Italian Mafia
Surreal Berlusconi Trial Begins As It Means to Go on
The long-awaited trial of David Mills and Silvio Berlusconi began today in dramatic fashion with a defendant locked in a cage of the sort the Italian judiciary usually reserves for Mafia dons.
Italian Mps Kill Plan to Bridge Sicily and Mainland
· Rightwingers furious as 30-year dream lies in ruins · Earthquake and mafia risk cited by project opponents
Italians Ask Fbi to Help Decode Mafia Bible
Italian detectives have turned to the FBI in an attempt to resolve the biggest outstanding mystery left by the arrest of the Sicilian mafia's "boss of bosses".
The discovery of a well in the Tower of the Pulci in Florence
Florence had never been hit by the Mafia before. The explosion caused death and destruction. And an unexpected discovery.
No Surprise About Discovering Italian Hands in the Marmalade
Soccer: You have to love the Italians, don't you? If they didn't exist someone would have to invent them and just think what sort of tortured imagination it would take to dream up such improbably complex concepts as the Papacy, the Borgias, the mafia, Niccolo Machiavelli, Silvio Berlusconi, Leonardo da...By Paul Wilson
Police Strike at Heart of Mafia Averts Bloody Power Struggle
Alleged 'godfathers' held after dawn raids across Palermo.
Police Strike at Heart of Mafia
A bloody mafia power struggle appears to have been narrowly averted after dawn raids across the Sicilian capital of Palermo on Tuesday netted 24 alleged Cosa Nostra "godfathers", including a mobster said by investigators to be trying to take over as the next capo di tutti i capi, or "boss of all bosses".
Italian Justice Minister Linked to Mafia Inquiry
· Prodi forced to name man holding balance of power · Clemente Mastella was at mob associate's wedding
Bible Studies May Reveal Godfather's Secrets
Italian police codebreakers are turning to the Bible in their efforts to get at the many secrets of the mafia's 'boss of bosses'.
Prosecutors Fear Capture of Mafia Boss Will Spark Bloody War of Succession
One of Sicily's most senior anti-mafia prosecutors forecast a war inside Cosa Nostra yesterday if its leaders failed to agree on a successor to Bernardo Provenzano, the "boss of bosses" seized on Tuesday.
3am: Power Changes Hands in Italy. 11.30am: the Boss of Bosses is Caught
· Most wanted mafia chief held after 40 years on run · Signs of tough crackdown on organised crime
Top Mafia Boss Arrested
Italy's most important mafia leader, Bernardo Provenzano, a shadowy figure who has been on the run from police for more than four decades, was arrested today in Sicily, the country's interior ministry said.
Italian Taxpayers May Have Paid for Mafia Chief's Operation
Prosecutors were said to be looking into whether the alleged boss of Sicily's Cosa Nostra had an operation in the south of France and got the Italian health service to pay the bill.
Four More Dead in Naples Mafia War
Italian police set up road blocks in Naples yesterday after the bloodiest mafia turf war the city has seen for years claimed a further four victims.
Police Close in on Sicily Mafia Boss
Detectives hunting the Sicilian mafia king Bernardo Provenzano, who has been on the run for 41 years, yesterday arrested 46 people in an effort to break up the network that has supported him.
Weekends Turn Bloody in Naples Mafia War
28 killed as battle rages to control narcotics trade.
Berlusconi's Top Ally Jailed for Mafia Link
Blow to Prime Minister after escaping corruption charge.
'Mad Things Happen in Naples'
Naples is experiencing its bloodiest turf war in 20 years, aided by the mafia code of silence, writes Sophie Arie.
Sicilian President in Mafia Trial
Sicily's top official, a member of Silvio Berlusconi's government coalition, was ordered to stand trial yesterday for aiding the mafia. Salvatore Cuffaro, president of the region of Sicily and a member of the Christian Democrat party (UDC), is one of 12 people who will stand trial from...
Toxic Scandal in Mozzarella Country
Mafia-run dumping of dangerous waste around Naples is threatening lives and livelihoods.
Italian Mayor Quits After Mafia Threats
A southern Italian mayor who opposes the building of a bridge between Sicily and the mainland has resigned after a campaign of intimidation blamed on local mobsters. Rocco Cassone, the civic chief in Villa San Giovanni, has had his car set on fire twice. Last month he received a death...
Sicilian Governor on Mafia Charge
The senior representative in Sicily of Silvio Berlusconi's rightwing coalition has been charged with aiding and abetting the mafia. A two-year investigation concluded that the island's governor, Salvatore Cuffaro, passed on secret information he knew would be of vital interest to an...
Mafiosi Given 'soft Jail Time' By Berlusconi
A row over an apparent relaxation in prison conditions for Italy's jailed mobsters is reigniting suspicions in Italy over its government's alleged relationship with the Mafia. Leading mobsters such as Pietro Vernengo, known as 'Bazooka Eyes' because of his terrifying gaze, a multiple...
