Antonio Papalia

Antonio Papalia
Mugshot of Antonio Papalia.
Born	(1954-03-26) 26 March 1954 (age 71) Platì, Calabria, Italy
Other names	U Carciutu
Children	3
Allegiance	Papalia 'ndrina / 'Ndrangheta

Antonio Papalia (born 26 March 1954) is an Italian criminal and a member of the 'Ndrangheta, a Mafia-type criminal organisation in Calabria.

Together with his brothers Domenico and Rocco, he led the Papalia 'ndrina, a sort of branch of the Barbaro 'ndrina, which has a strong presence in Northern Italy. Antonio Papalia has been regarded as the top-ranking leader of the 'Ndrangheta in Lombardy, holding the highest position of authority within the organization in the region. ^[1]

Biography

Antonio Papalia was born in Platì, a small town in Calabria, known as one of the historical strongholds of the ‘Ndrangheta, into a family partially connected to the organisation, as his mother, Serafina Barbaro, was the daughter of Francesco Barbaro, the patriarch of the Barbaro 'ndrina. In the 1970s, Papalia and his brothers Domenico and Rocco followed the huge wave of migration from Platì to Northern Italy, relocating to the Lombardy. ^[2]

Papalia was the head of the "Camera di Controllo della Lombardia", the governing body of the ‘Ndrangheta clans in the Lombardy region. Known for his strategic acumen and decisive leadership, he remains a feared and respected figure within organized crime. ^{[3] [4] [5]}

Since the 1980s, Papalia has been serving a life sentence under the “ostative” life imprisonment regime, which denies prison benefits such as early release or temporary leave unless the inmate cooperates with the judiciary, something Papalia has consistently refused to do, adhering strictly to the mafia code of silence. Despite his incarceration, he pursued academic studies and poetry, earning literary awards during his imprisonment. ^[3]

Papalia has been a central figure in major investigations into the ‘Ndrangheta’s presence in Northern Italy, particularly the “Nord-Sud” trial, which uncovered the 'Ndrangheta’s operations in Milan, and Buccinasco. He was convicted for ordering the 1984 murder of Adamo Perre, who was allegedly killed due to his cooperation with law enforcement against Papalia. ^{[3] [6]}

In October 2024, Domenico Papalia, known as Domenichino, son of Antonio Papalia, was arrested in a major drug trafficking investigation involving over 50 suspects. According to the investigation, based on encrypted communications obtained through the EncroChat platform, Papalia played a direct role in coordinating cocaine shipments from Northern Europe, particularly Belgium, into Lombardy. He resides between Platì, in Calabria, and Motta Visconti, near Pavia. His name also appeared in the “Doppia Curva” probe into mafia influence within football ultras groups, due to alleged connections with individuals linked to the leadership of AC Milan’s Curva Sud, though no mafia-related charges were formally brought in that context. ^{[7] [8]}

References

1. "La Croce Rossa a casa del boss". www.corriere.it. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
2. Giuzzi, Cesare (13 October 2021). "Chi comanda a Buccinasco: la terra dei clan e l'attesa per Micu Papalia, il Papa di 'ndrangheta in cella dal 1977". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Retrieved 18 September 2025.
3. "Antonio Papalia in cella da 30 anni, il boss (dei sequestri) sconfitto dai giudici: «No a un nuovo processo»". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). 19 July 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
4. Rinaldi, Luca. "L'ultimo atto sul regno di sangue del boss Antonio Papalia". MilanoToday (in Italian). Retrieved 18 September 2025.
5. Gratteri, Nicola. Fratelli di sangue (in Italian). p. 79. ISBN   8881013738.
6. "'Wall street' confermate le condanne - la Repubblica.it". Archivio - la Repubblica.it (in Italian). 4 February 2002. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
7. "Arrestato per droga Domenico Papalia, figlio del boss della 'ndrangheta in Lombardia. I sospetti legami tra il clan e gli ultrà del Milan". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). 16 October 2024. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
8. "'Traffico di cocaina', arrestato figlio del boss Antonio Papalia - Notizie - Ansa.it". Agenzia ANSA (in Italian). 16 October 2024. Retrieved 18 September 2025.