• Mafia. Santapaola-Ercolano clan blow: 14 arrests in Catania for extortion and drugs
  • Mafia, blitz against Santapaola-Ercolano clan: 18 arrests, also former MP

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12 October 2019Is 21 people locked up in prison, 10 placed under house arrest and the unavailable balance of the anti-mafia blitz of the Carabinieri Provincial Command of Catania throughout the national territory which allowed the internal structure to be disarticulated to the Catanese family of Cosa nostra Santapaola Herculaneum.

The 32 are investigated by the district anti-mafia directorate as they are held responsible, in various capacities, for mafia-type association crimes, extortion, fictitious heading of goods, drug trafficking, possession and illegal arms port.

During the operation, code-named Black Lotus, it has been ascertained, as already emerged in the past, that the Catano family of Cosa nostra is divided into territorially localized groups, at the head of each of which is placed a manager, required to give account of his work to the 'pro tempore' regent of the entire association.

In 2015 and 2016, this role was entrusted to Francesco Santapaola, son of the blessed chieftain to Antonino Tomaselli and finally to Alfo Ercolano.

The investigation was taken in March 2015 after the complaint of an entrepreneur victim of an extortion attempt. In particular, the survey concerned the group of 'San Pietro Clarenza and Barriera' and the group of 'Lineri' operating in the territories of Camporotondo Etneo, San Pietro Clarenza, Misterbianco and Belpasso, and over 30 episodes of extortion were ascertained and contested , both attempted and consummated, as well as drug trafficking and fictitious company heading.

The investigation activity, reinforced by the statements of the collaborators of justice, allowed to monitor the harassed companies that, as in some cases demonstrated, paid amounts that ranged between three thousand and five thousand euros per year at regular intervals.

A particularly important datum of today's operation is that related to the collaboration of over 15 victims of extortion (attempted or consumed), with the demolition of the wall of silence typical of merchants and entrepreneurs who fear the strength of the associative bond.