"Vast fortune" belonging to legendary Mafia boss seized by police in Italy
CBS News • • general
Key Points:
- Italy has seized over 200 million euros in assets linked to late Mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro, derived from decades of drug trafficking and reinvested across Europe and beyond.
- The assets, identified through an extensive investigation involving drones and thermal scanners, include luxury vacation resorts on Spain's Costa del Sol, bank accounts, securities, and corporate holdings spread across multiple countries.
- Messina Denaro, head of Sicily's Castelvetrano clan and convicted for high-profile murders and bombings, was captured in January 2023 after 30 years on the run and died in prison in September 2023.
- The operation aims not only to confiscate illicit wealth but also to disrupt Cosa Nostra's efforts to rebuild its power following Messina Denaro's death, according to Italy's top anti-Mafia prosecutor Giovanni Melillo.
- Messina Denaro's arrest was facilitated by his seeking cancer treatment under a false identity, ending his status as Italy's most-wanted fugitive and a legendary Mafia figure.