'Ndrangheta, the interview with Emanuele Mancuso: “They buy the trials. The drug money is underground "
Published 28 February 2022|From g0e9n2n0a0r8o0v6
by Klaus Davi - February 27, 2022
Interview by Klaus Davi with the repentant of the Vibonese 'Ndrangheta who reveals the secrets of the powerful criminal organization. “The money from the cocaine trade with South America was packed and hidden underground. Many wanted Luigi Mancuso to always be free, because in this way he was able to keep order ".
“After interviewing Pino Piromalli, the superboss from the Piana di Gioia Tauro, Klaus Davi“ intercepted ”the repentant of the Vibonese 'Ndrangheta, Emanuele Mancuso, for another long interview. The Italian-Swiss journalist was joined by Alessio Fusco, a correspondent for Newsmediaset.
Emanuele, here we are. Let's start with the first question: I would like to ask you what made you repent. Why did he go to justice?
«So, I decided to collaborate with justice because my daughter was about to be born. Seven days before the baby was born. '
In short, he did it for her. Tell me a bit: what happened? What were the main interests of the Mancuso family?
«The main interests are drug trafficking from South America, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia and Ecuador. They transport tons and tons of cocaine to Italy, and then there are the oil business, large contracts and numerous investments in Northern Italy in construction ».
How does this "method", this mafia "method" work? You were in this system, how does it work?
"What do you mean?".
The drug movement: where does it start from, are there meetings, contacts with the people who are there, with the local entrepreneurs? Or is it a mafia system - you go to these people and threaten each other -? I would like to understand a little better.
"What about tenders in particular?"
As for the contracts but also for the drugs that are brought up, from what I seem to have understood ...
«There are many methods for transporting cocaine from South America but they change above all because certainly the ways of investigating by the prosecutors change. The 'Ndrangheta is evolving, it is constantly evolving, but there are many “methods” of them ».
Instead, as far as contracts are concerned, we go to entrepreneurs with blackmail, threats… or what else?
"Absolutely not! It is difficult for the entrepreneur to suffer violence; we start from the assumption that the 'Ndrangheta is now so strong that it decides directly when to tender and what to build. What has the entrepreneur been doing lately? Before even taking part in a tender he pays the clan directly. The gangs, that is, do not even need to threaten because the entrepreneur is already put there by the gang directly. Because the company belongs to the clan or the entrepreneur, when he arrives, he already knows that he has to pay, so you don't even get to threaten or carry out attacks ».
As for drug trafficking, on the other hand, did the drugs arrive at the port of Gioia Tauro and then were "turned over" in different ways?
“The drugs arrived both in the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp and then also made calls at Gioia Tauro, Livorno and Genoa. Then it was sorted ».
How much money does this market bring? Was there really so much money in the Mancuso family's coffers as they say?
«A kilo of pure cocaine - it depends on how you close the deal ... - has a negligible price in South America; in Italy it is multiplied by 4 with the cut you get to earn around 100,000 euros per kilo, therefore a stratospheric gain: it is a business where money does not count anymore, you have to weigh it. And, in fact, many members of my family hide the money underground, indeed they use excavators to pack them, the money… ».
Yes, because that's black money: so they hide it because they have to invest it?
“That's not the problem, it's that they have so much money that they either brick it up or put it underground with excavators; it is not the question that they are in black, the question is that they have so many that they do not even know what to do with them ".
This is crazy!
"Already. And in fact, the processes are also bought ».
What do you mean?
"In the sense that there was a proven system where through subjects belonging to the Freemasonry they reached the judges and in this way arranged the trials."
So you also enter the processes? Even politics - at this point it is legitimate to think so -?
"Absolutely yes: and not only politics, but also the secret services."
So they were being paid to pretend they didn't know?
'They were paid to fix some sentence; at the local and provincial level, politics has always been in the hands of the clans, nothing has ever changed. At the regional level, the same thing, with connections also extended to the national level ".
Yes, yes, I understand! With money you can buy everything: from the trial to the politician on duty, right?
