Barbaro 'ndrina
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Barbaro 'ndrina is a powerful clan of the
'Ndrangheta The 'Ndrangheta (, , ) is a prominent Italian Mafia-type organized crime syndicate and secret society, criminal society based in the peninsular and mountainous region of Calabria and dating back to the late 18th century. It is considered one of ...
, a criminal and mafia-type organisation in
Calabria , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...
,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. The
'ndrina The 'ndrina (, plural: ; , plural: ) is the basic unit of the 'Ndrangheta of Calabria, made up of blood relatives, and is the equivalent of the Sicilian Mafia’s "family" or ''cosca''.Varese, How Mafias Migrate'Gratteri & Nicaso ''Fratelli di ...
belongs to the '' locale'' of the town of
Platì Platì (; scn, label=Central-Southern Calabrian, Calabrian, Pratì) is a town and ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Reggio Calabria, in Calabria, southern Italy. It rises above sea level on the slope of the Aspromonte mountains and is ...
. According to the
Direzione Investigativa Antimafia The Direzione Investigativa Antimafia ('Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate'), also known as DIA, is an Italian multi-force investigation body under the Department of Public Security of the Ministry of the Interior. Its main task is the fight agai ...
(DIA - the Italian Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate), the Barbaro 'ndrina is one of the most important, if not the most important and powerful 'Ndrangheta clans, not only based in Calabria, but also in the northern Italian regions of
Lombardy Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...
(notably in Buccinasco, near
Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
Boss alla milanese
L’espresso, December 27, 2007
),
Piemonte it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...
and overseas in Australia, in particular in the
Griffith, New South Wales Griffith is a major regional city in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area that is located in the north-western part of the Riverina region of New South Wales, known commonly as the food bowl of Australia. It is also the seat of the City of Griffith ...
area.Italian mafia laundering cocaine money Down Under
, news.com.au, April 11, 2008


In Calabria

The clan was established at the end of the 19th century by Francesco Barbaro (born in 1873) in Platì. The powerful Barbaro 'ndrina was later divided into various branches or 'ndrine , with links to all the most important gangs of the 'Ndrangheta. 'Ndrangheta, morto in carcere a Parma il boss Francesco Barbaro
La Repubblica, 2 November 2018
From the ten children of Francesco Barbaro and Marianna Carbone descended five branches of the family and eight 'ndrine that dominate the 'Ndrangheta of Platì: Barbaro Castanu, Rosi, Nigru, Pillaru, Perre Maistru, Papalia Carciutu, Sergi 'Mbilli (now in the background) and Trimboli Piseja. The son of Pasquale Barbaro (born in 1897), Rosario Barbaro, became the head of the Rosi 'ndrina. From his son Domenico (born in 1900) descended Francesco Barbaro, called Ciccio 'u Castanu. It was his son Antonio (born in 1920) who gave birth to the Nigru branch of the cosca, while through the marriages of his daughters Elisabetta and Serafina the 'ndrine Perre Maistru and Papalia Carciutu developed. Three of the eight sons of Serafina Barbaro and Giuseppe Papalia (born in 1907) would leave for Milan to become the bosses of Lombardy: Domenico Papalia, Rocco Papalia and Antonio Papalia. The Papalias, together with the other satellite families of the Barbaros (Sergi-Agresta-Marando-Musitano-Molluso-Zappia), would give life to the Lombard empire of 'Ndrangheta.


