The boss of Sicilian Mafia group, Matteo Messina Denaro, has been dedicating his time to olive oil production in a corrupt business that goes by the name “Fontane D’Oro” of Trapani, Sicily, Italian police said.
The company, registered as being run by two brothers, was exposed as a front by the tax police of Palermo yesterday. Officials said the business was managed by jailed mafioso Francesco Luppino through direct communication with his wife, and was reportedly a highly profitable one.
Age progression illustration, Messina Denaro
Trapani, a city near the coast in Sicily consisting of miles and miles of olive groves, is now the site of a huge investigation into an operation where illegal migrants allegedly toiled for a few euros a day under inhumane conditions as the flourishing business grew. An olive mill has been confiscated from the two brothers.
After being initially investigated by the Sicilian police, the Fontane D’Oro company was supposed to be handed over to other nominees in two different branches but this was just another ploy to cover Luppino’s dealings from prison via Messina Denaro.
Matteo Messina Denaro was behind bomb attacks that killed ten people in Rome, Florence and Milan in 1993 according to police.
After this important case, other Mafia dealings have come to light triggering yet another seizure of assets and companies amounting to €20 million.
Fontane D’Oro of Trapani, Sicily
Other companies including a wind farm and a construction company have been seized by the police from reputed Mafia entrepreneur Antonino Lo Sciuto who was arrested last December for managing more than half the Trapanese dealings.
“To confiscate assets remains the main way to fight the Mafia,” said General Giancarlo Trotta, provincial commander of the Financial Police of Palermo. “We do this by making the system security tight and have employed more police over recent years.”
“We continue the seizure of goods and properties against those who are considered close to Matteo Messina Denaro,” added Colonel Francesco Mazzotta, commander of the tax police in Palermo. The pool of judges coordinated by the deputy prosecutor Dino Petralia already have a busy program of work with the Finance Police.
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