"Let's say that since the 'Ndrangheta entered Freemasonry it has become practically very powerful, it has no borders."
After Luigi Mancuso ended up in prison, this whole system did not stop, it went on. He has passed from father to son. That is, isn't it that it "dies" there?
«Look, Luigi Mancuso was arrested in 2019 while I was already detained. From the experience I had, I can affirm that the 'Ndrangheta is the most difficult to fight because it is "founded" on blood ties, therefore it is very strong, it is difficult for me that it will end ».
I can ask you one thing, you told me that this is no longer the 'Ndrangheta of murders ... But have you ever heard statements in your family like “We have to get rid of this, now it's really disturbing too much”?
"Yes, it happened, of course."
Just said, or even done?
"Even done."
May I ask you which characters were most affected: businessmen or politicians?
"Look, I don't know if I can answer these questions."
Okay, let's move on: gang wars, feuds, stuff like that - is there still something similar within the territory, in your opinion? -.
"Yup! But when there are strong personalities like that of Luigi Mancuso there are never wars because they try to get along and divide up the territory. It is difficult for wars to happen with a person like Luigi Mancuso. Luigi wanted more than one “subject” at an institutional level to maintain order between two clans: it is an advantage both for politics and for entrepreneurs and for the territory; the 'Ndrangheta is very powerful on a social level. You must consider that decent people came to me and said to me: "Emanuele, can you find me a job?" as if I were the employment office; or: “Emanuele, I need a visit to the hospital” and I made him pay the visit in ten days: this is what the 'Ndrangheta is, you command at all levels. Yes, at all levels ».
Emanuele, her life has changed a lot: since she has been under protection, in fact, she cannot do many things and must always ask for permission. I think you have to ask permission to see her daughter too, right?
“Look, my daughter's story is something shameful that the rule of law cannot afford; you must consider that my father also raised me without having the limitation of parental responsibility like all my uncles, my relatives who have minor children; I who have collaborated with justice and have never committed even a murder to date find myself free and without parental responsibility, with the limitation of parental responsibility: the reason is that I am a member of the clan. This is something completely unacceptable, out of place, non-existent, absurd after four years ».
And your daughter is with your wife?
«My daughter is with my ex-partner who is also accused of numerous mafia crimes and has also been convicted in the first instance. It is a paradox, I can say that it is a paradox. Indeed, it is more than a paradox, because all fathers in Italy who come out of prison go back to their children and no one is limited parental responsibility. I, on the other hand, who should not have an extra gear but ten more gears because I dissociated myself from the gangs, I have even testified against my parents, instead of being rewarded because I have a different lifestyle, I suffer the limitation of parental responsibility because he belongs to a clan; something out of the ordinary. I can see my daughter for just fifty minutes in a closed room. '
I ask you one last thing: there was a story that concerned me. Do you tell me how it went and what was then said about me by her family?
«I, Doctor Davi, met her on the occasion when I had a car accident in 2016. I remember that she called me on the mobile phone and I invited her to come to the Vibo hospital to see me. And I remember that as soon as she set foot at the Jazzolino she was first attacked, kicked and punched, then her camera was stolen; in short, a robbery and in addition you have been reported. As if to say: in addition to the damage, insult has also been added. I remember that I also gave her an interview. Later she came to my house, even more than once. And one day I remember that my mother exclaimed: "This one, if you come home, you go away with your legs in the air." I don't know if you have understood the meaning ».
Did they want to shoot me?
"Well, something would surely have happened."
A threat, in short. They were tough enough: maybe they didn't want to take me out, but still hit pretty hard.
“It's normal, because it was annoying. Anyway she came with her colleague Micelotta, she also went to my uncles, my relatives, and this thing irritated my family because she didn't want to appear, she wanted to be silent anyway, in short ».
Emanuele, if you want to add something, that's fine for me….
«I would like to tell all the boys not to believe in the 'Ndrangheta, to study and to trust so much in the Justice and the Carabinieri or the Police; in Calabria there is a great need for young people who believe in this and who do not believe in the 'Ndrangheta. No charm, the 'Ndrangheta is something that sucks ».