Feud with the Mammoliti clan

In the 1950s the clan was involved in a bloody feud with the
Mammoliti 'ndrina The Mammoliti 'ndrina () is a powerful clan of the 'Ndrangheta, a criminal and mafia-type organisation in Calabria, Italy. The 'ndrina is based in Castellace and Oppido Mamertina in the plain of Gioia Tauro in southern Calabria on the Tyrrhenia ...
from Castellace in the municipality of
Oppido Mamertina Oppido Mamertina ( el, label= Calabrian Greek, script=Latn, Oppidù, ) is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Reggio Calabria in Calabria in southern Italy at about northeast of Reggio Calabria and about southwest of Catanzaro. It is the ...
. In October 1954, Domenico Barbaro killed Francesco Mammoliti, the head of the rival clan. On November 7, 1954, the Mammolitis retaliated and killed a Francesco Barbaro and some others, an attack that was attributed to Vincenzo Mammoliti, who was acquitted by the court because of insufficient proof. On January 19, 1955, Giovanni Barbaro, the brother of Francesco, was killed with 31 gunshots.Esposizione introduttiva del Pubblico ministero nel processo nei confronti di Giulio Andreotti
Direzione Distrettuale Antimafia Palermo, 1994
In the end the Mammoliti clan prevailed. The feud lingered on until 1978, when Domenico Barbaro was killed in
Perugia Perugia (, , ; lat, Perusia) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber, and of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part o ...
, after serving 26 years in prison for the murder of Francesco Mammoliti in 1954.Male heir born to Mammoliti, Il Giornale di Calabria, January 19, 1979, quoted in: Arlacchi, ''Mafia Business'', p. 111 Around Antonio Barbaro, known as "u Nigru", and Francesco Barbaro, known as "'u Castanu", arose one of the most powerful clans of the 'Ndrangheta which also included the Perre, Trimboli, Agresti, Catanzariti, Sergi, Papalia, Musitano and Molluso clans. They are associated through blood relations, which center around the Barbaro clan.Relazione annuale sulla 'ndrangheta
Commissione parlamentare di inchiesta sul fenomeno della criminalità organizzata mafiosa o similare, February 2008
After the death of Pasquale Agresta in 1974, Antonio Barbato took over the command over the group in Platì. Gratteri & Nicaso, ''Fratelli di Sangue'', p. 121


King of kidnapping

The clan’s long-time boss, Francesco Barbaro "'u Castanu" was known as the king of kidnapping in the 1980s. Seventeen high profile kidnappings have been attributed to the clan.Chiave del " patto " Giuseppe Barbaro, il boss di Plati'
Corriere della Sera, September 7, 1998
Francesco was arrested on January 5, 1989.
La Repubblica, January 6, 1989
Francesco’s son
Giuseppe Barbaro Giuseppe Barbaro (; born May 24, 1956 in Platì), also known as ("the Disappeared"),list of most wanted fugitives in Italy The list of most wanted fugitives in Italy is a most wanted list published by the Italian Interior Ministry. It includes criminals who are considered extremely dangerous by the Polizia di Stato. The list was started in July 1992. There are also lis ...
until his arrest on December 10, 2001.Preso Barbaro il superlatitante
La Repubblica, December 11, 2001
Another son of Francesco, Rocco Barbaro, was arrested on February 8, 2003.
La Repubblica, February 8, 2003
The arrest of Giuseppe Barbaro in 2001 led to the discovery of a complex underground fortress in the mountains in Platì that has been used by the local clans for decades. The tunnels – most running parallel to the town's sewer system – were sophisticated and in some places large enough to drive a lorry through. Remote-controlled trap doors lead into houses, some of them uninhabited, enabling the mafiosi to escape from the police. Some of the tunnels emerged outside the town close to woodland, while others open into animal pens and barns on local farms. Platì has been called the "cradle of kidnapping" and it is suspected that kidnap victims were held within the complex.


