Domenico Tripodo (; − August 26, 1976) was an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

criminal and a historical and charismatic boss 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 ...

dominating the city of

Reggio Calabria Reggio di Calabria ( scn, label= Southern Calabrian, Riggiu; el, label= Calabrian Greek, Ρήγι, Rìji), usually referred to as Reggio Calabria, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, is the largest city in Calabria. It has an estimated popul ...

and the surrounding areas. Also known as Don Mico Tripodo he was one of the most powerful 'Ndrangheta bosses of his time, held in high respect by his criminal associates.

Powerful ‘Ndrangheta boss

Tripodo rose to power by ousting the old Reggio boss Domenico Strati after a two-year conflict in 1958-59.Paoli, ''Mafia Brotherhoods'', p. 50 In the 1960s, he formed a sort of triumvirate with

Antonio Macrì Antonio Macrì (; – January 20, 1975), popularly known as ("Unca Tony"), was a historical and charismatic boss of the 'Ndrangheta, a criminal and mafia-type organisation in Calabria, Italy. He was born in Siderno on the Ionian Sea, Ionian coast ...

, the boss of the city of

Siderno Siderno ( scn, label= Calabrian, Sidernu or ; ) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria, Calabria, southern Italy, about 3 kilometres from Locri. Some notable people from Siderno are Marco stalteri, Patrizia lunch ...

and Girolamo ''Mommo'' Piromalli, head of the most powerful ''

'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 ...

'' on the Tyrrhenian coast. The triumvirate’s senior position was recognized by all other family chiefs and its advice was, in most cases, followed without protest.Paoli, ''Mafia Brotherhoods'', p. 60 Tripodo acquired considerable financial resources through tobacco smuggling. He had relations with the

Sicilian Mafia The Sicilian Mafia, also simply known as the Mafia and frequently referred to as Cosa nostra (, ; "our thing") by its members, is an Italian Mafia-terrorist-type organized crime syndicate and criminal society originating in the region of Sicily a ...

and was the "compare d’anello" (a kind of best man and trusted friend) of Mafia boss

Totò Riina Salvatore Riina (; 16 November 1930 – 17 November 2017), called (, Totò being the diminutive of Salvatore), was an Italian mobster and chief of the Sicilian Mafia, known for a ruthless murder campaign that reached a peak in the early 1990s ...

at his wedding in 1974. According to Enzo Ciconte, a specialist on the 'Ndrangheta and a consultant for the

Antimafia Commission The Italian parliamentary Antimafia Commission ( it, Commissione parlamentare antimafia) is a bicameral commission of the Italian Parliament, composed of members from the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. The first commission, formed in 1963, wa ...

, that would only be possible if they were considered to be of the same rank.E ora la ’ndrangheta supera cosa nostra: Intervista a Enzo Ciconte
Polizia e democrazia, November–December 2007

Leadership challenged

Don Mico was a traditional 'Ndrangheta

capobastone The Capobastone is a high-ranking 'Ndrangheta who is in charge of a 'ndrina. It is the Calabrian equivalent for the Sicilian ''Capomandamento''. Rule In a 'ndrina, the Capobastone make the most important decisions, and report only at the "Capo ...

who, together with Macrì, opposed to new developments in the organisation such as the entry into kidnapping and drug trafficking,Relazione mafie nel Lazio: Le famiglie mafiose operanti nel Lazio
LiberaInformazione as well as the formation of the

Santa Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnight ...

, a secret society within the 'Ndrangheta established in the early 1970s to maximize the power and invisibility of the most important bosses.L’atteggiarsi delle associazioni mafiose sulla base delle esperienze processuali acquisite: la ’ndrangheta
, by

Salvatore Boemi Salvatore may refer to: * Salvatore (name), a given name and surname, including a list of people with the name * "Salvatore" (song), by Lana Del Rey, 2015 * Salvatore (band), a Norwegian instrumental rock band * '' Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams' ...

