Positano on the Amalfi Coast is apparently not only popular among influencer tourists – but also among mafia bosses.Image: www.imago-images.de
The planned luxury weekend over Easter on Italy’s Amalfi Coast has turned into a stay in prison for one of the most wanted alleged mafia bosses.
48-year-old Roberto Mazzarella was arrested in the holiday resort of Vietri sul Mare on the Mediterranean, where he had rented a holiday villa with his family. He is now in custody.
The alleged head of the Mazzarella clan from Naples is accused of several contract killings. He was previously ranked fourth on the Interior Ministry’s list of most wanted criminals. Organized crime with its branched clans is still widespread in Italy. The Camorra is particularly active around the southern Italian city of Naples – not far from the Amalfi Coast.
Cash and luxury watches confiscated
The alleged mafia boss was staying at the resort with his wife and two children, in a villa with sea views and a private beach. The overnight stay there costs 1000 euros. When he was arrested on Saturday night, 20,000 euros in cash, three luxury watches, several cell phones and fake identification documents were confiscated. In addition, documents are said to have been seized that provide information about his clan. According to police, he offered no resistance.
The Italian Interior Ministry used this photo to search for Roberto Mazzarella.Image: keystone
Mazzarella is accused, among other things, of ordering the murder of the brother of a Mafia hitman in December 2000 after his father was killed. The man was shot dead in a delicatessen in Naples. But there are also witness statements according to which Mazzarella himself pulled the trigger. He had been wanted on an arrest warrant for more than a year. It is believed that he has been in France and Spain for the past few months.
Meloni praises arrest as a blow to mafia
The Mazzarella clan is considered one of the most influential Camorra families in Naples. According to experts, it grew up by smuggling cigarettes across the Mediterranean and drug trafficking. The Camorra is characterized by a decentralized structure made up of many clans that have been active in crime for decades. The ‘Ndrangheta, which is based further south, is more internationally active.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni praised the arrest. She spoke of a “clear signal that the state is not withdrawing.” There are repeated accusations against Italy’s politicians of not doing enough against the mafia or even of being involved with it.
Sweets and meat for the grill
The investigators also tracked down the alleged boss by following the activities of those around him on social networks. Mazzeralla herself did not use a cell phone. He apparently felt safe: When the police stormed the villa around 4:45 a.m., he was asleep. In the accommodation, the officers discovered expensive sweets and high-quality meat “Premium Beef Exclusive”: Apparently the family wanted to have a barbecue at Easter.
The Amalfi Coast with places like Positano is one of Italy’s most popular and also most expensive holiday regions. Vietri sul Mare with its steep slopes is considered one of the most beautiful communities in Italy. There was also a German artists’ colony there for many years. (sda/dpa)
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Video: watson/Delia Klo