. This is a common incidence and it’s thorny getting rid of the mafia because they have so many influential people under their grasp. They have basically infiltrated every piece of society.



Members of the Mafia are difficult to catch and sentence. And once that happens they serve their time and come back out and go back to their previous activities. A former Italy-Serbian drug trafficker served a 14-year sentence but once he was free he immediately reogranized his criminal organization.



In a police statement the past deputy mayor and city assessor admitted to working with Parisi in laundering money through the construction of a university building. Parisi was also responsible for getting a friendly businessman on to the city committee “to intervene whenever necessary.” Parisi has gathered a lot of wealth because of the myriad of illegal activities he was involved in before his 14-year prison sentence and since his release.



Throughout Italy the leaders has and continues to crack down on the mafia and their criminal activities. In Naples police confiscated $30 million in assets and also arrested 11 people in Palermo, Sicily for helping a mobster elude capture. Assets were also held on the sporting goods empire Sports&More along with Paradise Bet.



The Mafia is a problem all over the world. What’s more is that besides being extremely well-off and commanding they are also dangerous. They have shady officials defending their interests along with everyday people that both serve and defend them. These crime families unfortunately will not be stopped until the people turn their backs on them.



Until people stop using the services they offer absolutely nothing will change. The government can only do so much. If everyone stopped using the services the mafia offers, then they would have to start doing other services because their focus is wealth and power. And without demand you can’t have either of those.



About the Author Info

Diane Johnson graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Utah and enjoys writing about current events, politics, college degrees,online schools, and the office.