Strisciuglio clan
 Mugshot of Domenico Strisciuglio | |
| Founded | Late 1990s |
|---|---|
| Founder | Domenico Strisciuglio |
| Founding location | Bari, Apulia, Italy |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Territory | Many neighborhoods in Bari, in particular in the northern area of the city. |
| Ethnicity | Apulians |
| Activities | Murder, drug trafficking, money laundering, extortion, usury, gambling |
| Rivals | Capriati clan Parisi-Palermiti clan |
The Strisciuglio clan is a criminal organization, originating from the city of Bari, having its stronghold mainly in the northern area of the city. The clan is considered the most powerful and bloodthirsty criminal organization operating in the Bari area.[1]
History
[edit]The criminal organization was born at the late 1990s as an offshoot of another clan operating in Bari, the Capriati clan. From the beginning, the Strisciuglio clan was commanded by Domenico Strisciuglio, nicknamed "Mimmo la luna" who is in jail from 1999 in the 41 bis regime. In August 2003, Franco Strisciuglio, Mimmo's brother, was killed in an ambush outside his home, at the age of 33. At that time, Franco was considered the number two in the criminal group, after Mimmo, and consequently the most important free member of the clan.[2] In 2021, Vincenzo Strisciuglio, known as Chachino , another brother of Domenico, was sentenced to 7 years and 4 months in prison.[3]
According to the investigators, due to the very restricted regime in which Domenico Strisciuglio finds himself, the reins of the clan would have passed to his brother Sigismondo, known as Gino, who despite having spent years behind bars, was subjected to a less restricted regime compared to the one of Domenico, which would have allowed him to continue managing the clan's affairs. Gino, in fact, after 22 years in prison was released in 2022, however he was arrested again in April 2023 and released in January 2024.[4][5][6]
According to the investigations, the clan has close ties with the politics of Bari, in particular with the former regional councilor Giacomo Olivieri, who for this reason was arrested in February 2024, accused of political-mafia vote exchange. According to the investigations, Olivieri had made an agreement with Giacomo Strisciuglio, son of "Franco La Luna", so that the clan could guarantee 300 votes for the election of Maria Carmen Lorusso, Olivieri's wife, a candidate for the centre-right in the 2019 municipal elections.[7]
On August 31, 2024, Domenico Strisciuglio, known as Mimmetto, son of the boss Sigismondo, known as Gino “La Luna”, was arrested after the car in which he was traveling as a passenger did not stop at a police checkpoint, giving rise to a daring chase in the Carbonara district of Bari. Mimmetto and the driver of the car allegedly tried to get rid of a Beretta pistol, which was seized for subsequent ballistic tests. Now both must answer for the crime of resisting a public official and illegal possession of a common firearm.[8]
The clan's activities
[edit]According to the investigators, the main action that characterizes the clan is its strong expansionist vocation, in particular in the creation of new "subgroups", where it can operate with its illicit trafficking and therefore increase the related revenues. Furthermore, the clan's activities are also characterized by an asphyxiating control of the territory which manifests itself through the extortion exercised against numerous small entrepreneurs and artisans. According to the Strisciuglios, they also focus on the activities of the gaming market through the installation of slot machines and video lotteries.[9]
Subgroups
[edit]Due to its strong expansionist power, over the years the clan formed "subgroups" that became its representatives in various neighborhoods of the city of Bari, each led by its own leader, based on a territorial division.
- Caldarola Group - Libertà neighborhood
- Campanale Group - San Girolamo neighborhood
- Faccilongo Group - Enziteto and San Pio neighborhoods
- Ruta-Telegrafo Group - San Paolo neighborhood
- Milloni Group - Borgo Antico
- Valentino Group - Carbonara neighborhood
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Processo al clan Strisciuglio, un nuovo pentito rivela sette omicidi". BariToday (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-03-26.
- ^ "Bari - Operazione contro i clan, 14 arresti". www.lagazzettadelmezzogiorno.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-03-26.
- ^ CdG 1947, Redazione (2021-03-22). "MAFIA, ESTORSIONI E DROGA A BARI: 26 ARRESTI DEI CLAN". Il Corriere del Giorno (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-03-26.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Mafia, scarcerato il boss Gino Strisciuglio: torna a Bari dopo 22 anni". la Repubblica (in Italian). 2022-09-22. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
- ^ "Bari, torna in carcere il boss Sigismondo Strisciuglio (Gino la luna). Dopo 22 anni era tornato libero da 6 mesi". la Repubblica (in Italian). 2023-04-06. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
- ^ maselli, isabella. "Bari, Gino «La Luna», il boss del quartiere Libertà, è libero dopo quasi 24 anni in cella". www.lagazzettadelmezzogiorno.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-03-26.
- ^ scagliarini, MASSIMILIAno. "Bari, inchiesta sul voto di scambio: «Olivieri si accordò con la mafia»". www.lagazzettadelmezzogiorno.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-08-29.
- ^ "Armato, non si ferma all'alt: fermato a Bari Domenico Strisciuglio, figlio del boss Gino". la Repubblica (in Italian). 2024-09-03. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
- ^ "La parabola criminale del clan Strisciuglio: "Droga e riti, così era diventato il più potente di Bari"". Il Fatto Quotidiano (in Italian). 2021-04-29. Retrieved 2024-03-26.