Police arrest 31 in big Mafia operation
Extortion, drug dealing used to generate cash for jailed mafiosi

(ANSA) - ROME, MAY 17 - Carabinieri and State police arrested 31 people early on Tuesday in a big operation targetting Cosa Nostra.
The suspects are accused of crimes ranging from mafia association to drugs felonies, the illegal possession of weapons and extortion.
The police took 29 suspects to jail while two were put under house arrest.
The operation took place in Palermo and there were also arrests outside Sicily, in Reggio Calabria, Alessandria and Genoa.
The investigation that led to the arrests revealed the structure of the Ciaculli and Brancaccio crime families within Cosa Nostra.
Investigators believe that part of the money raised by their criminal activities went to the families of jailed mobsters.
The probe uncovered 50 cases of extortion of retailers, with the victims ranging from illegal street hawkers to the owners of big stores.
In one case, a seller of Palermo's traditional 'sfincione' focaccia bread had to contact one of the suspects after finding the locks on their premises glued up.
Palermo Mayor Leoluca Orlando said the operation showed the authorities must keep up their guard because "Cosa Nostra no longer rules the city, but it has not been defeated". (ANSA).