Alleged Mafia Don Hires Image Consultant
He served time for laundering the proceeds of an international heroin-trading ring. Now he's on trial in Palermo, charged with belonging to the Sicilian Cosa Nostra. It is perhaps not surprising that 57-year-old Vito Palazzolo wants a change of image. But his decision to employ a public...
Mafia Wives Turn in Their Men
A women's revolt has torn apart one of Italy's most notorious mafia clans. Almost 90 alleged members of a gang that terrorised the Gargano, a growing tourist area on the Adriatic, are in custody after raids by paramilitary Carabinieri that also led to the arrest of two of their colleagues...
Four Go on Trial for Murder of God's Banker
More than 20 years after the death of the banker Roberto Calvi was dismissed as suicide, four people, including a jailed Mafia boss, went on trial yesterday in Rome, charged with his murder. The case of the man known as "God's banker" remains one the most extraordinary of recent decades -...
The Sicilian Mafia is Alive and Kicking
After a quiet 10 years, the world's best known mob is diversifying. After declining to get involved in peddling cocaine, Davide De Marchi took the precaution of not always being at home. His bosses in the Sicilian Cosa Nostra had not taken kindly to his refusal.
Andreotti Cleared of Murder
The Italian supreme court has cleared Giulio Andreotti, the leading figure in Italian postwar politics, seven times prime minister, of ordering the Mafia to kill a journalist in 1979.
Net closes on godfather as henchman is arrested
Anti-mafia detectives edged one step closer yesterday to catching Sicily's most notorious godfather, Bernardo Provenzano.
UK Police Open Calvi Murder Inquiry
Police in Britain today opened a murder inquiry into the death of Roberto Calvi, a Mafia-linked Italian banker whose body was found hanging beneath a London bridge in 1982. The mysterious death of the Milanese financier, who was nicknamed "God's banker" because of his connections to the...
Mafia Chief Links Balkan Leader to Tobacco Scam
Ian Traynor in Montenegro on prime minister's denial that he made money from cigarette smuggling. In a high-security courtroom in the southern Italian port of Bari, Gerardo Cuomo is accused of being a member of a mafia-style organisation.
Bodies Left Unburied in Paris As Heat Toll Soars
French mortuaries in crisis and mafia blamed for Italy's forest fires.
Calvi Was Murdered By the Mafia, Italian Experts Rule
Four could now face trial 20 years after 'God's banker' was found hanging under bridge.
Sicilian Council Worker Kills Five
A Sicilian council worker worried about his job prospects shot dead the mayor of Aci Castello and four other people in a killing spree that initially raised the spectre of mafia or politically inspired violence. The man, who had been employed by the council on a short-term contract as...
Mafia Supergrass Fingers Berlusconi
Courtroom testimony of Cosa Nostra's No. 2 explains sudden demise of Christian Democrats and mysterious rise to power of Forza Italia.
Berlusconi Aide 'struck Deal With Mafia'
One of the closest aides to Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, promised to help the mafia resolve its judicial problems in exchange for electoral support, a supergrass told a court yesterday. Antonino Giuffre, a senior mafia boss who turned state's evidence after his arrest...
Andreotti Fights Back Over Mafia Allegations
Former Italian PM speaks to court in desperate attempt to salvage his reputation.
Berlusconi Silent at Friend's Mafia Trial
Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, refused to testify yesterday in the mafia trial of a close associate, using the right to remain silent to avoid self-incrimination. Mr Berlusconi was entitled to refuse to answer questions because he had been charged in a related case shelved...
Rome Professor is Arrested in Sex-slave Swoop on Mafia
A Rome economics professor is one of more than 80 people arrested as suspected members of an organisation which exploits east European prostitutes.
...while, in Sicily, the Mafia Sells Water
Philip Willan reports from Palermo, where a record drought is proving good business for some.
'Russian mafia kingpin' accused of fixing Olympic skating result
An alleged kingpin of the Russian mafia was arrested in Italy yesterday on charges of conspiring to fix the pairs figure skating competitions at this year's Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, in which bizarre judging decisions led to a corruption inquiry.
A bridge too far
While the dilapidated Sicilian railway network grinds to a halt, aided by Mafia corruption, a planned new suspension bridge questions the priorities of the government, says Philip Willan
Monaco 'blocked fraud inquiry which came close to princess'
Senior justice officials in Monaco blocked an investigation of Italian mafia activity in the principality because it was getting too close to Princess Stephanie, according to a book published by a French investigating magistrate who worked there in the 90s.
Women: The Rise of the Godmothers
This week's deadly shootout in a southern Italian village marks a new dark era in Mafia savagery - one where women are firing the guns. Rory Carroll reports.
