The First 'Ndrangheta war was an internal struggle in 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
Mafia
"Mafia" is an informal term that is used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the original “Mafia”, the Sicilian Mafia and Italian Mafia. The central activity of such an organization would be the arbitration of ...
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 ...
). The conflict raged from 1974 to 1977 and resulted in approximately 233 deaths.Dickie, ''Mafia Republic: Italy's Criminal Curse'', p. 138 /ref> The war broke the equilibrium in the triumvirate, made up of Antonio Macrì, Domenico Tripodo and
Girolamo Piromalli
Girolamo Piromalli (October 7, 1918 – February 11, 1979), also known as ''Mommo'', was an Italian mobster and member of the 'Ndrangheta. He was capobastone (head of command) of the Piromalli 'ndrina based in his home town Gioia Tauro on the T ...
, that had ruled the 'Ndrangheta for 15 years, and facilitated the rise of a new generation 'Ndranghetisti, in particular the
De Stefano 'ndrina
The De Stefano 'ndrina, or the De Stefano family or De Stefano-Tegano family, is one of the most powerful clans of the 'Ndrangheta, a criminal and mafia-type organisation in Calabria, Italy. The 'ndrina hailed from the Archi neighbourhood in Reggio ...
, who wanted to involve the 'Ndrangheta in new, more lucrative criminal activities (especially drug trafficking).
Background
Traditional 'Ndrangheta bosses such as Domenico Tripodo and Antonio Macrì were opposed to new developments in the organisation, such as the entry into kidnapping and drug trafficking. Gratteri & Nicaso, ''Fratelli di Sangue'' p.58 /ref> They also opposed 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 overnigh ...
Girolamo Piromalli
Girolamo Piromalli (October 7, 1918 – February 11, 1979), also known as ''Mommo'', was an Italian mobster and member of the 'Ndrangheta. He was capobastone (head of command) of the Piromalli 'ndrina based in his home town Gioia Tauro on the T ...
, their fellow boss in the triumvirate that had ruled the 'Ndrangheta for 15 years, favoured La Santa and was eager to modify the traditional rules of the 'Ndrangheta through the formation of covert Masonic lodges in which the 'Ndrangheta bosses were able to contact law enforcement authorities, judges and politicians that were necessary to access public work contracts in the state development of the Reggio Calabria area (a railroad stump, a steelwork center, and the port in
Gioia Tauro
Gioia Tauro () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria (Italy), on the Tyrrhenian coast. It has an important port, situated along the route connecting Suez to Gibraltar, one of the busiest maritime corridors in ...
).Paoli, ''Mafia Brotherhoods'', p. 115 Guarino, ''Poteri segreti e criminalità'', pp. 14-15, Nisio Palmieri, Dossier della Fondazione Cesar e dell’Associazione Sicurstrada per conto della Consulta Nazionale dei Consigli Regionali Unipol Assicurazioni
At a meeting in September 1974, in Gioia Tauro, hosted by Piromalli to discuss an offer of a 3 per cent kick back by the major construction companies for the Goia Tauro steelworks (which the 'Ndrangheta bosses rejected), tensions reached a boiling point. Tripodo and his former underling Giorgio De Stefano exchanged insults that almost escalated in a violent confrontation, only prevented by peacemaker Macrì.Dickie, ''Mafia Republic: Italy's Criminal Curse'', pp. 137-40 /ref> Matters deteriorated when Tripodo, fearing an ambush, failed to show up at a wedding of a close ally of Piromalli.
The conflict
Tripodo tried to strike first, killing Giovanni De Stefano and wounding his brother Giorgio De Stefano on 24 November 1974, in the Roof Garden bar, an infamous 'Ndrangheta haunt in Reggio Calabria. Gratteri & Nicaso, ''Fratelli di Sangue'' pp. 60-62 /ref> The conflict was now inevitable. In retaliation, on 20 January 1975, Macrì was killed in his hometown Siderno while his right hand man
Francesco Commisso
Francesco, the Italian (and original) version of the personal name "Francis", is the most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name include:
People with the given name Francesco
* Francesco I (disambiguation), sever ...
was severely wounded. According to a state witness, a young
Pasquale Condello
Pasquale Condello (; born 24 September 1950) is an Italian criminal known as a member of the 'Ndrangheta. He is also known as ("the supreme one") for his role at the top of the crime syndicate.Godfather's arrest fuels fear of bloody conflict The Observer, February 24, 2008 Macrì was killed with the help of the Cataldo and Mazzaferro clans.
Tripodo was arrested on 21 February 1975, and incarcerated in the Poggioreale prison in
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
. On 26 August 26, 1976, he was stabbed to death in prison on the request of the De Stefanos with the help of
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 go ...
, 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.
With the killing of Tripodo, the conflict withered to its end. However, the final stage was the killing of Giorgio De Stefano on 7 November 1977 in Santo Stefano in 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 ( � ...
. He was killed by Giuseppe Suraci, a minor 'Ndrangehta soldier, apparently out of personal vengeance, but in reality on the orders of Piromalli, who feared the rise of the De Stefanos. By extorting a bribe of a building contractor already under the protection of the Piromallis, De Stefano had committed a ''sgarro'' (insulting the honour and authority of a crime boss). The Piromallis had Suraci killed and offered his head on a silver platter to Giorgio's brother
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.
Earl ...
, to show their allegiance, but in reality to prevent Suraci from revealing the real reason of the killing.
Casualties
The casualties of the war rose to 233 in three years. Apart from the main war, local feuds erupted in various towns such as
Cittanova
Cittanova is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria in the Italian region Calabria, located about southwest of Catanzaro and about northeast of Reggio Calabria.
Located on the slopes of Aspromonte and facing ...
, Seminara, Ciminà and Taurianova. Victims were sometimes fed to the pigs to make the bodies disappear.Dickie, ''Mafia Republic: Italy's Criminal Curse'', p. 140 /ref>
Aftermath
The De Stefano clan moved from being simple 'Ndranghetisti to being the new “lords” 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 pop ...
.Paoli, ''Mafia Brotherhoods'', pp. 50-51 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 Mammoliti cosche.Arlacchi, ''Mafia Business'', p. 156 Their dominant position would be challenged in the
Second 'Ndrangheta war
The Second 'Ndrangheta war was an internal struggle in the 'Ndrangheta, a criminal organisation in Calabria (southern Italy). The conflict raged from 1985–1991 in Reggio Calabria. Practically all the 'ndrine in the city of Reggio Calabria group ...
(1985-1991).
The real victor, however, was the Piromalli 'ndrina who redirected the 'Ndrangheta clan from its rural base to an entrepreneurial criminal organisation assuming dominance over several public works in the Gioia Tauro area, particularly in the construction and operation of the new container seaport.Gioia Tauro: boss Giuseppe Piromalli, 84 anni, muore agli arresti Giornale di Calabria, February 21, 2005