Giuseppe Morabito
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Giuseppe Morabito (Africo, August 15, 1934), nicknamed 'u tiradrittu' ("shootstraight"), is a historical 'Ndrangheta boss from Africo in the Locride (Calabria). He was a fugitive since 1992 and included in the list of most wanted fugitives in Italy until his arrest in February 2004.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Important 'Ndrangheta boss
Morabito is one of the most important figures of the 'Ndrangheta. He is described as one of the senior members of the Calabrian "provincial commission",[1] i.e. the body that reproduces the well-known Sicilian Mafia Commission and, during the second 'Ndrangheta war in Calabria, allegedly chaired the meetings, that were held annually at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Polsi and, later, at Africo.[2]
When he was arrested in February 2004, Roberto Centaro – the president of the Parliamentary Antimafia Commission – said the capture was even more important than that of Sicilian Mafia boss Bernardo Provenzano.[3] According to several pentiti Sicilian Mafia boss Totò Riina was sheltered by Morabito, while Riina was on the run.[4][5]
[edit] Early years
His first troubles with the criminal justice system were in 1952 for illegally occupying and damaging a building, unlawful possession of arms and violence against persons. In 1967 he was accused of being the principal behind the Locri massacre in which three members of a rival clan were killed, but was acquitted for lack of evidence in 1971.[4][5]
At the end of the 1980s, Morabito became the head of the 'Ndrangheta "locale" of Africo after the so-called Motticella feud between the Morabito-Mollica clan and the Speranza-Palamara-Scriva clan, all from Africo.[4] In 1989, he challenged the chief of the national police Vincenzo Parisi to investigate, declaring he was innocent. An official brought the notice to Parisi while he visited the court in Locri in the midst of a meeting about an emergency of kidnappings in Calabria. Morabito became a fugitive in 1992 after an indictment for drug trafficking.[4][5]
[edit] Drug trafficking
Morabito put together a joint venture of 'Ndrangheta clans, among which the Barbaro family from Platì, the Pelle family from San Luca, but also the Pisano-Pesce-Bellocco clan from Rosarno, on the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria.[4] Connections between the Morabito clan and Mafiosi of the Catania area were established during criminal investigations concerning drug trafficking.[2] Between 1996 and 1997 the "new Balkan mafias" began to play a "dominant role" in the importing of heroin and arms trafficking, to the extent that they started supplying the 'Ndrangheta gang run by Morabito with drugs. The network, including Agim Gashi and Ismet Dedinca, enjoyed the discreet support of Italian intelligence (with which the Morabito clan as in contact) and the direct involvement of politicians (such as Ritvan Peshkepia), who enjoyed diplomatic immunity.[6][7][8]
The Morabito-Bruzzaniti-Palamara cosca from Africo is heavily involved in cocaine trafficking through contacts in Venezuela, Colombia and Argentina.[9] Tiradrittu’s grandson, Salvatore Morabito, looked after the interests of the clan in the north of Italy. He was arrested in Milan on May 3, 2007, along with 19 others and 250kg of cocaine, smuggled through the fruit and vegetable wholesale market (Ortomercato) that is under control of the 'Ndrangheta.[10][11] Salvatore Morabito used to arrive on the market in his Ferrari.[12]
[edit] Arrest
On February 18, 2004, Morabito was arrested along with his son-in-law, Giuseppe Pansera, another fugitive. He was armed but did not resist the police. "Treat me well," he reportedly told officers. He had been at large for 12 years, on suspicion of running an international drug smuggling ring.[3][13] However, many of his relatives are still free and continue to operate thanks to the prestige of Tiradrittu.[5]
Giuseppe Sculli, a former Juventus and Italy Under-21 player, is the grandson of Morabito.[14][5]
[edit] References
- ^ (Italian) 'Ndrangheta 2005, Nisio Palmieri, Dossier della Fondazione Cesar e dell’Associazione Sicurstrada per conto della Consulta Nazionale dei Consigli Regionali Unipol Assicurazioni
- ^ a b 2nd Semi-annual 2000, Direzione Investigativa Antimafia (DIA)
- ^ a b Calabrian mafia leader arrested, BBC News, February 18, 2004
- ^ a b c d e (Italian) Diffidò il capo della Polizia Parisi a investigare su di lui, Gazzetta del Sud, February 19, 2004
- ^ a b c d e (Italian) Killer nero e boss in camice bianco, L’Espresso, October 27, 2005
- ^ The World Geopolitics of Drugs 1998-1999, Observatoire Géopolitique de Drogues (OGD), April 2000
- ^ Milan: Kosovars Admit to Trafficking in Arms, Drugs, Corriere della Sera, May 1, 1999
- ^ Between ethnic collusion and mafia collusion: the “Balkan Route” to state-making, by Francesco Strazzari, in Jung, Shadow Globalization, Ethnic Conflicts and New Wars, p. 146
- ^ (Italian) Boss alla milanese, L’Espresso, December 27, 2007
- ^ Mafiosi move north to take over the shops and cafés of Milan, The Times, May 5, 2007
- ^ (Italian) Night club della 'ndrangheta all'Ortomercato, Corriere della Sera, May 4, 2007
- ^ (Italian) Relazione annuale sulla 'ndrangheta, Commissione parlamentare di inchiesta sul fenomeno della criminalità organizzata mafiosa o similare (Relatore: Francesco Forgione), February 2008
- ^ (Italian) Colpo al cuore della 'ndrangheta, arrestato il boss Morabito, La Repubblica, February 18, 2004
- ^ At one Italian club, the most significant shots are fired at the president's car, The Guardian, November 22, 2005
- Jung, Dietrich (ed.) (2003). Shadow Globalization, Ethnic Conflicts and New Wars: A Political Economy of Intra-State War, London: Routledge ISBN 0-415-28203-9
[edit] External links
- (Italian) La primula rossa della ‘Ndrangheta. Storia di Giuseppe Morabito uno dei più potenti capi della mafia calabrese, by Giorgio Bongiovanni and Monica Centofante, Antimafia Duemila.
