After 26 years of imprisonment, the Casalesi boss Francesco Schiavone, known as ‘Sandokan’, has decided to collaborate with Justice. Catello Maresca, anti-mafia magistrate known for being a member of the pool that captured Casalesi boss Michele Zagaria in 2011, how does this news make you feel?
“The feeling I had was that the state always wins. Maybe it takes a little time because they are long journeys but then the result arrives. The Casalesi clan as we knew it, that is, as one of the most dangerous and brutal in the world, is now over.”
What are the unsolved cases on which you could and should make statements?
“There is an immediate fact that we must note, namely that after Iovine, Schiavone is the second in the quadrumvirate to repent. When the leaders decide to collaborate, it is a sign that the clan is no longer there. Sandokan has direct information because he participated in creating the Casalesi entrepreneurial mafia so I expect him to report on the great economic interests, on the investments of the Schiavone group and the entire clan, on the ability to infiltrate the corners of local and national politics. I expect you to also talk about the issue of waste and in particular that of the land of fires. These are the real issues on which Schiavone can make a decisive contribution because it is he who, to a large extent, created, cultivated and developed”.
If Schiavone spilled the beans, what could happen in the world of the Camorra? Do you think other bosses could follow Sandokan’s example?
“Typically, these excellent collaborations are never solitary. They usually bring with them other choices of this type and we hope that this dynamic will be confirmed this time too. Having said this, there is now only one personality of Sandokan’s level left and I am referring to Michele Zagaria who could reveal other high profile criminal events. I would like to reiterate that, in my opinion, with Schiavone’s repentance the Casalesi Camorra is over and this is certainly a positive fact which gives us, in addition to great satisfaction, relief for the many sacrifices we have had to face in this ten-year battle which involved magistrates, the police and the many good people who had to suffer the domination of this fearsome clan. However, this does not mean that the mafia in these lands cannot recover and develop with different methods and subjects, which is why we must keep our guard up.”
Some speculate that behind the boss’s decision there may be an intention to send a message to someone outside prison who is trying to reorganize the clan or that it is an expedient to avoid life imprisonment…
“I honestly find it unlikely. Above all, the message hypothesis doesn’t convince me because the mafiosi are used to sending them through other systems. Personally I believe that it is truly the choice of those who have realized that that clan no longer exists. We have made thousands of arrests and the millions confiscated can no longer be counted. If you go to the province of Caserta, everything has changed compared to the 90s to the point that it is complicated for the men of the clan to even manage ordinary matters such as drugs, waste trafficking and building control”.
Does Schiavone’s repentance demonstrate that the 41bis prison regime is still valid?
“From this point of view I am a faithful follower of the thought of Giovanni Falcone who was the one who took the institution of 41bis and brought it from anti-terrorism, where it was born, to organized crime. We must explain to everyone that 41bis was created with the need to prevent mafiosi and terrorists from communicating with the outside world and there is no going back on this point. For this reason it is an institution that needs to be protected and must be partly modified, as done by the government, to respond to European needs and jurisprudence. But under no circumstances should it be abolished.”
There is much debate about the stringent limits imposed on wiretapping and the government’s decision to abolish abuse of office. Do you fear that these changes will weaken the fight against the mafia?
“The modification of wiretaps, as underlined by the government, does not affect mafia crimes. On spy crimes, including abuse of office, I have my own idea, namely that the administrative control measures should be strengthened. I will give an example for everyone with Coreco, the regional control committee, which turned on a siren on the illegitimacy of the administrative acts of local authorities but which was abolished some time ago. In my opinion we need to focus on preliminary control activities and through these on reporting to the competent authorities which allow us to achieve great results”.
