ITALIAN MAFIA: A FOCUS ON APULIA MAFIA WITH A LITERATURE REVIEW

FRANCESCA MAGLIETTA¹, FRANCESCO SESSA¹, GIUSEPPE DAVIDE ALBANO¹, GIUSEPPE BERTOZZI¹, PASQUALE GIUGLIANO², GIUSEPPE VACCHIANO³, GABRIELLA MARSALA⁴, MONICA SALERNO¹

¹Section of Forensic Pathology, Clinical and Experimental Medicine Department, University of Foggia. D’Avanzo Hospital, Viale degli Aviatori 1, Foggia, Italy - ²U.O.C., Legal Medicine, Sant’Anna and San Sebastiano Hospital, Palasciano Street, Caserta, Italy -³U.O.C. , Department of Law, Economics an Mathematical Methods, Sannio University, Benevento, Italy- ⁴Struttura Complessa di Farmacia, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Ospedali Riuniti di Foggia, Italy

The goal of this paper is a systematic literary review that analyzes the differences between the main Apulia’s Mafia organiza- tions and their distinctive murder methods. In homicides committed by criminal organization, the method used intends to be an admonition to other persons. We analyze the criminal organization named “Mafia of Gargano”, that is a promontory of Apulia Region, in South-East of Italy. We analyze its homicidal mode, the type of weapon used in murders, the drawn body sites and the action recurrence. Previously named “Faida” of Gargano, the “Garganic Mafia” was certified by legal court as an inveterate mafia system only in 2009. In fact, in the Garganic area an archaic and violent mafia arise for theft of animals; subsequently, the most pro- fitable activities of these clans became drug and weapons trafficking. The “Garganic Mafia” is an extremely traditional Mafia, like “Camorra”, with particularly practices of cadaver concealment. Very often, utilizing natural conformation of Gargano promontory, the criminals throw away the bodies into natural canyons. In this manner, the cadavers are discovered after many years accidentally: this method was classified as “Lupara Bianca”. Another kind of Apulia’s Mafia is the so called “Sacra Corona Unita” (SCU). Originally it was founded by the Camorra’s boss but it’s inspired by Calabrian 'Ndrangheta: both these mafia associations was found in south of Italy, Camorra in Campania Region and ‘Ndragheta in Calabria Region. In the murders committed by the SCU was fre- quent the recourse to deception to attract the victim, the use of the gun and the method of “Lupara Bianca” with the burning of the body. As previously described, the kind of the murder represents the signature of the mafia organization. These finding are very useful for investigations, helping to identify crime’s motivations and the correlation with suspects.