Catania: Operation “Saracena”. Precautionary measures issued against 18 members of the “Mazzei” clan

By order of this District Attorney's Office, the Carabinieri of the Provincial Command di Catania they performed aprecautionary custody order, issued by the Judge for Preliminary Investigations at the Court of Catania, against 18 Guests in respect of which it was deemed that there were serious indications of a crime in relation to the crimes of mafia-style criminal association, extortion, trafficking and possession for the purpose of dealing of narcotic substances the latter all aggravated by the mafia method and with the aim of facilitating the mafia association of reference.

The investigation, conducted by the Carabinieri of the Operational Unit of the Company of Randazzo and coordinated by this District Attorney's Office, has developed since the end of the 2020, allowing to reconstruct the illicit activities of amafia association linked to the “Mazzei” clan of Catania at the top of which, on the basis of the evidence gathered, there would appear to be Mountain Bozzone Francesco.

The criminal gang operated in the territories of Bronte, Maniace, Maletto and surrounding areas, exercising widespread control over the territory through extortion, drug trafficking and systematic intimidation.

The investigations, in the current procedural phase, would have allowed the identification of the clan referents in Eugenio Spitaleri, who would have taken over the management of the organization in Bronte and Maletto, and in Galati Rando Mario, called “Balilla”, for the territory of Maniace.

Furthermore, the operation of another branch of the Mazzei clan, the Lo Cicero Group, active between adrano e Bronte and directed by The Christian Cicero.

The investigations have highlighted how the absence from the territory of Catania by Salvatore, arrested in November 2020 together with Montagno Bozzone Mario – sentenced to 9 years in prison for extortion against the entrepreneur and current mayor of Maletto, Joseph Capizzi - would have favored the rise of Spitaleri Eugenio in the association.

The latter would have consolidated his leading role, particularly by intensifying extortion activities against local entrepreneurs and drug trafficking, also thanks to the collaboration with Galati Rando Mario.

The investigative activities have highlighted, in terms of the seriousness of the evidence, how the criminal group operated with particular caution to evade investigations, using code names, avoiding specifying details in their meetings and using occasional telephones and SIM cards registered to individuals outside the gang.

A fundamental role in the relations between the Spitaleri-Galati Rando duo and the Lo Cicero clan was played by two individuals from Bronte, while with purely executive tasks they operated Bontempo Excavation Sebastiano, his brother Francesco, called “Ciccio”, Barbagallo Giuseppe, Augusta Renato e Longhitano Biagio.

The group would be linked to Montagno Bozzone Francesco, through his son Montagno Bozzone Santino.

Il Lo Cicero clan, instead, initially saw the brothers Agatino and Cristian Lo Cicero at the top, until their arrest in January 2022, when the leadership would pass to their brother Lo Cicero SalvatoreThe group operated with a network of couriers and drug dealers, responsible for ensuring the distribution of drugs throughout the territory.

Furthermore, the investigations have allowed us to ascertain the existence of serious evidence of guilt with regard to the existence of a another criminal group, mainly active in Maniace which would be directed by Conti the same Carmelo, called “Carbuni” with the task of ensuring supplies also from Fiumefreddo di Sicilia.

The group would have taken care of the drug trafficking through a network of young dealers, initially supplied, as the investigations would seem to highlight, by Galati Rando Mario and his son Sebastiano, then collaborated by Gabriel Parisi.

The investigations have also highlighted, at the level of circumstantial gravity, episodes of intimidation against young drug dealers, as well as systematic extortion of entrepreneurs of the Catania area and a flourishing cocaine and marijuana trafficking.

The control of the territory exercised by the association, on the basis of the investigations carried out, would seem to be widespread: in several episodes, after the passage of the Police, the affiliates would ask residents for information on the reasons for their presence, collecting useful details for their illicit activity.

The investigations would also have allowed us to ascertain 4 episodes of extortion, committed in particular by Augusta Renato e Incognito Joseph towards local entrepreneurs.

The requests for money were made with explicit threats e verbal violence, accompanied by references to clan membership, with the aim of instilling fear and obtaining unjust profits.

During the investigations, in confirmation of the investigative activities, the Carabinieri carried out 7 arrests in flagrante delicto and a referral at liberty for drug trafficking and dealing, in addition to reporting 7 buyers to the Prefecture.

Furthermore, they were 1 kg of marijuana seized, 200 grams of cocaine and 3.500 euros in cash, considered to be the proceeds of the illegal activity.

The circumstantial evidence relating to the mafia nature of the association has been documented by specific events, such as, for example, the one in which Spitaleri Eugenio allegedly imposed his "protection" on an important company active in the Maletto strawberry trade, attempting to extend this imposition to other entrepreneurs in the sector by requesting percentages of the takings.

The elements collected have allowed this District Attorney's Office to request and obtain from the Judge for Preliminary Investigations at the Court of Catania the issuing of today's precautionary measure against 18 suspects, while for a further subject the measure will be assessed after the preventive interrogation required by law.

Another 15 suspects will receive notification of the conclusion of the preliminary investigations.

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