Giuseppe Morabito
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Giuseppe Morabito (; born 15 August 1934), nicknamed ("the straight shooter"), is an Italian criminal and a historical boss of the
'Ndrangheta The 'Ndrangheta (, , ) is a mafia-type organized crime, criminal syndicate originating from the Calabria region of Italy. Gratteri & Nicaso, ''Fratelli di Sangue'', pp. 65–68 This body, also referred to as the Commission in reference to the ...
, a
Mafia "Mafia", as an informal or general term, is often used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the Sicilian Mafia, original Mafia in Sicily, to the Italian-American Mafia, or to other Organized crime in Italy, organiz ...
-type organisation in the region of
Calabria Calabria is a Regions of Italy, region in Southern Italy. It is a peninsula bordered by the region Basilicata to the north, the Ionian Sea to the east, the Strait of Messina to the southwest, which separates it from Sicily, and the Tyrrhenian S ...
, in southern Italy. He hails from
Africo Africo (Central-Southern Calabrian, Calabrian: ; ) is a ''comune'' in the province of Reggio Calabria, in the Southern Italian region of Calabria located from Reggio Calabria. Africo consists of two main centers. The first, Africo Vecchio (Old A ...
in the
Locride Locride is an area of Calabria, Italy around the town of Locri in the Province of Reggio Calabria. The term takes origin from the Locris, an ancient Greek region. It is divided into 5 areas: * Vallata dello Stilaro * Vallata del Torbido * Epizefir ...
. He was a fugitive and on the
list of most wanted fugitives in Italy The list of most wanted fugitives in Italy is a most wanted list published by the Italian Interior Ministry. It includes criminals who are considered extremely dangerous by the Polizia di Stato. The list was started in July 1992. There are also l ...
from 1992 until his arrest in February 2004.


'Ndrangheta boss

Morabito is an important figure of the 'Ndrangheta. During the
Second 'Ndrangheta war The Second 'Ndrangheta war was an internal struggle in the 'Ndrangheta, a criminal organisation in Calabria (southern Italy). The conflict raged from 1985–1991 in Reggio Calabria. Practically all the 'ndrine in Reggio Calabria grouped into eith ...
(1985–1991) in Calabria, he allegedly chaired the meetings that were held annually at the
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Polsi The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Polsi, also known as the Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Polsi or Our Lady of the Mountain, is a Christian sanctuary in the heart of the Aspromonte mountains, near San Luca in Calabria, southern Italy. It was founded by Rog ...
and, later, in Africo.Activity carried out and the results gathered during the period June – December 2000
by the Direzione Investigativa Antimafia
He is described as one of the senior members of ''
Camera di Controllo The ''Camera di Controllo'' (Board of Control), is a collegial body of the 'Ndrangheta, a Mafia-type organisation in Calabria in Southern Italy. It is also known as ''La Provincia'' (the Province) or ''Camera di Compensazione'' (compensation board ...
'', a provincial commission of the 'Ndrangheta formed at the end of the
Second 'Ndrangheta war The Second 'Ndrangheta war was an internal struggle in the 'Ndrangheta, a criminal organisation in Calabria (southern Italy). The conflict raged from 1985–1991 in Reggio Calabria. Practically all the 'ndrine in Reggio Calabria grouped into eith ...
in September 1991, to avoid further internal conflicts,, Nisio Palmieri, Dossier della Fondazione Cesar e dell’Associazione Sicurstrada per conto della Consulta Nazionale dei Consigli Regionali Unipol AssicurazioniSentenza procedimento penale Olimpia
, Tribunale di Reggio Calabria, January 19, 1999
i.e. the body that reproduces the well-known
Sicilian Mafia Commission The Sicilian Mafia Commission (Italian: ''Commissione provinciale''), known as Commissione or Cupola, is a body of leading Sicilian Mafia members who decide on important questions concerning the actions of, and settling disputes within the Sicili ...
. When he was arrested in February 2004, Roberto Centaro – the president of the Parliamentary
Antimafia Commission The Antimafia Commission () is a bicameral commission of the Italian Parliament, composed of members from the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic. The first commission, formed in 1963, was established as a body of inquiry tasked wi ...
– said the capture was even more important than that of Sicilian Mafia boss
Bernardo Provenzano Bernardo Provenzano (; 31 January 1933 – 13 July 2016) was an Italian mobster and chief of the Sicilian Mafia clan known as the Corleonesi, a Mafia faction that originated in the town of Corleone, and ''de facto'' the boss of bosses ("''il ...
.Calabrian mafia leader arrested
BBC News, 18 February 2004
According to several
pentiti ''Pentito'' (; lit. "repentant"; plural: ''pentiti'') is used colloquially to designate collaborators of justice in Italian criminal procedure terminology who were formerly part of criminal organizations and decided to collaborate with a public ...
, Sicilian Mafia boss
Totò Riina Salvatore Riina (; 16 November 1930 – 17 November 2017), called Totò ( sicilian diminutive of Salvatore), was an Italian mobster and chief of the Sicilian Mafia, known for a ruthless murder campaign that reached a peak in the early 1990s with ...
was sheltered by Morabito, while Riina was on the run.Diffidò il capo della Polizia Parisi a investigare su di lui
Gazzetta del Sud, 19 February 2004
Killer nero e boss in camice bianco
, L’Espresso, 27 October 2005
According to the special Antimafia police – the
Direzione Investigativa Antimafia The Direzione Investigativa Antimafia (DIA), also known as the Anti-Mafia Investigation Division, is an Italian multi-force investigation body under the Department of Public Security of the Ministry of the Interior. Its main task is the fight aga ...
(DIA) – his influence within the 'Ndrangheta appears to be quite similar to Provenzano's influence within the Sicilian Cosa Nostra.


