Pasquale Condello (; born 24 September 1950) is an Italian criminal known as a member 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

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 ...

, southern Italy. He is also known as ("the supreme one") for his role at the top of the crime syndicate.'Mafia boss' arrested in Italy
BBC News, 18 February 2008
La Repubblica, 19 February 2008 He was a fugitive and included in 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 1990 until his capture in February 2008. Investigators called him the "Provenzano of Calabria" – a reference to Bernardo Provenzano, the Sicilian "boss of bosses" who was arrested in 2006 after some 40 years as a fugitive.

Criminal career

Initially Condello was aligned with

Paolo De Stefano Paolo De Stefano (; died October 13, 1985) was an Italian mobster and member of the 'Ndrangheta who became the undisputed boss of Reggio Calabria. Together with his brothers Giovanni, Giorgio and Orazio he headed the De Stefano 'ndrina. Earl ...

, the undisputed boss of

Reggio Calabria Reggio di Calabria (; ), commonly and officially referred to as Reggio Calabria, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, is the List of cities in Italy, largest city in Calabria as well as the seat of the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria. As ...

, who was the best man at his wedding.Condello, leader pacato e spietato
La Repubblica, 19 February 2008 Condello was probably involved in the killing of the historical and charismatic 'Ndrangheta boss

Antonio Macrì Antonio Macrì (; – 20 January 1975), popularly known as ("Unca Tony"), was a historical and charismatic boss of the 'Ndrangheta, a criminal and mafia-type organisation in Calabria, Italy. He was born in Siderno on the Ionian coast of Calabr ...

from

Siderno Siderno ( or ; ) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria, Calabria, southern Italy, about 3 kilometres from Locri. Siderno Marina is the newer town located on the Ionian coast. It is a destination for both Italian ...

– who tried to stop the crime syndicate drifting into kidnapping and drug running and opposed the establishment of the Santa – on 20 January 1975.Relazione mafie nel Lazio: Le famiglie mafiose operanti nel Lazio
LiberaInformazione According to a state witness, Condello was one of his 'executioners'. The murder unleashed the First 'Ndrangheta war that cost some 300 lives, including Domenico Tripodo, the historical boss of Reggio.Godfather's arrest fuels fear of bloody conflict
The Observer, 24 February 2008 At the end of the conflict De Stefano was the new leader of Reggio Calabria 'Ndrangheta.Paoli, ''Mafia Brotherhoods'', p. 115

Second 'Ndrangheta war

A second 'Ndrangheta war was triggered by the marriage between Giuseppina Condello – the sister of the Condello brothers, underbosses of De Stefano – and

Antonio Imerti Antonio Imerti (; born on 22 August 1946, in Villa San Giovanni), also known as ''Nano feroce'' ("fierce dwarf"), is an Italian criminal and a member of the 'Ndrangheta, the Calabrian mafia. He was born in Villa San Giovanni and controlled the Fiu ...

, the leader of a neighbouring '' 'ndrina'' in

Villa San Giovanni Villa San Giovanni () is a port city and a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria of Calabria, Italy. In 2010 its population was 13,747 with a decrease of 2.5% until 2016 and in 2020 an increase of 3.7%. It is an important term ...

. The conflict exploded in 1985, two years after the marriage and saw practically all the 'ndrine in the city of Reggio Calabria grouped into either one of two opposing factions. De Stefano had become fearful of the new alliance that might challenge his power base. A failed attempt on Antonio Imerti triggered the murder of Paolo De Stefano on 13 October 1985.Ucciso il 're delle cosche' e ora lotta per la successione
La Repubblica, 15 October 1985Paoli, ''Mafia Brotherhoods'', pp. 88–89, His brothers Paolo and

Domenico Condello Domenico Condello (; 4 November 1956), also known as ''Micu 'u pacciu'' ("Micu the madman"), is an Italian criminal belonging to the 'Ndrangheta, a Mafia-type criminal organisation in Calabria. Criminal history Born in the Archi neighbourhood of ...

