By Humberto Viera
04 Feb 2024, 15:18 PM EST
The family of former footballer and now coach Gennaro Gattuso has faced extortion from the Italian mafia, going so far as to have to pay money to the ‘Ndrangheta to guarantee his safety.
According to the local newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano, cited by Mundo Deportivo, the Italian criminal organization predominant in the Calabria region was demanding payments to ensure the protection of the relatives of the Olympique de Marseille coach, known for his outstanding career as a player in AC Milan and his world championship title with Italy in 2006. The extortions led the family to report the case to the police.
The Carabinieri of Corigliano have arrested two people accused of aggravated extortion, and the investigating judge has issued a preventive detention order against them. The detainees are Aldo Abbruzzese and Mustapha Hamil, of Moroccan origin, who allegedly acted as members of the Corigliano clan and have been imprisoned.
The investigation began after a series of intimidating acts that occurred on October 17 and December 15, 2023. On these dates, the vehicles of Ida and Franco Gattuso, sister and father of the former soccer player, respectively, were set on fire. These violent acts led prosecutor Vincenzo Capomolla, in charge of coordinating the case, to intensify the investigation.
According to the Italian newspaper, the relatives of the Italian coach were being pressured to make a significant payment, known as a “flower”, to the ‘Ndrangheta. This was related to the construction of a photovoltaic system on land owned by the Gattuso family, for which they had already received a legal payment of 80,000 euros for its development.
The gang received part of the money initially demanded from the family, a first payment of 3,000 euros, until the Italian police and the Catanzaro Prosecutor’s Office intervened. In a report, it is stated: “The situation of exposure and risk, derived from the intimidating conduct, led those affected to pay the required sums through an intermediary, and with monitoring by the military until the beginning of 2024, causing the seizure of part of the amount paid.”
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