Barbaro 'ndrina
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The Barbaro 'ndrina is a powerful clan of the
'Ndrangheta The 'Ndrangheta (, , ) is a mafia-type organized crime, criminal syndicate originating from the Calabria region of Italy. Gratteri & Nicaso, ''Fratelli di Sangue'', pp. 65–68 This body, also referred to as the Commission in reference to the ...
, a criminal and mafia-type organisation in
Calabria Calabria is a Regions of Italy, region in Southern Italy. It is a peninsula bordered by the region Basilicata to the north, the Ionian Sea to the east, the Strait of Messina to the southwest, which separates it from Sicily, and the Tyrrhenian S ...
,
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. The 'ndrina belongs to the '' locale'' of the town of
Platì Platì (; ) 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 located next to the Aspromonte National Park. History P ...
. According to the
Direzione Investigativa Antimafia The Direzione Investigativa Antimafia (DIA), also known as the Anti-Mafia Investigation Division, 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 aga ...
(DIA - the Italian Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate), the Barbaro 'ndrina is one of the most powerful 'Ndrangheta clans. The clan also operates in the northern Italian regions of
Lombardy The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...
(notably in Buccinasco, near
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
),Boss alla milanese
L’espresso, December 27, 2007
Piemonte Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the northwest. Pied ...
and overseas in Australia, in particular in the
Griffith, New South Wales Griffith is a major regional city in the northern Riverina region of western New South Wales, known commonly as the food bowl of Australia. It is also the seat of the City of Griffith Local government in Australia, local government area. Like ...
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 clans of the 'Ndrangheta.'Ndrangheta, morto in carcere a Parma il boss Francesco Barbaro
La Repubblica, 2 November 2018
From the 10 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 founded 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 from Castellace in the municipality of
Oppido Mamertina Oppido Mamertina (, ) 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 seat of the Diocese of Oppido Mamertina. The mun ...
. In October 1954, Domenico Barbaro killed Francesco Mammoliti, the head of the rival clan. On November 7, 1954, the Mammolitis retaliated and killed Francesco Barbaro and some others, an attack that was attributed to Vincenzo Mammoliti, who was acquitted by the court due to 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 ( , ; ; ) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area. It has 162,467 ...
, 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 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 Barbaro 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 took over the leadership of the clan. He was included in the
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 l ...
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 had 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 led 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 opened 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 the criminal families from
Platì Platì (; ) 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 located next to the Aspromonte National Park. History P ...
began to move to the
Metropolitan City of Milan The Metropolitan City of Milan (; , ) is a Metropolitan cities of Italy, metropolitan city (not to be confused with the Milan metropolitan area, metropolitan area) in the Lombardy region of Italy. It is the second most populous metropolitan ci ...
, especially to the areas of Buccinasco and Corsico. While in the 1970s the Barbaros' largest source of income was from the kidnapping industry, in the 1980s and 1990s the 'ndrina business shifted mainly to heroin and cocaine, also participating in a cartel of 'Ndrangheta families involved in cocaine trafficking with the
Sicilian Mafia The Sicilian Mafia or Cosa Nostra (, ; "our thing"), also referred to as simply Mafia, is a secret society, criminal society and criminal organization originating on the island of Sicily and dates back to the mid-19th century. Emerging as a form of ...
family of Mariano Agate.Italia. Uno degli affari di Cosa Nostra e 'Ndrangheta insieme
ADUC droghe, May 30, 2003
However, following the major anti-mafia operations, the 'ndrina began 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). In Italian aspro means "rough" whereas in Greek it means "white" (wikt:άσπρος, Άσπρος), therefore the name literally translat ...
in
Calabria Calabria is a Regions of Italy, region in Southern Italy. It is a peninsula bordered by the region Basilicata to the north, the Ionian Sea to the east, the Strait of Messina to the southwest, which separates it from Sicily, and the Tyrrhenian S ...
, one in Corsico and Buccinasco in the
Lombardy The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...
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. Economy It is an industrial (fuel, transportation, electronic, for example ) an ...
in
Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...
. 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. Economy It is an industrial (fuel, transportation, electronic, for example ) an ...
,
Cuorgnè Cuorgnè (; 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 municipalities: C ...
and
Chivasso Chivasso (; ) is a communes of Italy, comune in the Metropolitan City of Turin, in the Italy, Italian region of Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin. Chivasso has a population of about 27,000. It is situated on the :wikt:left bank, left bank ...
. 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 poli ...
and the
Guardia di Finanza The Guardia di Finanza (; G. di F. or GdF; or ) is an Italian militarised law enforcement agency under the Ministry of Economy and Finance (Italy), Ministry of Economy and Finance, instead of the Ministry of Defence (Italy), Ministry of Defence ...
. 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 followed the "Cerberus" operation in 2008 and confirmed the operation of the 'ndrina in the municipalities of
Assago Assago ( sˈsaːɡo Milanese: ''Assagh'' ˈsɑːk ''Sagh'' ɑːk is a town and ''comune'' of 9 326 inhabitants in the Metropolitan City of Milan, in the northern Italian region of Lombardy. It is home of the headquarters of Nestlé's Italian ...
, Corsico, Buccinasco and Trezzano sul Naviglio. In the operation, assets worth €5 million were seized. On February 22, 2010, Tiziano Butturini, former mayor of the Democratic Party of Trezzano sul Naviglio, 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 (, PdL) was a centre-right political party in Italy. The PdL launched by Silvio Berlusconi as an electoral list, including and National Alliance, on 27 February for the 2008 Italian general election. The list was later t ...
" and Andrea Madafferi owner of the "Kreiamo" real estate company were accused of building corruption and of association to the Barbaro criminal organization. On 23 January 2018, an operation by the Guardia di Finanza that began in 2013 blocked drug trafficking between
Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
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 (, ; , or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como. Nestled at the southwestern branch of the picturesque Lake Como, the city is a renowned tourist destination, ce ...
ended with 14 people arrested. A cocaine sales network would have been set up by four brothers of the Barbaro: Antonio, Francesco, Giuseppe and Salvatore Barbaro, sons of Pasquale Barbaro and entrusted to
Moroccans Moroccans () are the Moroccan nationality law, citizens and nationals of the Morocco, 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 ...
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 organized crime figure whose alleged involvement in drug trafficking in Griffith, New South Wales, resulted in a royal commission, a corone ...
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 Ridge, ...
and
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
, 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 language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
, 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. 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 illegally concealing the origin of money obtained from illicit activities (often known as dirty money) such as drug trafficking, sex work, terrorism, corruption, and embezzlement, and converting the funds into ...
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 list of regions in Australia, region of south-western New South Wales, Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, a climate with significant seaso ...
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 of 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 Canterbury-Bankstown area. It is in the local government area o ...
, 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 Italian-Australian organised crime