Murder Case Against Berlusconi Dropped
A Sicilian judge has a dismissed the allegation that the Italian prime minister, was implicated in the murder of the leading mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino.
Mafia Fiction and its Detractors
There is animus among many in the Italian-American community regarding the popularity of the mafia in film and television...
Italian detectives have turned to the FBI in an attempt to resolve the biggest outstanding mystery left by the arrest of the Sicilian mafia's "boss of bosses".
The discovery of a well in the Tower of the Pulci in Florence
Florence had never been hit by the Mafia before. The explosion caused death and destruction. And an unexpected discovery.
No Surprise About Discovering Italian Hands in the Marmalade
Soccer: You have to love the Italians, don't you? If they didn't exist someone would have to invent them and just think what sort of tortured imagination it would take to dream up such improbably complex concepts as the Papacy, the Borgias, the mafia, Niccolo Machiavelli, Silvio Berlusconi, Leonardo da...By Paul Wilson
Police Strike at Heart of Mafia Averts Bloody Power Struggle
Alleged 'godfathers' held after dawn raids across Palermo.
Police Strike at Heart of Mafia
A bloody mafia power struggle appears to have been narrowly averted after dawn raids across the Sicilian capital of Palermo on Tuesday netted 24 alleged Cosa Nostra "godfathers", including a mobster said by investigators to be trying to take over as the next capo di tutti i capi, or "boss of all bosses".
Italian Justice Minister Linked to Mafia Inquiry
· Prodi forced to name man holding balance of power · Clemente Mastella was at mob associate's wedding
Bible Studies May Reveal Godfather's Secrets
Italian police codebreakers are turning to the Bible in their efforts to get at the many secrets of the mafia's 'boss of bosses'.
Prosecutors Fear Capture of Mafia Boss Will Spark Bloody War of Succession
One of Sicily's most senior anti-mafia prosecutors forecast a war inside Cosa Nostra yesterday if its leaders failed to agree on a successor to Bernardo Provenzano, the "boss of bosses" seized on Tuesday.
3am: Power Changes Hands in Italy. 11.30am: the Boss of Bosses is Caught
· Most wanted mafia chief held after 40 years on run · Signs of tough crackdown on organised crime
Top Mafia Boss Arrested
Italy's most important mafia leader, Bernardo Provenzano, a shadowy figure who has been on the run from police for more than four decades, was arrested today in Sicily, the country's interior ministry said.
Italian Taxpayers May Have Paid for Mafia Chief's Operation
Prosecutors were said to be looking into whether the alleged boss of Sicily's Cosa Nostra had an operation in the south of France and got the Italian health service to pay the bill.
Four More Dead in Naples Mafia War
Italian police set up road blocks in Naples yesterday after the bloodiest mafia turf war the city has seen for years claimed a further four victims.
Police Close in on Sicily Mafia Boss
Detectives hunting the Sicilian mafia king Bernardo Provenzano, who has been on the run for 41 years, yesterday arrested 46 people in an effort to break up the network that has supported him.
Weekends Turn Bloody in Naples Mafia War
28 killed as battle rages to control narcotics trade.
Berlusconi's Top Ally Jailed for Mafia Link
Blow to Prime Minister after escaping corruption charge.
'Mad Things Happen in Naples'
Naples is experiencing its bloodiest turf war in 20 years, aided by the mafia code of silence, writes Sophie Arie.
Sicilian President in Mafia Trial
Sicily's top official, a member of Silvio Berlusconi's government coalition, was ordered to stand trial yesterday for aiding the mafia. Salvatore Cuffaro, president of the region of Sicily and a member of the Christian Democrat party (UDC), is one of 12 people who will stand trial from...
Toxic Scandal in Mozzarella Country
Mafia-run dumping of dangerous waste around Naples is threatening lives and livelihoods.
Italian Mayor Quits After Mafia Threats
A southern Italian mayor who opposes the building of a bridge between Sicily and the mainland has resigned after a campaign of intimidation blamed on local mobsters. Rocco Cassone, the civic chief in Villa San Giovanni, has had his car set on fire twice. Last month he received a death...
Sicilian Governor on Mafia Charge
The senior representative in Sicily of Silvio Berlusconi's rightwing coalition has been charged with aiding and abetting the mafia. A two-year investigation concluded that the island's governor, Salvatore Cuffaro, passed on secret information he knew would be of vital interest to an...
Mafiosi Given 'soft Jail Time' By Berlusconi
A row over an apparent relaxation in prison conditions for Italy's jailed mobsters is reigniting suspicions in Italy over its government's alleged relationship with the Mafia. Leading mobsters such as Pietro Vernengo, known as 'Bazooka Eyes' because of his terrifying gaze, a multiple...
