COSA NOSTRA UNDER ATTACK
By David Amoruso
Copyright www.gangstersinc.nl
Posted on January 25, 2008
On January 24 the centre-left government led by Romano Prodi fell. The collapse of its government, after a tense political voting round in which the man responsible for the crisis, Nuccio Cusumano, chose to support Prodi after all, making him the target of the anger of his fellow politicians, lost consciousness, leaves Italy in a crisis. Its citizens are looking for a strong man to take charge and make things right. The man most people want in charge? Former president Silvio Berluconi. And Berlusconi is ready and willing: "We need an election as soon as possible, because the country needs us to do important things." But critics call Berlusconi a politician who is only looking out for his own interests. And some critics say he will also be looking out for the interests of Cosa Nostra.
During Romano Prodi's reign Cosa Nostra has been under heavy pressure by law enforcement. A day after Prodi won the 2006 elections the Mafia's boss of bosses Bernardo Provenzano (picture on the right) was arrested after having spent over forty years on the run. Perhaps it was a coincidence that he was arrested a day after alleged mafia friend Berlusconi lost power, some people thought. But Prodi proved them wrong, in the coming year and a half scores of important mafiosi would be arrested.
When Provenzano was arrested he was replaced by Antonino Rotolo and more importantly Salvatore Lo Piccolo. Authorities called Lo Piccolo the only man who was capable of taking Provenzano's place. Lo Piccolo, in his sixties, was in a similar situation as Provenzano, he too was a fugitive, be it for 'only' 23 years. The years as a fugitive were spent on Sicily, a prime example of Cosa Nostra's power. But in November of 2007 Lo Piccolo was arrested together with his son and two other mafiosi. Rotolo was already in police custody, having been arrested two months after Provenzano. Cosa Nostra was under attack, and they couldn't hide. In December of 2007 Mafia boss Daniele Emmanuello was shot dead by police as he fled his hide-out. While running from the police he swallowed several 'pizzini' (handwritten coded notes which the mafia uses to communicate.) The incident showed that Cosa Nostra bosses weren't safe, not from arrest, but also not from death by police bullets.
Italy's citizens are on a cross road. They need to decide whether they want a healthy economy, freed from the iron grip of Italy's powerful organized crime groups. Or a flamboyant billionaire who excudes power and charisma, but who will keep the status quo in place. Of course things are never this black and white. But Prodi proved one thing: he took on the Mafia, and had them ducking for cover.
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