Early years

His first troubles with the criminal justice system were in 1952 for illegally occupying and damaging a building, unlawful possession of arms and violence against persons. In 1967, he was accused of being the principal behind the Locri massacre in which three members of a rival clan were killed, but he was acquitted for lack of evidence in 1971. At the end of the 1980s, Morabito became the head of the 'Ndrangheta '' locale'' of Africo after the so-called Motticella feud between the Morabito-Mollica clan and the Speranza-Palamara-Scriva clan, all from Africo. In 1989, he challenged the chief of the national police Vincenzo Parisi to investigate him, declaring he was innocent. An official brought the notice to Parisi while he visited the court in Locri in the midst of a meeting about an emergency of kidnappings in Calabria. Morabito became a fugitive in 1992 after an indictment for drug trafficking.


'Ndrangheta cell in Sicily

The Morabito clan established a 'Ndrangheta cell in
Messina Messina ( , ; ; ; ) is a harbour city and the capital city, capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of 216,918 inhabitants ...
on Sicily - across the
Strait of Messina The Strait of Messina (; ) is a narrow strait between the eastern tip of Sicily (Punta del Faro) and the western tip of Calabria (Punta Pezzo) in Southern Italy. It connects the Tyrrhenian Sea to the north with the Ionian Sea to the south, with ...
opposite
Calabria Calabria is a Regions of Italy, region in Southern Italy. It is a peninsula bordered by the region Basilicata to the north, the Ionian Sea to the east, the Strait of Messina to the southwest, which separates it from Sicily, and the Tyrrhenian S ...
. Up to the late 1970s, criminal gangs in Messina were under the influence of the 'Ndrangheta.Paoli, ''Mafia Brotherhoods'', p. 27 Only later, the Sicilian Cosa Nostra established an organisation of its own in Messina and its province by including the local Calabrian Mafia-type structure. The whole process took place without any conflict and there is reason to believe that the Mafia infiltration in the Messina area took place after agreements made between the leaders of the two organisations. The Morabitos exercise considerable power in Messina up to the present. The clan turned the
University of Messina The University of Messina (; Latin: ''Studiorum Universitas Messanae''), known colloquially as UniME, is a state university located in Messina, Sicily, Italy. Founded in 1548 by Pope Paul III, it was the world's first Jesuit college, and today it ...
into their private fiefdom, ordering that degrees, academic posts and influence be awarded to favoured associates. Friends or relatives of politicians were the beneficiaries whom the clan wished to cultivate. Before a police crackdown in June 2001, two professors had been kneecapped by unknown assailants, four bombs exploded in university buildings and the cars of several academics were set on fire. Lecturers were threatened before examinations by students claiming mafia-type backing.Crackdown at university ''(sic)'' run by Mafia for 25 years
Daily Telegraph, 19 June 2001


