Italy defeating the Mafia ?

The Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has now begun to somewhat boast on the impact his govenrment has had on organized crime. Berlusconi is making it a point that the many indictments and arrest of mafia members is known by all. He has claimed his government has made more then any other government fighting the mafia a prime goal. Berlusconi and his interior minister have gone as far as saying that they have declared total war on the mafia.

There have been many arrest and some very high profile ones under the Berlusconi regime. There was a major mafia bust in May of 09 where 70 suspected members of the naples based mafia or Camorra were arrested
along with one of italy’s dangerous fugitives Franco Letizia a mafia leader
who had been on the run of law enforcement for years. Also captured was top mafia fugitive Giuseppe Bastone who was also on the run from italian officials.Then in November of 09′ the three Russo brothers were arrested Pasquale Russo , Carmine Russo, and Salvatore Russo all suspected mafia members.

Italy saw 21 of its 30 most wanted mafia members arrested so all in all the Berlusconi government does have a leg to stand on for some of its claim. But many organized crime experts agree that this gloating is all for nothing as these arrest are simply a slight blow to organized crime in the region and at best a temporary setback. The Mafia organizations of the region  Cosa Nostra of Sicily , ‘Ndragheta of Calabria , Camorra of Campania , and Sacra Corona Unita of Puglia  still maintain political and social control of there respected territories.

The recent global economic crisis many say has helped organized crime to grow even stronger and that is true especially in the Italian regions. All four of italies mafia groups have expanded loan sharking operations and used the proceeds to buy into legitimate businesses at very cheap prices as the owners go broke due to the economic climate. This offers the mafia organizations new revenue which can then be used in the drug trades and other mafia operations. They have also used this cash flow to expand operations into other area’s such as cities like Milan which have until now stayed free of mafia influence.

Many thing that the Berlusconi government are just using this “Defeating the Mafia” glaoting as a distraction to keep the citizens from questions other scandals that Berlusconi has been linked to. Berlusconi has been mixed into sex scandals for over a year , as well as being himself linked to the mafia. Gaspare Spatuzza a mafia family turncoat or pentito has said that Berlusconi  made a deal with Sicily’s Cosa Nostra mafia just before he won his term as prime minister. Members of the Berlusconi govenrment have also been linked to mafia payoffs and influence from powerfull mafia clans such as the Casalese clan of the Camorra.

Many mafia experts say that this boasting against the mafia of the Berlusconi government may cause a severe backlash by the mafia families of the region showing the Italian government may be alot less competent and controlling on organized crime then it seems. Many think that the Mafia will strike back and possibly already have begun to with a recent bombing of a court room in Reggio Calabria. The bombing is by many seen as a warning sent by the ‘Ndrangheta mafia to Italian authorities to step back from its campaign against the maifa. The Ndrangheta were likely flexing there muscle as they are known to be one of the strongest mafia families in Italy and is said to be the most impenetrable.

Claims of finally “Defeating the Mafia” by Mr. Berlusconi are very much far fetched !