Strike Against Sicilian Mafia's Business and Usury Operations

 The anti-mafia operation "Oleandro" has dealt a significant blow to Cosa Nostra in Sicily, targeting the historical Picanello group, a branch of the Santapaola-Ercolano Mafia family in Catania. Fifteen individuals have been arrested in this operation, shedding light on their involvement in organized crime, usury, extortion, organized trafficking and distribution of narcotics, and money laundering.

Operational Details:
The financial police of the Provincial Command, in collaboration with the Central Service for Investigations on Organized Crime (Scico), executed arrest orders for 26 suspects across the provinces of Catania, Caltanissetta, Arezzo, Naples, and Udine. Fifteen individuals face personal precautionary measures, with 14 in custody and one under house arrest. The charges include association with a mafia-type criminal organization, aggravated by mafia methods, usury, extortion, organized drug trafficking, and money laundering through reinvestment of illicit proceeds into economic activities.

Seizures and Confiscations:
The judicial order includes the seizure, intended for confiscation, of nine commercial activities in Catania operating in the construction sector, 81 buildings and plots of land in the provinces of Catania and Arezzo, five cars, and financial assets totaling over 12 million euros.

Investigative Origins:
The investigation originated from information obtained during another operation by the financial police called "Tuppetturu." Intercepted conversations revealed discussions among individuals close to the Cappello clan, Cintorino articulation, regarding evolving criminal dynamics within the new leadership of the Picanello group.

Leadership Succession:
Carmelo Salemi, known as "u ciuraru" (the florist), emerged as a key figure in reorganizing the mafia group after several arrests. After Salemi's arrest in 2020, attention shifted to his potential successors, particularly Giuseppe Russo, alias "il giornalista" or "l'elegante," who assumed a leadership role.

Usury Operations:
Nunzio Comis, son of the boss Giovanni Comis, was identified as a central figure in usurious activities. Using a company phone under another person's name, he disguised himself as "Melo" during conversations to avoid easy identification. A local bar in Picanello served as a meeting point for debt collection, facilitated by Lorenzo Antonio Panebianco, an employee of the bar.

Common Fund and Money Laundering:
The investigation uncovered a common fund used to pool proceeds from illicit activities. This fund was utilized to financially support affiliated individuals recently released from prison and their families, covering travel expenses for prison visits, paying salaries, legal fees, and reinvesting in other criminal activities. A detailed ledger, referred to as "la carta," documented creditors, debtors, earnings, and expenses of the criminal association.

Money Laundering Facilitator:
Fabrizio Giovanni Papa, an entrepreneur in the construction sector, was identified as a key figure supporting Picanello's group and Salemi. Papa allegedly provided his companies for laundering substantial amounts of cash derived from the criminal activities of the mafia clan. Several construction projects initiated by Papa's companies were alleged to have been funded by the illicit proceeds of the mafia association.

Conclusion:
This investigative effort aligns with broader actions by the Public Prosecutor of Catania and the financial police aimed at combating, from an economic-financial perspective, mafia-type criminal organizations and entrepreneurial mafia. It aims to prevent the dangerous contamination of the business fabric and participation in the capital of legitimate enterprises by organized crime.