Drug trafficking

Morabito put together a joint venture of 'Ndrangheta clans, among which the
Barbaro family The Barbaro family () was a Patricianship, patrician family of Venice. They were wealthy and influential and owned large estates in the Veneto above Treviso.Encyclopedia of Italian Renaissance & Mannerist art, Volume 1', Jane Turner, New York, 20 ...
from
Platì Platì (; ) is a town and ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Reggio Calabria, in Calabria, southern Italy. It rises above sea level on the slope of the Aspromonte mountains and is located next to the Aspromonte National Park. History P ...
, the
Pelle Pelle may refer to: * ''Pelle'' (album), a 2000 studio album of the Italian band Punkreas * Pelle (given name) * Pelle (surname) * Pelle Pelle, a fashion brand ** " Pelle Coat", a 2023 song by Lil Durk named after the brand * An enzyme, also kn ...
family from
San Luca San Luca is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Calabria in Italy, located about southwest of Catanzaro and about east of Reggio Calabria. The town is situated on the eastern slopes of the Aspromonte mountains and in the val ...
, but also the Pisano-
Pesce Pesce may refer to: Geography * The Pesce Peninsula in West Antarctica Cinema * Il pesce innamorato (‘The Fish in Love’), Italian comedy film released in 1999 People * Brett Pesce (born 1994), American hockey player * Emidio Pesce (born 2002 ...
- Bellocco clan from
Rosarno Rosarno is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria in the Italian region of Calabria. It is about southwest of Catanzaro and about northeast of Reggio Calabria. Rosarno stands on a natural terrace cloaked in olive ...
, on the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria. Connections between the Morabito clan and Mafiosi of the
Catania Catania (, , , Sicilian and ) is the second-largest municipality on Sicily, after Palermo, both by area and by population. Despite being the second city of the island, Catania is the center of the most densely populated Sicilian conurbation, wh ...
area were established during criminal investigations concerning drug trafficking. Connections with the Mafia in
Mazara del Vallo Mazara del Vallo (; is a city and in the province of Trapani, northwestern Sicily, Italy. It lies mainly on the left bank at the mouth of the Mazaro river. It is an agricultural and fishing centre and its port gives shelter to the largest fi ...
in the
province of Trapani The province of Trapani (; ; officially ''libero consorzio comunale di Trapani'') is a Provinces of Italy, province in the autonomous island region of Sicily, Italy. Following the suppression of the Sicilian provinces, it was replaced in 2015 by ...
headed by Mariano Agate were used to import
hashish Hashish (; ), usually abbreviated as hash, is a Compression (physics), compressed form of resin (trichomes) derived from the cannabis flowers. European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, Lisbon, As a Psychoactive drug, psychoactive ...
from Morocco and cocaine from Latin America. He was also involved in smuggling hashish from
Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
.Narcotraffico, filo diretto tra Libano e 'ndrine della Locride
Gazzetta del Sud, 26 September 2007
Between 1996 and 1997, the "new Balkan mafias" began to play a "dominant role" in the importing of heroin and arms trafficking, to the extent that they started supplying the 'Ndrangheta gang run by Morabito with drugs. The network, including Agim Gashi and Ismet Dedinca, enjoyed the discreet support of Italian intelligence (with which the Morabito clan was in contact) and the direct involvement of politicians (such as Ritvan Peshkepia), who enjoyed diplomatic immunity.The World Geopolitics of Drugs 1998-1999
Observatoire Géopolitique de Drogues (OGD), April 2000

