REGGIO CALABRIA A «community management» of criminal affairs, through «a constant solidarity dialogue and a planned sharing of the Ndrangheta project by the various Reggio articulations”. The relationships between the various ‘ndrangheta branches in Reggio Calabria are analyzed in detail in a memoir by over 900 pages filed by the General Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of Appeal of Reggio Calabria as part of the “Epicentro” trial. «The first degree trial had already been characterized by a torrential allegation of questions and defense objections, coming from the defenders of some defendants, often revealed not only to be clearly unfounded, but completely disconnected from the actual legal and factual emergencies of the proceedings and motivated on the basis of macroscopically erroneous data”, is explained in the document signed by the general prosecutor Gerardo Dominijanni, by the deputy prosecutor Walter Ignazitto and by the deputies Giovanni Calamita and Francesco Tedesco. «In the contested sentence – explains the Prosecutor’s Office again as a premise – said exceptions were promptly disregarded, with analytical and convincing reasons. However, it seems appropriate to delve deeper into some of the issues in question here too, in order to refute the defense deductions and highlight their patent unfoundedness”.
The federation between ‘ndrine
The associative structure, the result of the federation between ‘ndrine, is proven, – writes the Prosecutor’s Office -, “by a series of unequivocal demonstrative elements most recently acquired in the context of the investigations resulting in the present proceeding”. Procedure which «definitively confirmed – from the perspective ofnow recognized vocation unity of the ‘Ndrangheta – the existence of a federation between the historic mafia families of Reggio, ooperating in strict operational connection with each other and, in any case, all subordinated to the catalyzing dominance of the Archi group, ultimately headed by the boss Carmine De Stefano». THE De Stefano, the Teganos, the Condellos and the Libri, the “four families” among which the proceeds of extortion imposed on traders and entrepreneurs in the historic center of Reggio Calabria are divided. Become the points analyzed in the document, which would demonstrate a “consolidated and common active operational synergy”: the organization of “tables” between the representatives of the various gangs; the existence of confidential comparisons; the commonality of intent between the various ‘ndrine; the obvious expansion of territorial borders and the possibility for the joints operating in neighboring neighborhoods to extend their territorial control into nearby areas. Mutual aid and mutual assistance between the various ‘ndrine, “so that the entrepreneurs coming from their respective territories paid the necessary ‘ndrangheta contribution to the representatives of the neighborhoods in which, from time to time, they went to operate”. The frequent organization of meetings between the heads of the different units, «functional to agree on common operating methods and to implement mutual exchanges of information for the collective planning of extortion». «The extension of the ‘ndrangheta influence of the Archi gangs up to the territory of Villa San Giovanni, in accordance with the historical ‘ndrine of the place». «The organization of collections in favor of inmates of the various ‘ndrine, in order to extend the solidarity duties typical of mafia associations well beyond the narrow circle of members of each gang».
The role of Carmine de Stefano
A kind of «reductio ad unum“, aimed at a “community and profitable management of the various claims, belonging to the De Stefano family, of recognized superiority for criminal authority, prestige and capacity for dialogue and infiltration of large sectors of society, in the person of Carmine De Stefano», writes the Reggio prosecutor’s office, which outlines the figure of the boss belonging to the historic Archi family and underlining the ability of De Stefano to «gather new generations around itself also coming from other families, including those once opposed in the bloody ‘ndrangheta war”. «Yesterday we were talking with Carmine… (…) Carmine when he came out… there was a lot of confusion around… no?… these Condellos… guys who are… they found a point of reference in him… but always in the thing of… of see… to do things in such a way that everything works well… that it goes well… right? (…)»says Giorgio De Stefano in a conversation with Alfonso Molinetti explaining how his brother Carmine had become a “point of reference” for the Condello “kids”, in order to ensure that “everything works well”. «But we need to go back a little… because they have found a point of reference and Carmine… reciprocates…» replies Molinetti. The «superordinate role» recognized to the De Stefano family is such as to determine, for example, in the local head of Pellaro, Filippo Barreca, the «deferential respect towards Carmine De Stefano and the attribution to him of decision-making power also regarding the extortion against an entrepreneur operating in the Pellarese area».
«Nooo he has to tell me, no… it’s him! He decides! (…) Carmine decides now this one was left to us… (…) You have to tell him that because Canale did it himself, he fixed it, I mean, it’s not like I fixed it… (…) No, no, no you have to tell him, Carmine tells me and what do you tell him, and I’ll start arguing, or tell him no, you know, this or that…». ([email protected])
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