Crotone – “The story of Francesco Tramonte and Pasquale Cristiano, two young garbage collectors, killed by the ‘Ndrangheta at dawn on 24 May 1991 in Lamezia Terme while they were working with their truck, cannot and must not be forgotten. The murder was the violent response by crime to establish its supremacy in waste management. Often in this sector during the years spent in Calabria we have read news of illicit trafficking in the newspapers. Unfortunately, as investigations have usually shown: where there are large ones economic interests there is often the shadow of crime. Francesco and Pasquale will always remain in the memory of those who appreciate honesty” is what we read in a note from Romano Pesavento President of CNDDU
The National Coordination of Teachers of the discipline of Human Rights intends to remember the tragic story of Francesco Tramonte and Pasquale Cristiano, through the work of the student Salvatore Greco of class III section. G of the Filolao Scientific High School of Crotone.
“On 24 May 1991, Lamezia Terme was the scene of a tragic event that broke the lives of two scrupulous workers: Francesco Tramonte and Pasquale Cristiano. Both garbage collectors, as well as inseparable friends, Francesco, aged 40, and Pasquale, aged 28, shared the hard work of keeping their city clean. That fateful night of May 23, Francesco asked Pasquale to accompany him during the shift, and Pasquale, out of friendship, accepted without hesitation. In the silence of the night, the two friends got on the garbage truck together with the driver Eugenio, starting their tour. However, at dawn, on the outskirts of Miraglia, the former municipality of Sambiase, they were brutally hit by unprecedented violence. The ‘Ndrangheta killers, armed with a 7.62 machine gun, opened fire, instantly killing Francesco and Pasquale. Eugenio, fortunately, managed to save himself by jumping from the truck and fleeing on foot. This double murder, carried out with extreme coldness, represented a ferocious message from the ‘Ndrangheta: the control of waste in Calabria had to remain in his hands, without interference. This makes us understand how every pretext is a just cause to kill. The Mafia does not value people, but only material things like money. If someone makes a mistake they have to pay either with their life or that of a person close to them. They have no scruples, they don’t care about anyone’s feelings or the pain they cause. Like them, many people have lost their lives unjustly, and it is our duty to remember them every day, their memory must continue to live on as a symbol of courage, sacrifice and the fight against organized crime.”
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