Corriere della Sera, 1 May 1999
Between ethnic collusion and mafia collusion: the "Balkan Route" to state-making
by Francesco Strazzari, in Jung, ''Shadow Globalization, Ethnic Conflicts and New Wars'', p. 146
The Morabito-Bruzzaniti-Palamara cosca from
Africo Africo (Central-Southern Calabrian, Calabrian: ; ) is a ''comune'' in the province of Reggio Calabria, in the Southern Italian region of Calabria located from Reggio Calabria. Africo consists of two main centers. The first, Africo Vecchio (Old A ...
is heavily involved in cocaine trafficking through contacts in Venezuela, Colombia and Argentina.Boss alla milanese
, L’Espresso, 27 December 2007
Tiradrittu’s grandson, Salvatore Morabito, looked after the interests of the clan in the north of Italy. He was arrested in
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
on 3 May 2007, along with 19 others. The police seized 250 kg of cocaine, smuggled through the fruit and vegetable wholesale market (Ortomercato) that is under control of the 'Ndrangheta.Mafiosi move north to take over the shops and cafés of Milan
The Times, 5 May 2007
Night club della 'ndrangheta all'Ortomercato
Corriere della Sera, 4 May 2007
Salvatore Morabito used to arrive at the market in his Ferrari.Relazione annuale sulla 'ndrangheta
Commissione parlamentare di inchiesta sul fenomeno della criminalità organizzata mafiosa o similare (Relatore: Francesco Forgione), February 2008


Arrest

On 18 February 2004, Morabito was arrested along with his son-in-law, Giuseppe Pansera, another fugitive. He was armed but did not resist the police. "Treat me well", he reportedly told officers. He had been at large for 12 years, on suspicion of running an international drug smuggling ring.Colpo al cuore della 'ndrangheta, arrestato il boss Morabito
La Repubblica, 18 February 2004
However, many of his relatives are still free and continue to operate thanks to the prestige of Tiradrittu. His son and successor as the head of the clan, Rocco Morabito, was arrested on 26 April 2010, in
Melito di Porto Salvo Melito di Porto Salvo (; or ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria in the Italian region Calabria, located about southwest of Catanzaro and about southeast of Reggio Calabria; and is also the southernmost m ...
, while he was visiting his sister.Duro colpo alla 'ndrangheta, preso il boss Giovanni Tegano
Corriere della Sera, 26 April 2010
Giuseppe Sculli, a former
Juventus Juventus Football Club (; from , ), commonly known as Juventus or colloquially as Juve (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Turin, Piedmont, who compete in Serie A, the ...
and Italy Under-21 player, is the grandson of Morabito. He was accused of match-fixing when he played for F.C. Crotone against his other former club F.C. Messina on the last match-day of the 2001-02 Serie B season.At one Italian club, the most significant shots are fired at the president's car
The Guardian, 22 November 2005


See also

*
List of fugitives from justice who disappeared This is a list of fugitives from justice, notable people who disappeared or evaded capture while being sought by law enforcement agencies in connection with a crime, and who are currently sought or were sought for the duration of their presumed ...


References


External links

*
La primula rossa della ‘Ndrangheta. Storia di Giuseppe Morabito uno dei più potenti capi della mafia calabrese
by Giorgio Bongiovanni and Monica Centofante, Antimafia Duemila. * Jung, Dietrich (ed.) (2003).
Shadow Globalization, Ethnic Conflicts and New Wars: A Political Economy of Intra-State War
', London: Routledge * Paoli, Letizia (2003). ''Mafia Brotherhoods: Organized Crime, Italian Style'', New York: Oxford University Press

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morabito, Giuseppe 1934 births Italian crime bosses Living people 'Ndranghetisti People from Africo People from the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria University of Messina people