The "super-mafia" in Lombardy, the review of the "Hydra" investigation from March 15th
The investigating judge Perna had rejected the arrest of 142 people out of 153 suspects, denying the existence of the mafia consortium

MILAN The first of about ten hearings before the Review Court will be held on March 15th to discuss the appeal presented by the Milan Prosecutor's Office against the order of investigating judge Tommaso Perna who last October denied the arrest of 142 people on 153 investigated as part of the 'Hydra' investigation into the so-called 'Lombardy mafia system', a sort of "consortium" between Cosa Nostra, 'Ndrangheta and Camorra in Lombardy. Prosecutor Alessandra Cerreti appealed to the review judges for around 80 positions. Such a large amount of investigation material that the judges decided to treat them separately for around 10 suspects at a time. The investigating judge, rejecting the approach of the District Anti-Mafia Directorate in the investigation conducted with the Carabinieri, had spoken of "completely lacking" or "poorly argued" evidence of the existence of what has been journalistically called the 'super-mafia' or 'three-headed mafia', described by investigators as a "horizontal confederation structure" between exponents of various mafias where "the leaders operate on the same level". Only 11 precautionary custody measures were ordered and the prosecution was confirmed for some drug crimes, extortion aggravated by the mafia method, threats and tax fraud.

The papers document 21 summits held in 2020-21 between small groups of members in the Municipalities of Dairago and Assago, in the Milan area, and 54 different joint ventures (catering, rental, logistics, construction, airport parking, import of ferrous materials , healthcare and e-commerce platforms), the latter sufficient to order the seizure of 225 million euros for false invoices. Among the best-known names cited by the Anti-Mafia are those of top exponents of the 'Ndrangheta clubs of Lonate Pozzolo (Rispoli family linked to the Cirò club in Crotone) and Desio (Iamonte gang linked to the Melito Porto Salvo club in Calabria), the Fidanzati clan and the Manninos in the Palermo area for Cosa Nostra, the Trapani people close to Matteo Messina Denaro, the Senese group for the Camorra. The investigating judge also disavowed the role of Matteo Messina Denaro's alleged man in the North: Paolo Aurelio Errante Parrino, convicted since 1997 for mafia as belonging to the Castelvetrano district led by the father of the former super fugitive, Francesco Messina Denaro. According to the investigating judge "it is in no way possible to affirm that" Parrino "continued, even after the first conviction in 1997, his affiliation relationship with the Castelvetrano mandamento, nor even with the hypothesized Lombard association".