Messina, extortion in the nightlife premises. 9 arrests and one wanted. VIDEO

Extensions in cash and the obligation to hire supervisors. When the requests were not accepted, the fights were unleashed intentionally

MESSINA – Extortion, injuries also aggravated by the mafia method, aggravated robberies and kidnapping. The judgment of the Messina superintendent, Vito Calvino, of the attorney Rosa Raffa, and of the leader of the mobile squad, Antonio Sfameni, is unanimous: "A fierce and extremely dangerous criminal group”, Which extorted money from the managers of the local nightlife in Messina and imposed the hiring of its own men as supervisors. Fighting broke out when the requests were not accepted.

This morning the Flying Squad arrested, and was taken to the Messina Gazzi prison, Vincenzo Gangemi (45 years), Domenico Mazzitello (26 years) and Eliseo Fiumara (22 years); take the house arrest for Andrea Fusco (21 years), Placido Arena (30 years) and Antonino Rizzo (37 years); provision notified in prison a Giovanni Lo Duca (30 years), Kevin Schepis (20 years) and Giuseppe Esposito (26 years), because they were already arrested for another reason, the last two just last Saturday, as authors of the robbery at the tobacconist shop in Viale Europa. Finally Giovanni De Luca (49) is wanted.

The principal of the extortion is initially the Duke. Then, when he is arrested, De Luca takes his place. Extensions in cash and in the obligation to assumption of Gangemi and Mazzitello as security officers, despite not having the requisites. The main target is Ivan Catanzaro, manager of the premises Mama and Palcò, who is forced to take on the two, the very ones who collect the extortion in addition to his salary, but forbids them from bringing in other criminals. When this ban is ignored, Catanzaro dismisses them. And this is where it comes into play Schepis, sent to the premises to intentionally provoke violent physical attacks, apparently unjustified, to the detriment of poor customers, who in some cases have suffered serious personal injuries, traumas and invoices.

The fights involved sanctions and temporary closures for the locals, a great financial loss. The entrepreneur thinks of denouncing but fears repercussions and is therefore forced to summarize who was imposed on him. They are the same "torturers" who tell him that the procured fights are an intentional and tested mechanism. Until he is pursued in the workplace because he does not pay what is requested in an extortionate manner and suffers serious threats. At that point, last June 28, he decides to report. The investigations start from there, which see similar episodes also in other rooms of the Messina nightlife, such as the Officina or the Golden Beach.

All confirmed by other entrepreneurs and by repentant Giuseppe Selvaggio, who is well acquainted with the safety management mechanisms in the premises and the criminal depth of Lo Duca and De Luca who, together with Schepis, Mazzitello and Gangemi, are called to respond to extortion competition, continued and aggravated by the mafia method.

The Squadra Mobile investigations, coordinated by the Messina Antimafia District Directorate, made use of telephone and environmental interceptions, video surveillance and analysis of telephone records. The operation was called Flower because the word "flower" is used to request the amount expelled. The "flower" is the sum paid to Lo Duca and De Luca, an average of 250 euros a month which also became 600 euros in summer, when the turnover increased.

The competition in personal injuries aggravated by the mafia method is also contested at Schepis: in one case, the night between 4 and 5 May last, together with Arena and Fusco, for having caused trauma and fractures to some customers of a room; in another case, last June 19, together with Arena and Rizzo, for the same reasons against a client of a beach.