The Cosenza ‘ndrine lower the flag. In the appeal process linked to the “Reset” anti-mafia maxi operation, 41 of the 77 defendants put forward a proposal for an agreement on punishment with the public prosecution represented by the prosecutor Corrado Cubellotti. They will obtain advantages from the point of view of the size of the sentence.
Other important figures of organized crime have even given up on appealing against the first instance sentence issued by the district preliminary hearing judge. The objective, also in this case, is to obtain a reduction of one sixth of the sentence received. For the bosses Mario Renato Piromallo, Francesco Patitucci, Antonio Illuminato, Roberto Porcaro, Luigi, Marco and Nicola Abbruzzese the sentences therefore become final with a slight discount.
The Catanzaro Court of Appeal (president Bravin), after the parties had joined forces, postponed the hearing to 26 May to examine the requests for settlement. In the meantime the gangs have received another slap in the face: the municipalities of Cosenza and Rende, the Province of Cosenza, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, the Calabria Region, the Ministries of the Interior, Defence, Justice, the National Anti-usury and Anti-racket Commissioner, the State Monopolies and the anti-racket association “Lucio Ferrami” of Cosenza have joined the civil action. In the past, there has not always been such a consistent number of constitutions.
The 77 defendants on trial
The people on trial are: Franco Abbruzzese, alias “Franco ‘a Brezza”; Antonio Abbruzzese, alias “Strusciatappine”; Antonio Abbruzzese (born 1984); Rocco Abbruzzese; Claudio Alushi; Salvatore Ariello; Luigi Avolio; Ivan Barone, collaborator of justice; Giuseppe Belmonte; Massimo Bertoldi; Cosimo Bevilacqua, known as the “Crow”; Fiore Bevilacqua, alias “Mano Mozza”; Leonardo Bevilacqua; Luigina Bevilacqua; Gianfranco Bruni, known as “u tupinaru”; Salvatore Calandrino; Gianluca Campolongo, trade unionist; Giuseppe Caputo; Francesco Carelli; Alessandro Catanzaro; Maria Rosaria Ceglie; Daniele Chiaradia; Fabiano Ciranno; Francesco Curcio; Marco D’Alessandro; Adolfo D’Ambrosio; Francesco De Cicco, regional councilor; Massimiliano D’Elia; Andrea De Giovanni; Michele Di Puppo; Umberto Di Puppo; Carlo Drago; Simone Ferrise; Adolfo Foggetto, collaborator; Gino Garofalo; Salvatore Garofalo; Alberigo Granata; Andrea Greco; Francesco Greco, justice collaborator; Francesco Gualano; Silvia Guido; Giuseppe Iirillo; Luciano Impieri, justice collaborator; Carlo Lamanna; Gianluca Maestri, justice collaborator; Antonio Manzo; Antonio Marotta, known as “Capiceddra”; Mauro Marsico; Francesco Mazzei; Ivan Montualdista; Alfredo Morelli; Alessandro Morrone (1988); Roberto Junior Oliban; Damiana Pellegrino; Erminio Pezzi;; Enzo Piattello; Paolo Pisano; Franco Presta; Gennaro Presta; Roberto Presta, justice collaborator; Maurizio Rango; Michele Rende; Gianfranco Ruà; Antonio Russo; Stefano Salerno; Marcus Saturninus; Mario Sollazzo; Francesco Sorrentino; Ettore Sottile; Alberto Superbo; Marco Tornelli; Alberto and Danilo Turboli; Francesco Veltri; Giuseppe Zaffonte, justice collaborator; Roberto Zengaro.
The appeals that the Court will deal with do not only concern convicted defendants but also people acquitted in the first instance. The appeal of the sentence was in fact advanced both by the large defense team and by the Catanzaro DDA.