Operation Domino sees police arrest 74 in mafia crackdown
Police said local politicians and businessmen in Bari were among those implicated as part of a three-year operation, called Domino, for collaborating with the Parisi clan. Lt Col Salvatore Russo, the official in charge of the operation, said an additional nine warrants were issued for suspects already jailed on separate charges.
The 48-year-old head of the clan, Savino Parisi, was arrested overnight with his closest associates. They are accused of attempted murder, drug trafficking, loan-sharking, interfering with the bidding process for public contracts and money laundering. Confiscated assets total £198 million (€217m).
The police statement alleges the former deputy mayor of the small city of Valenzano, as well as the city assessor collaborated with Parisi, especially in his efforts to launder money through the construction of a £27m (€29m) university building for 3,500 students.
In addition, the Parisi clan successfully got a friendly businessman elected to the city council “to intervene whenever necessary,” police said.
Assets seized included sporting goods empire Sport&More and Paradise Bet.
