The SINESI-FRANCAVILLA battery, led by a leader currently detained under the 41 bis regime, is known for its family structure and its influence even outside the region. Active in sectors such as extortion, drug trafficking, usury, illegal security services, receiving stolen goods, money laundering in the funeral sector and gambling, this battery has established alliances with the LI BERGOLIS clan of the Gargano mafia and the Sanseverese underworld, above all in arms and drug trafficking. Recently, the battery has been at the center of numerous investigations which have revealed an intense state of internal fibrillation. On January 18, 2023, the alleged regent of the battery was arrested in flagrante delicto in Foggia with a semi-automatic pistol. On March 30, 2023, three individuals were arrested for the unlawful carrying and possession of a weapon of war, following the murder of a battery affiliate on May 17, 2022.
The TRISCIUOGLIO-PRENCIPE-TOLONESE battery, also operating mainly in Foggia, is involved in drug trafficking, extortion and money laundering in commercial activities. This faction has formed alliances with the Manfredonia mafia and with criminal elements from Orta Nova. The latest investigations indicate that the battery sided with the MORETTI-PELLEGRINO-LANZA, strengthening their position against the SINESI-FRANCAVILLA. The boss of the TOULONIA faction was released on March 9, 2023 after a long detention.
This is what emerges from the REPORT OF THE MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR TO THE PARLIAMENT – activities carried out and results achieved from January – June 2023.
The MORETTI-PELLEGRINO-LANZA battery is the most deeply rooted in the province and neighboring regions, thanks to a territorial expansion based on old and new alliances with other criminal groups. Active in extortion, usury, drug trafficking and robberies, this battery stands out for its authority and ability to infiltrate the legal economy. On March 14, 2023, the Pescara Financial Police arrested 11 people linked to the battery for extortion and aggravated usury. The criminal group lent money at usurious rates to Abruzzo entrepreneurs, using mafia methods to intimidate the victims.
On 15 February 2023, a ranking member of the MORETTI-PELLEGRINO-LANZA battery was arrested for the attempted murder of the leader of the SINESI faction which occurred on 6 September 2016. Furthermore, on May 12, 2023, the Court of Cassation confirmed a 12-year prison sentence for another member of the same battery, underlining the ongoing struggle between the city’s different criminal factions.
These recent episodes demonstrate the instability and dangerousness of the criminal dynamics in the province of Foggia, where mafia organizations continue to profoundly influence the social and economic life of the area.
