The carabinieri of the Palermo investigative unit arrested seven people on charges of mafia association and aggravated extortion.
The blitz, coordinated by the DDA led by the prosecutor Maurizio de Lucia, hit the mafia 'family' of Rocca Mezzomorreale (Pa) and its leaders, already definitively sentenced and released after serving their sentence.
Reserved men of honor, who have so far escaped investigations, also ended up in the cell, who would only be called into action in critical moments for the clan.
Prison was ordered for 5 suspects, house arrest for two.
The operation, conducted between Riesi, in the Caltanissetta area, and Rimini, made it possible to dismantle the mafia family of Rocca Mezzomonreale, the "rib" of Pagliarelli's district in Palermo, and once again confirmed the historic top figures, already in past protagonists of very relevant episodes for the life of the mafia association, such as the management of the trip to Marseilles of the boss
Bernardo Provenzano
to undergo medical treatment or the maintenance of contacts with the former fugitive from Trapani
Matteo Messina Denaro
.
Those arrested by the Palermo carabinieri during today's anti-mafia operation are: Pietro, Gioacchino and Angelo Badagliacca, Marco Zappulla and Pasquale Saitta.
Michele Saitta and Antonino Anello went to house arrest.
"
There is a written statute ... which the founding fathers wrote
": so says one of the arrested bosses, not knowing he is being intercepted.
A revelation that the magistrates consider very important and which confirms the observance by the mafia bosses of strict rules,
a sort of "Constitution" of the mafia
.
The bosses continue to respect the old mafia "rules" and therefore to impose them on their affiliates.
The "bugs" placed by the investigators were able to listen to the conversations of the suspects who often referred to the respect of archaic mafia principles, a real "statute" written by the godparents.
"Principles" that the mafia bosses continue to consider the bulwark of the very existence of the Cosa Nostra.
In the context of the recorded conversation, defined by the investigating judge as "extremely rare in judicial experience", reference was made several times to the existence of a "written mafia code", jealously guarded for decades and which still regulates life today of what our Palermo.
The investigation leading to today's arrests prevented a homicide.
The death sentence, decided during a mafia summit and a sign of the newfound harmony between the members of the mafia family, was issued against an architect who, according to the bosses, had committed some shortcomings towards the clan in his activity.
Furthermore, the carabinieri have reconstructed various extortions of entrepreneurs and traders: the proceeds fed the family coffers.
Sometimes bosses imposed firms close to them.
To convince the victim to pay, in one case a doll with a bullet stuck in the forehead was found near the gate of a house.
