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Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy, attracts no fewer than 1.36 million tourists annually and is delightful with temperatures of up to 29 degrees. However, the visitors are not only German and Austrian tourists; the mafia also happily mixes with the crowd, reports the “Südkurier”.
The mafia bosses buy real estate, launder the money from the drug trade and do other things. If members are exposed, their properties are usually confiscated and then left vacant. That is why the Garda Social consortium is now working to bring the seized houses back into use. This also applies to the home of the Ciccimarra brothers, who lived in a detached house on Lake Garda before their arrest in 2005. They both belonged to the ‘Ndrangheta, the largest mafia organization in Italy.
Find several mafia members on Lake Garda
The two brothers ran the drug trade from their home on Lake Garda and sometimes also collaborated with cartels from Mexico, as Jennifer Riboli, member of the anti-mafia organization Libera, reported to the “Südkurier”. The Ciccimara siblings’ single-family home has now become a youth center where young people are educated about gang activities. The house is now called “Casa della legalità”, in German “House of Legality”. Some of the properties have also been converted into holiday apartments.
But not only the ‘Ndrangheta can be found on Lake Garda, members of the Camorra and Cosa Nostra also enjoy the beauty of the lake. “The west coast of the lake, as a constantly growing tourist area, has gradually allowed members of mafia organizations to better camouflage themselves in the social fabric of Lake Garda,” writes the Organized Crime Observatory of the University of Milan.
This is already having an impact on young people, as Riboli confirms to the “Südkurier”. “Petit crime is also increasing among young people, and we want to do something about this with our assistance and youth workshops.” (mgf)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
