Trial of the Gela and Niscemi clans, 20 sentences for 140 years imposed
One year and 8 months for former mayor Rizzo, believed to be the instigator of an arson attack. The criminal group was ready to kill an entrepreneur

by Vincenzo Falci

May 13, 2025

Rain of convictions for the Niscemi mafia. Twenty in all for a total of just under 140 years of prison, passing through partial verdicts of not guilty. Only one total acquittal. Thus ended the trial with abbreviated procedure linked to the maxi investigation of the carabinieri "Mondo Opposto", which in December two years ago triggered twenty-nine precautionary measures. The most severe sentence, with 20 years of continuous imprisonment, was inflicted on Alberto Musto, believed to be the head of the Gela district. He is followed by his brother, Sergio Musto, who according to the prosecutors is Alberto's "long arm", with 12 years and 4 months, Andrea Abaco 9 years and 8 months, Francesco Amato 3 years in continuation with sentences issued in Catania, Giuseppe Auteri 10 years and 8 months in addition to a 13,333 euro fine, Luigi and Vincenzo Cannizzaro, 3 years, 4 months and a 4,000 euro fine each, Francesco Cantaro 6 years and 8 months, Mariantonietta Caruso, Alberto Musto's partner, 3 years, 4 months and a 667 euro fine, Francesco Cona 9 years and 4 months, Davide Cusa 2 years and 9 months, Renè Salvatore Di Stefano 9 years and a 9,000 euro fine, Gianni Ferranti one year and 10 months, Giovanni Ferranti 9 years, Giuseppe Manduca 8 years, Francesco Piazza 6 years and a 4,000 euro fine, Carmelo Raniolo 4 years and 8 months. thousand euros in fines, Francesco Alessio Torre 8 years and 4 months, Carlo Zanti 6 years and 8 months and, finally, one year and 8 months for the former mayor of Niscemi, the doctor Paolo Rizzo, believed to be the instigator of an arson attack in a country house.
The only total acquittal was for Viviana Caruso – 4 years and 9 months had been requested for her – sister of the boss's wife.

Gela and Niscemi families were always a bit underrated IMO.

Misilmeri anotherone of those underrated towns of cosa nostra.


Misilmeri Extortion: Three Convictions on Appeal
by Editorial Staff

May 16, 2025

The Court of Appeal of Palermo sentenced Cosimo Sciarabba, son of the boss of Misilmeri Salvatore, to 13 years and 4 months, Alessandro Ravesi, his faithful collaborator, to 17 years, and Salvatore Baiamonte to 10 years and 4 months. A fourth defendant, Benedetto Badalamenti, died during the trial.

The three defendants allegedly asked for protection money from several entrepreneurs - some of whom, accompanied by the anti-racketeering association Addiopizzo to file a complaint, have joined the civil action - and also attempted to take control of several funeral services.

The traditional investigations of the Carabinieri were therefore joined by the reports of the five designated victims of extortion. The investigation that led to the arrest of the accused was also developed thanks to the footage taken with a cell phone by one of the oppressed entrepreneurs. After being approached for the request of "messa a posto" - the payment of the extortion to the clan of the area where some work was to be done -, one of the entrepreneurs managed to immortalize some moments of the negotiation with the request for the payment of the protection money. And the video ended up in the prosecution's records, which also relied on the statements of collaborators of justice, searches and seizures, images from the surveillance cameras of the area, environmental and telephone interceptions, checks on the movements of the suspects thanks to telephone records and position cells.

anti-mafia operation "Cubisia Connection" across the province of Catania, police arrested 14 members of the Santapaola-Ercolano family based in the towns of Acireale and Aci Catena on charges of armed association, drug trafficking, illegal possession of weapons and other crimes aggravated by mafia methods.

Misilmeri Mafia, the boss intercepted: «Here there are people who are crazy, as soon as you say no they point a gun at your head»
by Davide Ferrara

May 20, 2025

No help for the families of prisoners, people "totally brain-dead" and violence. Melchiorre Badagliacco explains the state of the art of the Cosa Nostra families operating in the hinterland, who in an important conversation intercepted with Salvatore Baiamonte explained why he had decided for a period to put a stop to his business and active participation within the Misilmeri mafia chessboard. "So I have two children - Badagliacco explained - you see for now someone passes by here and sees us talking to each other and two makes movies, stupid movies you understand ... because I'm not saying that ... I have two children one played football with me, he had reached certain levels because first he took him ... then he ended up in ... after the pandemic started and the movie ended. I stopped because I said now f.. my children, I'm going to screw them.


Baiamonte later explained that, in the event of an arrest, no one would be supported by the mafia family: "If you want to help someone and they split you up (and you make a mistake, ed.)... they leave you in the middle of the sh..."

The boss then shared the opinion that the new mafia no longer had the mentality of the past and that the new recruits had no respect for the older members: «There is no longer that mentality of before.... before there were Christians ca pila... today a ci su chiu (there are no more, ed. ). Here we are all thirty-year-olds and when the fury (madness, ed. ) comes, they come to you... "you have to give me this!". As soon as you say no, they take a gun, point it at our heads and what do we do then?... Why do we reason like this? I have never been used to reasoning like this. Things are reasoned... they become clear. Here there are people who are crazy, people who are crazy, are we joking? People who don't know you, come and get you... "you have to do what I say!" or they say "who the fuck are you with?"».