'Ndragnheta: Scott Rebirth trial, a shower of convictions

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06 November 2021

The Gup of Catanzaro Claudio Paris, as part of the "Rinascita-Scott" trial, celebrated with an abbreviated rite, issued a barrage of sentences and few acquittals. The Catanzaro DDA, led by Nicola Gratteri, had asked, on 24 February last - with the prosecutors of the Catanzaro DDA Antonio De Bernardo, Annamaria Frustaci and Andrea Mancuso - for 85 sentences and 6 acquittals. At the stand the alleged affiliates of the Mancuso clan of Limbadi and Nicotera, at the 'ndrine Lo Bianco, Barba, Pardea, Macrì, Camillò, Pugliese from Vibo Valentia, Cracolici from Maierato and Filogaso; and then Bonavota di Sant'Onofrio, Mazzotta di Pizzo Calabro, Accorinti di Zungri, Barbieri di Cessaniti, Fiarè-Gasparro di San Gregorio d'Ippona.

The convicted defendants - due to the choice of the shortened procedure - enjoyed a penalty discount equal to one third of the sentence.

Judged with the same rite, among others, the collaborators of justice of Vibo Valentia, Bartolomeo Arena, Gaetano Cannatà and Michele Camillò, as well as Emanuele Mancuso of Nicotera, "scion" of the homonymous clan and son of the more famous Pantaleone Mancuso, alias "The Engineer".

The main accusation was that of mafia association, but there was no lack of protests for several attempted murders, drug trafficking, fictitious registration of assets, extortion, corruption, damage, illegal possession of weapons and usury. The accusatory system of the DDA of Catanzaro is held up.

"It is the largest operation since the Palermo maxi trial". Thus the prosecutor of Catanzaro Nicola Gratteri summarized, in December 2019, the Rinascita Scott operation which overwhelmed the organization of the 'ndrine in the Vibonese area, also involving politicians, entrepreneurs and professionals. 479 in total the people involved.

The operation led to the arrest of 334 people in Italy and abroad and the beheading of the gangs in the Vibo Valentia area and highlighted the network of intrigues between 'Ndrangheta, white-collar workers and Freemasonry.

From the documents of the investigation it emerged that to manage every single deal, what is called "the powerful universal highway" was used: Freemasonry. To give it this name, the lawyer Giancarlo Pittelli, former senator of Forza Italia, indicated as the link between politicians and professionals, the 'Ndrangheta and Freemasonry itself. A "two-faced Janus" is defined.

The connections that emerge from the investigative acts are disturbing: magistrates, politicians, 'Ndranghetists, professionals, representatives of the police, all linked by the associative rite: "A jumble - to use the terms of the ordinance - of relations between boss of the 'Ndrangheta and leaders of Freemasonry ”.

All, the latter, inserted in strategic structures: from courts to hospitals, passing through the armed forces and banking institutions.