Severed Pig's Head Left On Doorstep Of Crime-Fighting Italian Priest Ennio Stamile

Methinks somebody watched The Godfather too many times... if that's possible. Actually, the brave good father got off kind of easy considering steps organized crime in Italy has taken in the past, killing public officials left and right, and so forth. And then there is the story of America's own Joe Petrosino, a New York City police officer (August 30, 1860 - March 12, 1909) who fought the mob about 100 years ago. His techniques are said to be still practiced today by agencies in the fight against Cosa Nostra. He was slain in Sicily by the Mafia -- where he had gone to track down some intelligence. A small park in Greenwich Village, New York City, formerly known as Kenmare Square, was named after Petrosino in 1987. A statue of him stands there still.

From the HuffingtonPost.com:
Rev. Ennio Stamile has spoken out against organized crime in Calabria, Italy,
allegedly by the 'Ndrangheta.

A bloody, severed pig's head, gagged with a wad of cloth, was dumped on the front doorstep of an Italian clergyman who's been critical of mob crime in his neighborhood.

It's a clear Godfather-esque warning to the Rev. Ennio Stamile, who has been victimized twice over the past week after speaking out against organized crime in his home region of Calabria -- famous for its high rate of mob-related murders, The Telegraphreports.

It's the second threat pointed at Stamile in just five days -- allegedly by the 'Ndrangheta mafia -- after his car was vandalized five days earlier.

But a man with a higher power on his side is hard to take out with a threat ripped off of Don Vito Corleone.

"These are people who are warped by evil, but righteousness pays and pays many times over," he told the paper on Monday. "I certainly won't stop what I'm doing, but I don't want to send a message that I'm trying to defy anyone. Calabria has no need for heroes, just people who want to do their duty."

That said, violence aimed at Italian officials -- relatively uncommon in comparison to civilian murders by mobsters -- has seen an uptick in the past few years in southern Italy. The Telegraph also reported in September 2010 that Naples-based Mayor Angelo Vassallo was gunned down by the Camorra mafia because of his opposition to illegal construction rackets.

The 'Ndrangheta, an extremely wealthy crime syndicate with territory all over Calabria, according to Reuters, has made a fortune from drug dealing and other illegal activities.

Italian officials are rallying behind Stamile to keep fighting the good fight.

"It's a nasty business. We have faith in the forces of order and the judiciary. A priest has never been targeted in this way in [this neighborhood]," said Giuseppe Aieta, mayor of Cetraro, a mob-heavy town in Calabria.

Comments

  1. I do not even understand how I stopped up here, however I thought this put up was once good. I don't know who you might be but definitely you are going to a well-known blogger for those who are not already. Cheers!
    my web site > Organic Coffee with Ganoderma Lucidum from Organo Gold

    ReplyDelete
  2. I write as many original posts as I can; I also link to interesting stories that I think my readers will like -- I always prominently credit and link to the site from which I get my posts... I view this site as a clearinghouse for all things Mafia-related. I am now working on a piece about Wild Bill Cutolo & son, it's an exclusive you won't find on any other site. Those are the types of stories I prefer to offer, believe you me, anonymous...

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment