Grande Aracri 'ndrina

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Grande Aracri 'ndrina
Founded1980s
FounderNicolino Grande Aracri
Founding location Cutro, Calabria, Italy
Years active1980s-present
Territory Cutro in Calabria; Parma, Piacenza, Brescello, Fidenza and Salsomaggiore in Emilia-Romagna; Verona in Veneto; Cremona and Mantua in Lombardy. Abroad its present in Germany, France and Switzerland.
Ethnicity Calabrians
Criminal activities Drug trafficking, money laundering, extortion, corruption, murder

The Grande Aracri 'ndrina is a clan of the 'Ndrangheta, a criminal and mafia-type organisation in Calabria, Italy. The 'ndrina is based in Cutro, located in the province of Crotone.

In addition to his hometown, the 'ndrina is strongly present in Northern Italy, specifically in Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, and Lombardy. Abroad, its present in Germany, France and Switzerland. [1] [2]

History

The Grande Aracri 'ndrina, originally based in Cutro, rose to prominence after Nicolino Grande Aracri took over local operations in 1982. In the late 1980s and 1990s, the 'ndrina expanded its drug trafficking across Northern Italy: Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy and Liguria and into Germany, Switzerland, and France. A violent split from the Dragone 'ndrina led to multiple murders and a long-lasting internal feud. [1] [3]

During the 2000s, the 'ndrina allied with other groups, in particular with the Vrenna-Bonaventura 'ndrina and was involved in a bloody conflict against the Arena-Dragone alliance. Several operations, including Scacco Matto, Edilpiovra, and Grande Drago, led to arrests and confirmed their involvement in extortion, arms possession, and mafia association. [4] [5]

In the 2010s, the Grande Aracri 'ndrina infiltrated public contracts, extended its influence across northern Italy, and was the target of major anti-mafia operations like Aemilia, Kyterion, and Old Family. Authorities seized millions of euros in assets, and prominent members, including Nicolino and his brother, were sentenced to life imprisonment. [6] [7] [8]

In the 2020s, operations such as Thomas, Farmabusiness, and Basso Profilo revealed ties between the 'ndrina and business, political, and institutional figures. In 2021, the capobastone Nicolino Grande Aracri began cooperating with authorities, marking a significant turn in the 'ndrina's history. [9] [10] [11] [12]

References

  1. 1 2 Dalla Chiesa, Nando. Rosso mafia: La 'ndrangheta a Reggio Emilia (in Italian). pp. 68–77. ISBN   883010096X.
  2. Pace, Gianluca (2013-11-29). "Brescello, da Don Camillo a Francesco Grande Aracri: la 'ndrangheta da Cutro all'Emilia". Blitzquotidiano.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-10-17.
  3. "Da Cutro a San Luca gli uomini dei clan inguaiati da Cortese". Calabria Notizie (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2018-08-15. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
  4. "Operazione Pandora: mandati e arresti - chi è Grande Aracri?". crimeblog (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
  5. "Repubblica.it » cronaca » 'Ndrangheta, arresti per omicidio boss fermato traffico internazionale di cocaina". www.repubblica.it. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
  6. "Reggio Emilia, svolta nell'omicidio di Vasapollo e Ruggiero. Tre arrestati". Il Resto del Carlino (in Italian). 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
  7. "'Ndrangheta, scoperta la cassaforte del boss Nicolino Grande Aracri: conto corrente con 200 milioni di euro". Il Fatto Quotidiano (in Italian). 2016-01-06. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
  8. "Crotone:operazione Old Family, 35 arresti". Polizia di Stato (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-10-17.
  9. TG24, Sky (2021-04-16). "'Ndrangheta, boss Grande Aracri diventa collaboratore di giustizia". tg24.sky.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-10-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. Anastasi, Antonio. "Operazione Thomas, il prefetto Tombesi: «Il Comune di Cutro è da sciogliere per mafia»". Il Quotidiano del Sud (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-10-17.
  11. "'Ndrangheta, ai domiciliari il presidente del consiglio regionale: "Ha lavorato per le ditte dei clan e impose l'assunzione del figlio in un'azienda farmaceutica"". la Repubblica (in Italian). 2020-11-19. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
  12. "Decine di arresti per 'Ndrangheta, indagato il leader Udc Cesa - Il Sole 24 ORE". amp24.ilsole24ore.com. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
  1. Although the province has been effectively replaced by the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria, the old subdivision is maintained for historical reasons