Lisbon - Francesco Pelle , 44, boss of the 'Ndrangheta, was arrested in Lisbon. Unavailable since 2007, he was found by the carabinieri in a clinic in the Portuguese capital where he was being treated for Covid. Originally from Locri and nicknamed 'Ciccio Pakistan', he was wanted (even abroad) in Milan since June 2019 where he had to sign. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for criminal association of the mafia type and murder because he was held among those responsible for the murder of Giovanni Nirta, head of the rival 'ndrina, who however survived the ambush, during which Maria Strangio was killed ,wife of Nirta. The revenge of the Nirta came in 2007 with the Duisburg massacre . On 19 July 2019 'Ciccio Pakistan', who was in Milan with the obligation to stay, lost track after the Supreme Court had rejected his appeal against the sentence to life imprisonment as the instigator of the 2006 Christmas massacre, which was followed by the slaughter of Duisburg on August 15th of the following year in which six people were killed.

The feud that pitted his family against rivals Nirta-Strangio was born to impose its dominance in San Luca , considered the cradle of the 'Ndrangheta . In this context, the epilogue - which also marked the end of the feud - starts from the ambush suffered by Pelle himself. It was July 31, 2006 and that day Pelle was looking out on the balcony of his house holding his first born son in his arms. One shot injured his spine, forcing him into a wheelchair . To quench his thirst for revenge he would have ordered the murder of his historical rival, Giovanni Luca Nirta.By organizing it on Christmas Day 2006. The designated target, however, escaped the hit men. His wife, Maria Strangio, fell under the blows, while a child and three other people were injured. This was the triggering episode that led to the ambush in front of the "da Bruno" restaurant in Duisburg on August 15th .