The 'Ndrangheta is a prominent Italian Mafia-type organized crime syndicate and criminal society based in the peninsular and mountainous region of Calabria and dating back to the late 18th century. It is considered to be among the most powerful organized crime groups in the world. Since the 1950s,following wide-scale emigration from Calabria,the organization has established itself worldwide. The 'Ndrangheta is the only one of the mafia-type criminal organizations operating in Italy to have maintained the rites that distinguished it in the past,passing them down orally and through codes that,on rare occasions,have been discovered. It is characterized by a horizontal structure made up of autonomous clans known as 'ndrine,based almost exclusively on blood ties. Its main activity is drug trafficking,of which it has a monopoly in Europe,but it also deals with arms trafficking,money laundering,racketeering,extortion,loan sharking,prostitution. The 'Ndrangheta has enjoyed,for decades,a privileged relationship with the main South American drug cartels,which consider it the most reliable European partner. It is capable of heavily influencing local and national politics and infiltrating large sectors of the legal economy. In 2013 they purportedly made €53 billion according to a study from Demoskopika Research Institute.A US diplomat estimated that the organization's narcotics trafficking,extortion and money laundering activities accounted for at least three per cent of Italy's GDP in 2010.
Gioia Tauro is a comune (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria (Italy),on the Tyrrhenian coast. It has an important port,situated along the route connecting Suez to Gibraltar,one of the busiest maritime corridors in the world.
The San Luca feud or Vendetta of San Luca is a long-running conflict between two clans of the 'Ndrangheta crime organisation that began in 1991 in Italy's Calabria region in the village of San Luca.
Antonio Pelle,also known as Ntoni Gambazza,was a historically significant and charismatic 'Ndrangheta boss from San Luca in Calabria. He was the patriarch of the San Luca locale and the 'Ndrangheta capo crimine,the titular head of the organisation,although with little effective power. He reached the rank of vangelo,at the time the highest rank in the organisation.
The Piromalli 'ndrina is one of the most powerful clans of the 'Ndrangheta,a criminal and mafia-type organisation in Calabria,Italy. The 'ndrina is based in Gioia Tauro on the Tyrrhenian coast. The Piromalli's are allied with their relatives of the Molèfamily,also from Gioia Tauro. Often they are referred to as the Piromalli-Molèclan. The Piromalli clan contains more than 200 members.
The De Stefano 'ndrina,or the De Stefano family or De Stefano-Tegano family,is one of the most powerful clans of the 'Ndrangheta,a criminal and mafia-type organisation in Calabria,Italy. The 'ndrina hailed from the Archi neighbourhood in Reggio Calabria. Several of its members were included in the list of most wanted fugitives in Italy. According to prosecutor Salvatore Boemi,the De Stefanos are the representation of the manager-criminal controlling a crime multinational with joint ventures with Raffaele Cutolo from the Camorra and Nitto Santapaola and Francesco Ferrera from Cosa Nostra in Catania.
The Cataldo 'ndrina is a clan of the 'Ndrangheta,a criminal and mafia-type organisation in Calabria,Italy. This particular 'ndrina is based in Locri,a hotbed of 'Ndrangheta activity. The clan allied,with the Marafioti family,is involved in a long blood feud with the Cordì'ndrina,from the same town,since the end of the 1960s.
The Bellocco 'ndrina is a clan of the 'Ndrangheta,a criminal and mafia-type organisation in Calabria,Italy. The 'ndrina is based in Rosarno,on the Tyrrhenian coast,and belongs to the locale of that town.
Domenico Condello,also known as Micu 'u pacciu,is an Italian criminal belonging to the 'Ndrangheta,a Mafia-type criminal organisation in Calabria.
Giorgio De Stefano is an Italian criminal and a member of the 'Ndrangheta in Calabria,a Mafia-type criminal organisation in Calabria. He belongs to the De Stefano 'ndrina,based in the Archi neighbourhood in the city of Reggio Calabria,and is a cousin of the historical boss Paolo De Stefano. He has a degree in criminal law and is often referred to as "the lawyer". According to anti-mafia investigators,he represents "the brains" of the De Stefano clan,able to elaborate alliances and strategies,with a typically managerial approach,identifying the most lucrative criminal activities to be implemented.
Francesco Mazzaferro,also known as Ciccio,is an Italian criminal and a member of the 'Ndrangheta in Calabria. He belongs to the Mazzaferro 'ndrina from Marina di Gioiosa Ionica. The clan is opposed to the Aquino-Scali-Ursino clan from the same town. He was leading the Mazzaferro clan together with his brothers Giuseppe and Vincenzo. Together with his cousin Rocco Lo Presti,the historical mafia boss of Bardonecchia and Val di Susa,he represented a piece of the history of organized crime in Piedmont. Mazzaferro and Lo Presti were the two undisputed leaders of the 'ndrangheta in Val di Susa.
The Camera di Controllo,is a collegial body of the 'Ndrangheta,a Mafia-type organisation in Calabria. It is also known as La Provincia or Camera di Compensazione. It is composed of leading 'Ndrangheta members to decide on important questions concerning the organization and settling disputes.
Antonino Scopelliti was an Italian prosecuting magistrate,murdered by the 'Ndrangheta on behalf of the Sicilian Mafia.
The Pesce 'ndrina is a clan of the 'Ndrangheta,a criminal and mafia-type organisation in Calabria,Italy. The 'ndrina is based in Rosarno on the Tyrrhenian coast.
Giuseppe Pelle is an Italian criminal from San Luca,and member of the 'Ndrangheta,a Mafia-type organisation in Calabria. He is the son of Antonio Pelle,also known as Ntoni Gambazza,the capo crimine,the ceremonial head of the 'Ndrangheta.
Agazio Loiero is an Italian politician,former President of Calabria and minister in the D'Alema II Cabinet and the Amato II Cabinet.
