Corleone businessman breaks omertà over mafia extortion
Source: The Guardian
Entrepreneur’s decision to speak out after he was refused discount on ‘protection money’ has led to four arrests
Tuesday 27 January 2015 16.56 GMT
An Italian businessman in Corleone, the Sicilian town that inspired the creation of fiction’s most famous godfather, has blown the whistle on alleged mafia extortionists, breaking decades of silence – or omertà – that protected the mob.
The entrepreneur’s decision to speak out has led to four arrests, according to Italian media reports, including that of a mafia boss whose demands had long terrorised local businesses in Palermo.
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The act of rebellion was seen as one of the most significant breakthroughs since the arrest more than 20 years ago of Toto Riina, the Corleone-born mafia leader who was known as The Beast. He is serving multiple life sentences after being found guilty of several murders.
The shadow of Italian organised crime hangs over ordinary Italians, and not just in Siciliy and Naples. Over the last few months newspapers have been full of stories about elaborate corruption schemes involving public services in Rome, which has been dubbed “mafia capitale”. The scandal has ensnared dozens of politicians in the city.
Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/27/corleone-omerta-mafia-extortion-italy
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