Italian mob suspect Edgardo Greco found working as pizza chef after 16 years on run

A convicted slayer believed to beryllium to 1 of Italy’s astir powerful mafia organisations has been discovered moving arsenic a pizza cook and arrested aft astir 17 years connected nan run.

Edgardo Greco, 63, is suspected of belonging to nan notorious ’Ndrangheta, a mafia organisation successful Calabria, confederate Italy. Interpol said he was arrested connected Thursday successful nan French metropolis of Saint-Etienne, wherever he had astatine 1 constituent tally an Italian edifice nether an alias, according to French prosecutors.

Described arsenic a “dangerous fugitive”, Greco was wanted successful Italy to service a life condemnation for nan murders of Stefano and Giuseppe Bartolomeo, Interpol said connected Thursday.

He was besides accused location of nan attempted execution of Emiliano Mosciaro “as portion of a mafia warfare betwixt nan Pino Sena and Perna Pranno gangs that marked nan early 1990s”.

The Bartolomeo brothers were beaten to decease pinch robust bars successful a food storage successful January 1991, Italian constabulary said. Their bodies were ne'er recovered and are believed to person been dissolved successful acid. Rival clans had ordered their sidesplitting because, according to pack leaders, nan brothers were trying to grow their businesses by interfering pinch those of different crime families.

In Saint-Etienne successful June 2021, Greco became nan proprietor of an Italian edifice called Caffe Rossini Ristorante, moving it until November 2021, French prosecutors said. According to documents seen by Agence France-Presse, he utilized nan sanction Paolo Dimitrio and besides worked successful different Italian restaurants successful nan city.

A Facebook relationship for nan Caffe Rossini Ristorante, which appears to person been closed down, showed section property covered its opening successful 2021. “Paolo Dimitrio opens nan edifice of his dreams,” said nan header of nan article successful nan section newspaper Le Progres. Greco besides worked evenings successful a pizza edifice nether his assumed name, according to Italian media.

After his apprehension successful nan early hours of Thursday morning, he appeared earlier an investigating magistrate successful Lyon who formally notified him of Italy’s apprehension warrant, prosecutors said. He was past placed successful detention.

The Cooperation Against ’Ndrangheta task tally by Interpol, which facilitates constabulary practice betwixt its 195 personnel states, aided successful Greco’s arrest.

While still successful Italy, Greco managed to debar situation aft he produced mendacious documents attesting to a clone illness, curen for which supposedly meant he could not beryllium detained.

The Italian interior minister, Matteo Piantedosi, was quoted successful Interpol’s connection arsenic saying nan arrests demonstrated his country’s committedness to “fighting each forms of organised crime and locating vulnerable fugitives”.

The execution of nan Bartolomeo brothers marked a turning constituent for nan ’Ndrangheta. Many Calabrian mafia bosses turned informers and helped authorities apprehension dozens of their confederates. ’Ndrangheta clans are characterised by heavy humor relations, a trait that erstwhile made this organisation virtually impenetrable. But now galore of these brothers, nephews and moreover children of nan bosses person decided to look arsenic witnesses against their ain relatives.

The ’Ndrangheta is considered Italy’s astir extended and powerful mafia group, Interpol said, operating worldwide and pinch beardown ties to nan waste and acquisition successful cocaine bound for Europe from South America.

Greco’s apprehension came a week aft Italian constabulary said it had dismantled an ’Ndrangheta mafia ringing dominating a ample area of confederate Calabria and seized assets exceeding €250m ($270m). Fifty-six people, galore already successful prison, were put nether criminal investigation for a bid of crimes including mafia-related conspiracy, extortion, kidnapping, bribery and possession of weapons, constabulary and prosecutors said.

Last month, Italian constabulary arrested Matteo Messina Denaro, 1 of nan astir notorious bosses of nan Sicilian Cosa Nostra mafia, who had been connected nan tally for 30 years. The 60-year-old was arrested aft visiting a wellness session successful nan Sicilian capital, Palermo, wherever he was being treated.

Agence France-Presse and Associated Press contributed to this report