were arrested in January 1988 for killing De Stefano,Catturati a Reggio Calabria i killer del boss De Stefano
La Repubblica, 7 January 1988 for which Pasquale has been charged as well. The bloody six-year war between the Condello-Imerti clan and De Stefano, allied with the Tegano clan, left 600 deaths. The conflict was settled with the help of other 'Ndrangheta bosses. Antonio Nirta, head of the

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 ...

locale vouched for the De Stefanos, while Antonio Mammoliti vouched for the Condello-Imerti clan., Nisio Palmieri, Dossier della Fondazione Cesar e dell’Associazione Sicurstrada per conto della Consulta Nazionale dei Consigli Regionali Unipol Assicurazioni Condello became a member of '' Camera di Controllo'', a provincial commission of the 'Ndrangheta formed at the end of the war in September 1991, to avoid further internal conflicts.Sentenza procedimento penale Olimpia
, Tribunale di Reggio Calabria, 19 January 1999

Criminal enterprise

Condello is accused of running a network of extortion and kickbacks on public works contracts, as well as having gotten control of contracts worth hundreds of millions of euros to build water purifiers in some Calabrian towns.Top mob boss arrested in Italian region of Calabria
International Herald Tribune, 18 February 2008 He is regarded as a key figure in trafficking cocaine between Colombia and Italy. He has been sentenced in absentia to four life prison terms - plus another 22 years in jail - for murder, mafia association, extortion, money laundering and drug-related offences, including the killing of Lodovico Ligato, a

Christian Democrat Christian democracy is an ideology inspired by Christian ethics#Politics, Christian social teaching to respond to the challenges of contemporary society and politics. Christian democracy has drawn mainly from Catholic social teaching and neo ...

politician and former head of the

Italian State Railways Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane S.p.A. (; ; previously only Ferrovie dello Stato, hence the initialism FS) is Italy's national state-owned railway holding company that manages transport, infrastructure, real estate services and other services in ...

in 1989.Who are the Calabrian mafia?
BBC News, 20 February 2008 Arrested in 1988, he jumped a US$100,000 bail in 1990 after being let out of prison under leniency rules which have since been changed. In March 1993, he was arrested together with his brother-in-law and alleged superior boss Antonio Imerti. However, newspaper reports already mentioned that Condello might have surpassed his former boss – and speculated that he might have killed Imerti when they both were still fugitives.Manette al capocosca "Nanu Feroce" Imerti e al cognato
Corriere della Sera, 24 March 1993 He managed to get released from detention again and became a fugitive.

Arrest

On 18 February 2008, Condello was captured in a major operation involving over 100 policemen who converged on an apartment in the district of Occhio di Péllaro, on the outskirts of

. Although he was armed, he did not resist arrest and "behaved like a true, old-style boss", ordering his underlings to hold their fire. He was taken into custody without a struggle, police said. He had been trailed for days and was found in the company of his son-in-law and a nephew. Investigators said that Condello had remained in his native Reggio Calabria throughout his time on the run and from there ran his gang's operations not only in Calabria but also in Rome and other Italian cities. According to police sources, Condello owns real estate and businesses worth more than 54 million euros in Rome and other Italian cities.

Family life

He is married with Maria Morabito and has two daughters and a son."Togliamo i figli ai mafiosi"
, La Stampa, 1 March 2008 Caterina Condello married Daniele Ionetti, the son of Alfredo Ionetti, considered to be the treasurer of the Condello clan.La 'ndrangheta e la svolta del tritolo
La Repubblica, 5 January 2010

References

Books

* Paoli, Letizia (2003).
Mafia Brotherhoods: Organized Crime, Italian Style
', New York: Oxford University Press

by Klaus Von Lampe)

by Alexandra V. Orlova)

External links

Mob boss caught in Italy
video of Reuters, 20 February 2008 *
Sulle tracce di Iannò: La famiglia del braccio destro del superlatitante Condello
by Monica Centofante, Antimafia Duemila nr 28, January 2003 *
In manette "Il Supremo"
by Monica Centofante, Antimafia Duemila nr 57, Anno VIII° Numero 1, March 2008 {{DEFAULTSORT:Condello, Pasquale 1950 births Fugitives wanted by Italy Living people 'Ndranghetisti 'Ndranghetisti sentenced to life imprisonment People convicted of murder by Italy People from Reggio Calabria Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Italy