In Northern Italy

In the
1970s File:1970s decade montage.jpg, Clockwise from top left: U.S. President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office following the Watergate scandal in 1974; The United States was still involved in the Vietnam War i ...
the criminal families from
Platì Platì (; scn, label=Central-Southern Calabrian, Calabrian, Pratì) is a town and ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Reggio Calabria, in Calabria, southern Italy. It rises above sea level on the slope of the Aspromonte mountains and is ...
began to move to the
Metropolitan City of Milan The Metropolitan City of Milan ( it, città metropolitana di Milano; lmo, label=Milanese, cittaa metropolitana de Milan ) is a metropolitan city (not to be confused with the metropolitan area) in the Lombardy region, Italy. It is the second mos ...
, especially to the areas of Buccinasco and
Corsico Corsico (Milanese: ) is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, bordering Milan on the southwest. Corsico received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree on 22 July 1987. Corsico is ser ...
. While in the 1970s the Barbaro's largest source of income was the kidnapping industry, in the
1980s File:1980s replacement montage02.PNG, 420px, From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, ''Columbia'', lifts off in 1981; US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev ease tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the ...
and
1990s File:1990s decade montage.png, From top left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope orbits the Earth after it was launched in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War ...
the 'ndrina business shifted mainly to heroin and cocaine, also participating in a cartel of 'Ndrangheta families involved in cocaine trafficking with the Cosa Nostra family of
Mariano Agate Mariano Agate (19 May 1939 in Mazara del Vallo – 3 April 2013 in Mazara del Vallo) was a member of the Sicilian Mafia. He was the boss of Mazara del Vallo Mafia family since the 1970s when he replaced the old boss Mariano Licari. He also was ...
.Italia. Uno degli affari di Cosa Nostra e 'Ndrangheta insieme
ADUC droghe, May 30, 2003
However, following the major anti-mafia operations, the 'ndrina begins to change its style: no murders, no sensational actions, and starting a massive reinvestment in construction, clubs and restaurants. From that moment on, the Barbaro 'ndrina started to have three strongholds, one in the heart of the
Aspromonte The Aspromonte is a mountain massif in the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria (Calabria, southern Italy). The literal translation of the name means "rough mountain". But for others the name more likely is related to the Greek word Aspros ( Î†Ï ...
in
Calabria , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...
, one in
Corsico Corsico (Milanese: ) is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, bordering Milan on the southwest. Corsico received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree on 22 July 1987. Corsico is ser ...
and Buccinasco in the
Lombardy Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...
and one in
Volpiano Volpiano is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin, in the Italian region Piedmont. The city is located about 15 km north-east of Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business an ...
in
Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...
. Francesco Barbaro (called 'cicciu u castanu'), leader of the 'ndrina, was arrested on January 5, 1989 and his son Giuseppe Barbaro took command. In 1992, the 24 year old Francesco Barbaro, nephew of the homonymous called "U castanu", was arrested for drug trafficking. He transported drugs from Aspromonte to the Piedmontese municipalities of
Volpiano Volpiano is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin, in the Italian region Piedmont. The city is located about 15 km north-east of Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business an ...
,
Cuorgnè Cuorgnè (; pms, Corgnè or ' ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about north of Turin. Cuorgnè is located at the mouth of the Orco Valley, and borders the following munic ...
and
Chivasso Chivasso (; pms, Civass) is a comune in the Metropolitan City of Turin, in the Italian region of Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin. Chivasso has a population of about 27,000. It is situated on the left bank of the Po river, near the inf ...
. On November 3, 2009, 17 arrests were made in the Milanese area in the operation called "Parco Sud" of the
Carabinieri The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign polic ...
and the
Guardia di Finanza The ''Guardia di Finanza'' (G. di F. or GdF) () (English: literal: ''Guard of Finance'', paraphrased: ''Financial Police'' or ''Financial Guard'') is an Italian law enforcement agency under the authority of the Minister of Economy and Finance. ...
. Domenico Barbaro, known as the Australian already in prison, was also involved, like his sons Domenico, Rosario and Salvatore. Construction contractors were also arrested, including Fortunato Startati who sheltered (boss of the Sergi 'ndrina) while he was on the run. This operation follows the "Cerberus" operation in 2008 and confirms the operation of the 'ndrina in the municipalities of
Assago Assago ( lmo, Assagh or ) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Milan, in the northern Italian region of Lombardy. It contains the headquarters of Nestlé's Italian branch and the Mediolanum Forum Mediolanum Forum (originally ...
, Corsico, Buccinasco and
Trezzano sul Naviglio Trezzano sul Naviglio ( lmo, label=Milanese, Trezzan sul Navili or simply ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, located about southwest of Milan. Trezzano sul Naviglio borders the mu ...
. In the operation, assets worth 5 million euros were seized. On February 22, 2010, Tiziano Butturini, former mayor of the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...
of
Trezzano sul Naviglio Trezzano sul Naviglio ( lmo, label=Milanese, Trezzan sul Navili or simply ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, located about southwest of Milan. Trezzano sul Naviglio borders the mu ...
, in the province of Milan and president of "Tasm di Amiacque", public companies for the management of water resources, Michele Iannuzzi, municipal councilor of the political party "
The People of Freedom The People of Freedom ( it, Il Popolo della Libertà, PdL) was a centre-right political party in Italy. The PdL, launched by Silvio Berlusconi on 18 November 2007, was initially a federation of political parties, notably including Forza Italia a ...
" and Andrea Madafferi owner of the "Kreiamo" real estate company were accused of building corruption and of being close to the Barbaro criminal organization. On 23 January 2018, an operation by the Guardia di Finanza that began in 2013 ends and blocks drug trafficking between
Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
and the Lombard towns of Corsico, Assago, Buccinasco and Trezzano sul Naviglio headed by the Barbaro 'ndrina with the help of its branch the Papalia 'ndrina. On 23 October 2018, an operation by the Corsico's carabinieri against drug trafficking from Milan and
Como Como (, ; lmo, Còmm, label=Comasco dialect, Comasco , or ; lat, Novum Comum; rm, Com; french: Côme) is a city and ''comune'' in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como. Its proximity to Lake Como and ...
ends with 14 people arrested. A cocaine sales network would have been set up by 4 brothers of the Barbaro: Antonio, Francesco, Giuseppe and Salvatore Barbaro, sons of Pasquale Barbaro and entrusted to
Moroccans Moroccans (, ) are the citizens and nationals of the Kingdom of Morocco. The country's population is predominantly composed of Arabs and Berbers (Amazigh). The term also applies more broadly to any people who are of Moroccan nationality, s ...
drug dealers. In February 2022, Rocco Barbaro, known as "‘u Sparitu", and once described by other members of the 'Ndrangheta as the "capo dei capi", was released from prison. He is considered the highest member of the Platì's 'Ndrangheta in Northern Italy.