Alleged Mafia Don Hires Image Consultant
He served time for laundering the proceeds of an international heroin-trading ring. Now he's on trial in Palermo, charged with belonging to the Sicilian Cosa Nostra. It is perhaps not surprising that 57-year-old Vito Palazzolo wants a change of image. But his decision to employ a public...
Mafia Wives Turn in Their Men
A women's revolt has torn apart one of Italy's most notorious mafia clans. Almost 90 alleged members of a gang that terrorised the Gargano, a growing tourist area on the Adriatic, are in custody after raids by paramilitary Carabinieri that also led to the arrest of two of their colleagues...
Four Go on Trial for Murder of God's Banker
More than 20 years after the death of the banker Roberto Calvi was dismissed as suicide, four people, including a jailed Mafia boss, went on trial yesterday in Rome, charged with his murder. The case of the man known as "God's banker" remains one the most extraordinary of recent decades -...
The Sicilian Mafia is Alive and Kicking
After a quiet 10 years, the world's best known mob is diversifying. After declining to get involved in peddling cocaine, Davide De Marchi took the precaution of not always being at home. His bosses in the Sicilian Cosa Nostra had not taken kindly to his refusal.
Andreotti Cleared of Murder
The Italian supreme court has cleared Giulio Andreotti, the leading figure in Italian postwar politics, seven times prime minister, of ordering the Mafia to kill a journalist in 1979.
Net closes on godfather as henchman is arrested
Anti-mafia detectives edged one step closer yesterday to catching Sicily's most notorious godfather, Bernardo Provenzano.
UK Police Open Calvi Murder Inquiry
Police in Britain today opened a murder inquiry into the death of Roberto Calvi, a Mafia-linked Italian banker whose body was found hanging beneath a London bridge in 1982. The mysterious death of the Milanese financier, who was nicknamed "God's banker" because of his connections to the...
Mafia Chief Links Balkan Leader to Tobacco Scam
Ian Traynor in Montenegro on prime minister's denial that he made money from cigarette smuggling. In a high-security courtroom in the southern Italian port of Bari, Gerardo Cuomo is accused of being a member of a mafia-style organisation.
Bodies Left Unburied in Paris As Heat Toll Soars
French mortuaries in crisis and mafia blamed for Italy's forest fires.
Calvi Was Murdered By the Mafia, Italian Experts Rule
Four could now face trial 20 years after 'God's banker' was found hanging under bridge.
Sicilian Council Worker Kills Five
A Sicilian council worker worried about his job prospects shot dead the mayor of Aci Castello and four other people in a killing spree that initially raised the spectre of mafia or politically inspired violence. The man, who had been employed by the council on a short-term contract as...
Mafia Supergrass Fingers Berlusconi
Courtroom testimony of Cosa Nostra's No. 2 explains sudden demise of Christian Democrats and mysterious rise to power of Forza Italia.
Berlusconi Aide 'struck Deal With Mafia'
One of the closest aides to Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, promised to help the mafia resolve its judicial problems in exchange for electoral support, a supergrass told a court yesterday. Antonino Giuffre, a senior mafia boss who turned state's evidence after his arrest...
Andreotti Fights Back Over Mafia Allegations
Former Italian PM speaks to court in desperate attempt to salvage his reputation.
Berlusconi Silent at Friend's Mafia Trial
Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, refused to testify yesterday in the mafia trial of a close associate, using the right to remain silent to avoid self-incrimination. Mr Berlusconi was entitled to refuse to answer questions because he had been charged in a related case shelved...
Rome Professor is Arrested in Sex-slave Swoop on Mafia
A Rome economics professor is one of more than 80 people arrested as suspected members of an organisation which exploits east European prostitutes.
...while, in Sicily, the Mafia Sells Water
Philip Willan reports from Palermo, where a record drought is proving good business for some.
'Russian mafia kingpin' accused of fixing Olympic skating result
An alleged kingpin of the Russian mafia was arrested in Italy yesterday on charges of conspiring to fix the pairs figure skating competitions at this year's Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, in which bizarre judging decisions led to a corruption inquiry.
A bridge too far
While the dilapidated Sicilian railway network grinds to a halt, aided by Mafia corruption, a planned new suspension bridge questions the priorities of the government, says Philip Willan
Monaco 'blocked fraud inquiry which came close to princess'
Senior justice officials in Monaco blocked an investigation of Italian mafia activity in the principality because it was getting too close to Princess Stephanie, according to a book published by a French investigating magistrate who worked there in the 90s.
Women: The Rise of the Godmothers
This week's deadly shootout in a southern Italian village marks a new dark era in Mafia savagery - one where women are firing the guns. Rory Carroll reports.
Murder Case Against Berlusconi Dropped
A Sicilian judge has a dismissed the allegation that the Italian prime minister, was implicated in the murder of the leading mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino.
Mafia Fiction and its Detractors
There is animus among many in the Italian-American community regarding the popularity of the mafia in film and television...