Salvatore Caruso, 46 years old, called “Turi malavita”, wanted by the police within the anti-mafia operation “Revenge”, that last November lead to the capture of 50 bosses and Mafia members, was arrested. Caruso is considered one of the leaders of the Cappello clan in Catania. The man was in a car in a residential area in Catania. He is accused of Mafia association, drug smuggling, weapon detention and extortion.

He has already been in prison for Mafia association and weapon detention. This operation is another blow to the Mafia after the arrest of another two Mafiosi, Gianni Nicchi, an emerging boss, and Tanino Fidanzati, an old godfather, who were arrested two days ago. The young boss, who was becoming one of the leaders of the Palermo Mafia, was hiding in an apartment a couple of metres from the Justice building. The old Mafia leader instead, during the 1980s the king of drug smuggling, was walking in Marghera road in Milan. The two were arrested almost simultaneously. They were both on the list of the 30 most dangerous people.

Gianni Nicchi, 28 years old, called “u picciotteddu” (the young boy, editor’s note), the head of the Palermo Mafia, tried to escape from an internal yard. Tanino Fidanzati, 74 years old, tried to say he was someone else, giving the police a false ID card. When Nicchi saw the police he did not say one word. The old boss, instead, once he realized he had been recognized, smiled and asked the police for a cigarette.

Translated by Chiara Nunnari from John Milton Institute