In Australia

Francesco 'Little Trees' Barbaro was named as a member of the Calabrian mafia by the Woodward Royal Commission, held following the disappearance of anti-drugs campaigner Donald Mackay in 1977. He was born in 1937 in Platì and gained his nickname by planting citrus seedlings on his New South Wales farm. The Commission alleged Little Trees made a fortune from "activities associated with cannabis cultivation" and, along with
Robert Trimbole Bruno Robert Trimbole (19 March 1931 – 12 May 1987) was an Australian businessman, drug baron and organised crime boss whose alleged involvement in drug trafficking in the Griffith, New South Wales, area, which according to popular loose fic ...
and his brother-in-law Antonio Sergi (also born in Platì in 1935), was part of an organisation "comprised almost exclusively of persons of Calabrian descent, based in
Griffith Griffith may refer to: People * Griffith (name) * Griffith (surname) * Griffith (given name) Places Antarctica * Mount Griffith, Ross Dependency * Griffith Peak (Antarctica), Marie Byrd Land * Griffith Glacier, Marie Byrd Land * Griffith Rid ...
and
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
, which engaged in the illicit cultivation, trafficking and distribution of cannabis" between 1974 and 1977. Lifting the lid on a drug ring
The Sydney Morning Herald, August 9, 2008
In August 2008, Australian 'Ndrangheta boss Pasquale (Pat) Barbaro – the son of Francesco – was involved in the importation of 15 million ecstasy (MDMA) pills through
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, at the time the world's largest ecstasy haul. The pills were hidden in 3,000 tomato cans in a shipping container sent from Calabria. Barbaro was arrested in
Carlton Carlton may refer to: People * Carlton (name), a list of those with the given name or surname * Carlton (singer), English soul singer Carlton McCarthy * Carlton, a pen name used by Joseph Caldwell (1773–1835), American educator, Presbyterian ...
. Another shipping container, which arrived in Melbourne in July 2008, contained of cocaine. The investigation also identified a
money-laundering Money laundering is the process of concealing the origin of money, obtained from illicit activities such as drug trafficking, corruption, embezzlement or gambling, by converting it into a legitimate source. It is a crime in many jurisdictions ...
operation worth more than A$9 million.AFP lands 'world's biggest drug haul'
, news.com.au, August 8, 2008
In the early 1990s, Pat Barbaro was charged, and later cleared, in connection with a massive cannabis plantation on a
Riverina The Riverina is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales, Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation ...
farm. The Calabrian Connection
, The Age, August 9, 2008
'Pat' Barbaro pleaded guilty in Victoria's Supreme Court to charges of ecstasy and cocaine trafficking. In May 2012 he was sentenced to life in prison with a 30-year minimum.
The Age, May 25, 2012
Another Pasquale Timothy Barbaro was gunned down and killed on November 14, 2016 in
Earlwood, New South Wales Earlwood is a suburb in Southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Earlwood is located 10 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, and is part of the St George area. It is in the local government areas of ...
, a suburb of Sydney Australia. He was the nephew of Pasquale (Pat) Barbaro. On 29 November four men, members of bikie gangs, were arrested and charged with Barbaro's murder. Two other relatives named Pasquale Barbaro had previously been murdered in 1990 and 2003, respectively.


References


Further reading

* * {{'Ndrine 'Ndrine Organised crime groups in Australia