17th July, 2018
Rome’s most notorious crime family, the Casamonicas, was targeted by a major Police operation on Tuesday, leading to 31 arrests for Mafia-related crimes.
The suspects were apprehended in Rome and Calabria, the southern region that forms the tip of Italy’s boot, the Carabinieri Police said in a statement.
According to the Police, those arrested are accused of several crimes, including mafia membership, drug trafficking, racketeering and loan-sharking.
Some 250 officers, sniffer dogs and a helicopter took part in the night-time raid as Police are still attempting to arrest six other alleged members of the clan.
The Casamonicas are Italian members of the Roma ethnic minority and are based in the south-eastern outskirts of Rome.
They have a fearsome reputation and are known for their swagger.
In April, two members of the clan walked into a cafe and beat up the owner and a customer, who had told them off for jumping the queue.
They then drove off in a black Ferrari.
In 2015, when the family boss, Vittorio died, he was saluted with a grand church funeral, featuring a horse-drawn carriage, a band playing the tune from “The Godfather,’’ and rose petals from a helicopter.