Mafia, new blitz in Palermo: 8 arrests

New blitz by the carabinieri in Palermo where a precautionary custody order was executed against 8 suspects (7 in prison and one under house arrest). They are held in various capacities responsible for mafia-type criminal associations, aggravated extortion, damage caused by fire. The investigations, coordinated by a pool of magistrates led by the deputy prosecutor Salvatore De Luca, once again hit the district of Tommaso Natale, demonstrating his “continuing operation” despite the numerous operations that in recent years (‘Oscar’ in 2011, ‘ Apocalypse ‘in 2014,’ Talea ‘in 2017,’ Cupola ‘2.0 of 2018/2019,’ Teneo ‘of 2020 and’ Bivio ‘of 2021) have brought leaders and wingmen to prison. The blitz, called ‘Bivio 2’, once again revolves around the figure of Giulio Caporrimo, now in prison, and the months in which he returned to dictate the law to Tommaso Natale. An ‘intermittent’ freedom with long periods of detention that of the regent district who, returned to freedom in May 2019, found himself having to deal with new balances within the organization and with a new leadership, that of Francesco Palumeri, who did not recognize. It is the period of voluntary exile in Florence before returning to Palermo, where he takes over the reins of the clan, regrouping the district around him. The second tranche of the Bivio investigation, which led to the execution of 8 precautionary measures tonight, made it possible to shed light on a series of serious crimes, committed not only by Giulio Caporrimo, but also by his son Francesco. Investigators contest the fire against a commercial establishment in Sferracavallo against the young scion, the flames would have served to overcome the resistance of the owner of the restaurant to sell its management to Giulio and Francesco Caporrimo. victims. Thus the bosses of the Tommaso Natale district in Palermo imposed their own control over the territory. Eleven extortion events consumed or attempted, two of which spontaneously reported by the victims, reconstructed by the carabinieri. The bosses are also targeting the works on the Sferracavallo sewerage network with the fire at the construction site to obtain the subcontracting of some works. The investigations of the investigators of the Arma have also reconstructed the intimidation of a construction company that was dealing with the renovation of a property in Sferracavallo, the goal was to have the order for the plant works. And yet the attempt by Vincenzo Taormina to prohibit an entrepreneur from excavation work in the Sferracavallo area, claiming “authority over the territory”. Extortion and more. The long months of investigation also revealed the “systematic creation of ‘return horses’ that allowed affiliates to make huge profits by having money handed over to return stolen vehicles”.