, in ''I delitti di criminalità organizzata'', Quaderni del Consiglio Superiore della Magistratura N. 99La criminalità organizzata dalle origini ai giorni nostri
Polizia Moderna, May 2008 Tripodo was opposed by his former underbosses in Reggio, the De Stefano brothers. They won a monopoly of construction work in northern Reggio Calabria, moving the rival Tripodo group out of the market of public work contracts with the support of the Piromalli and Mammolito clans.Arlacchi, ''Mafia Business'', p. 156 They also robbed a shipment of smuggled tobacco belonging to Tripodo. The various disagreement led to bloodshed in the

First 'Ndrangheta war The First 'Ndrangheta war was an internal struggle in the 'Ndrangheta, a Mafia-type criminal organisation in Calabria (southern Italy). The conflict raged from 1974 to 1977 and resulted in approximately 233 deaths.Dickie, ''Mafia Republic: Italy's ...

, which took place in 1974-76. Tripodo tried to strike first, killing Giovanni De Stefano in 1974.

Arrest and death

Tripodo did not see the end of the conflict. He was arrested on February 21, 1975, and incarcerated in the

Poggioreale Poggioreale ( Sicilian: ''Poggiuriali'') is a ghost town and ''comune'' in the province of Trapani, western Sicily, southern Italy, located in the Belice The Belice, , is a river of western Sicily. It is about long. From its main source nea ...

prison in Naples. On August 26, 1976, he was stabbed to death in prison on the request of the De Stefano crime family with the help of

Camorra The Camorra (; ) is an Italian Mafia-typeMafia and Mafia-type orga ...

boss

Raffaele Cutolo Raffaele Cutolo (; 4 November 1941 – 17 February 2021) was an Italian crime boss, leader of the Nuova Camorra Organizzata (NCO), an organisation he built to renew the Camorra. Cutolo had a variety of nicknames including o Vangelo'' ("the gos ...

, the boss of the

Nuova Camorra Organizzata The Nuova Camorra Organizzata (Italian: New Organized Camorra) was an Italian Camorra criminal organization founded in the late 1970s by a Neapolitan Camorrista, Raffaele Cutolo, in the region of Campania. It was also known by the initials NCO. ...

(NCO) who worked with the De Stefanos in drug trafficking.Un dirigente mafioso es apuñalado en una cárcel de Nápoles
El País, August 27, 1976, Nisio Palmieri, Dossier della Fondazione Cesar e dell’Associazione Sicurstrada per conto della Consulta Nazionale dei Consigli Regionali Unipol Assicurazioni

Paolo De Stefano Paolo De Stefano (; died October 13, 1985) was an Italian mobster and member of the 'Ndrangheta who became the undisputed boss of Reggio Calabria. Together with his brothers Giovanni, Giorgio and Orazio he headed the De Stefano 'ndrina. Early ...

emerged as the new leader of the Reggio Calabria 'Ndrangheta.Paoli, ''Mafia Brotherhoods'', p. 114 After the defeat, his son

Carmelo Tripodo Carmelo is a given name. Notable people with the name include: * Carmelo Anthony (born 1984), American basketball player * Carmelo Antrone Lee (born 1977), Puerto Rican basketball player * Carmelo Bene (1937-2002), Italian director, actor, phil ...

first moved to north Italy, later to

Caserta Caserta () is the capital of the province of Caserta in the Campania region of Italy. It is an important agricultural, commercial, and industrial ''comune'' and city. Caserta is located on the edge of the Campanian plain at the foot of the Camp ...

Campania Campania (, also , , , ) is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea to its west), but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islands and the i ...

, and finally in 1992 to

Fondi Fondi ( la, Fundi; Southern Laziale: ''Fùnn'') is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Latina, Lazio, central Italy, halfway between Rome and Naples. As of 2017, the city had a population of 39,800. The city has experienced steady population ...

Lazio it, Laziale , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

. He allied himself with the Calabrian Imerti- Condello clan, historical enemies of the De Stefanos. He was arrested on October 30, 1996, in Rome on charges of extortion and

usury Usury () is the practice of making unethical or immoral monetary loans that unfairly enrich the lender. The term may be used in a moral sense—condemning taking advantage of others' misfortunes—or in a legal sense, where an interest rate is ch ...

References

*Arlacchi, Pino (1988). ''Mafia Business. The Mafia Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism'', Oxford: Oxford University Press *Paoli, Letizia (2003).
Mafia Brotherhoods: Organized Crime, Italian Style
', New York: Oxford University Press

by Klaus Von Lampe)

by Alexandra V. Orlova) {{DEFAULTSORT:Tripodo, Domenico 1920s births 1976 deaths People from Reggio Calabria 'Ndranghetisti Murdered 'Ndranghetisti 1976 murders in Italy 20th-century Italian criminals