Antonio Pelle, boss di 'ndrangheta - Kings of Crime CANA...

It's a life that takes

getting used to, to understand it, being born into it, to love it so full is the land

of rocks and thorns. Aspromonte. Among the gorges and woods

of the southern Calabria arose a wealthy,

powerful criminal organization, the most mysterious of Mafias...

the 'Ndrangheta. ROBERTO SAVIANO TELLS OF

THE LIVES OF THE BOSSES Here is the story of

the most enigmatic of its bosses... Antonio Pelle. Let's start! Chapter 1

The Origins To narrate

Antonio Pelle's 'Ndrangheta we must go way back. To a legend about a child. A young shepherd named Italiano is walking along a path in Montalto, the highest point of Aspromonte,

in Calabria. He's looking for

an animal that he's lost, it's a male calf. He walks a long time and suddenly, lifting his gaze,

Italiano sights the calf. He notices it's pawing the ground,

its head down, like it had found something. In fact, it had. He nears and sees an iron cross

lying where the calf is pawing. Just then, Italiano

is blinded by a flash of light. A woman's voice says: "I want a church to be erected to disperse my mercy

to all the faithful who come here to visit me". The Madonna has spoken to Italiano. At that isolated spot on Aspromonte begins the story of the

most beloved sanctuary in Calabria, Our Lady of Polsi. It was 1144. Obviously, this is a legend. What is certain, however,

that hundreds of years later, another shepherd boy,

one who really existed, the protagonist of our story, takes his animals to pasture

where Italiano had. This shepherd boy is Antonio Pelle. In the 1930s,

shepherds were destined to be shepherds all their lives

and generate shepherds. Aspromonte is a hostile land, just as in Italiano's time. The inhabited areas are isolated, they're villages gripping

the mountains, crossed by creeks. Creeks are torrents

that are dry in summer but which swell in winter

and destroy everything, they inhibit crop growth

and even sheep-raising. One of these villages is

San Luca of Aspromonte. My first time there, I noticed My first time there, I noticed many young men wearing

scorpion-shaped pendants or scorpions tattooed on the inside

of their wrists, on their ankles. Scorpions were everywhere. I asked a Carabiniere: "Why the scorpions?"

and he said "I'll show you". He took me to the highest point,

to look down on San Luca. San Luca, from above,

is shaped like a scorpion. And there, in 1932,

Antonio Pelle was born. Antonio grows up with his family, in Via Fiore 28, in a house

which is nearly invisible today. Just one room,

typical of shepherd families, a house like many others

of that time. Antonio doesn't go to school, but

it's normal for a child in San Luca. There was no elementary school

in the village, not even roads leading

to places where schools were. The father of Corrado Alvaro,

an author I adore, from San Luca, was the only

elementary teacher at the time. Corrado Alvaro

tells us something nice. His father taught

shepherds' children, and failed them every year. Why? To keep them in school,

away from working, so they wouldn't be in the fold

so young. That's the environment

in which Antonio Pelle grew up. Antonio is described

as a disciplined, taciturn boy, very good with animals. He helped his father

pasture the sheep. They'd leave before dawn, walking uphill

to the Sanctuary of Polsi. Antonio soon realizes something. He sees no animals like his

along the way, but he does encounter

the so-called "sacred cows". The sacred cows do as they please,

grazing on all areas, ruining harvests, they wander onto train tracks,

risking accidents. But the sacred cows can't be touched because they belong

to the 'Ndrangheta. They were first mentioned

in Italian papers in the 1970s, but sacred cows exist even today. If you go there, you'll see

them roaming free, and not only cows. Little Antonio Pelle looked at

those animals, free and untouchable, and realizes they have more freedom and more respect

than he and his father, chained to the fate of exploited,

isolated shepherds. A desire is born within him. He wants the respect

given to the animals, he wants the respect

they're a symbol of, he wants to be part

of The Honored Society. It's what the 'Ndrangheta is called

by its members. Not 'Ndrangheta, not Camorra,

not Mafia, these are journalist words,

but The Honored Society, La Cosa Nostra and System. This is how they define themselves. Chapter 2

The Honored Society One is born into the 'Ndrangheta. The education of 'Ndrangheta members

starts in the cradle. It begins with lullabies, the lullabies

which 'Ndrangheta mothers sing to their children. Listen to me, my dear child you were born an orphan, your father was killed by betrayal and infamy. Betrayal, hate, infamy, honor, revenge. It's a 'Ndrangheta lullaby. To only way to be in the 'Ndrangheta

is through blood, either it flows in your veins

or you cause it to flow. Antonio Pelle is not related

to a 'Ndrangheta member, so he had no birthright. He had to go the other way:

causing blood to flow. Antonio Pelle's first 20 years

are riddled with crime: cattle rustling,

detention of weapons, attempted murder,

but he was always acquitted. Pelle acquires a nickname

during these years. In the crime world

you must have a nickname. Nicknames are given for two reasons. First, to tell people apart, because village people

often have the same names. In the South,

we're named after our grandparents. Second, it's to give

an immediate picture of the member, a characteristic trait. In the 'Ndrangheta, for example, Francesco Strangio

is called "Ciccio Boutique" because he has a shop opposite

the Sanctuary of Polsi. Francesco Pelle

is "Ciccio Pakistan", because he has marked features

and dark skin. Giuseppe Morabito

is "Da Aim-straight", because he's a good shot. Nino Imerti is "Ferocious Dwarf", because he's short and very cruel. Peppe De Stefano is "Bye Guys", because at his arrest,

he said to the camera: "Bye Guys". Antonio Pelle, for everyone,

was "'Ntoni Badleg". Badleg because he limped a little. It seems he shot himself

in the thigh. So, Badleg had what it took to be part of the organization, he just needed the chance

for a qualitative leap. It came on May 14, 1961. It was a Sunday morning, the Carabinieri were called for a shooting

in the San Luca woods, near a creek. They find two women crying

over a relative's body. Someone had killed a big shot

in the San Luca crime world: Sebastiano Pizzata. The Carabinieri examine the body

and find eight shots, but three of these form a perfect

triangle around his heart. The triangle is a figure

used very often by Associates. Generally, between

the thumb and forefinger, they tattoo three dots

called "bullu" and for some, it symbolizes

a low ranking 'Ndrangheta member, for others,

the three legendary Spanish knights: Osso, Mastrosso and Carcagnosso who, according to Italian Mafia

legend, came from Spain and founded La Cosa Nostra,

the Camorra and the 'Ndrangheta. Different from other murders, it was a simple case to resolve. Two weeks later, Antonio Pelle

goes to the police and says: "I did it. That Sunday morning

I was going to Polsi, I heard arguing. I got close and saw about twenty men fighting over the theft of cows, my brother Domenico was among them. The fight degenerated,

Pizzata pulled a gun and we started shooting. At that point,

worried for my brother, I pulled my 7.65 and killed

Pizzata in self-defense!" he told the Carabinieri. Actually, the investigation

showed that two people fired, so, Pelle's version is either

incomplete or imaginary. He takes the blame for a murder he may never have committed

or not alone. This is the price he paid

to get into the organization. It was discovered that the victim,

Pizzata, was in conflict with a boss, Ficara, to whom Pelle had bonded, so he paid him homage by serving

years in prison for him. Reading the trial records

is incredible, you understand the mood of San Luca in the early 1960s: a land

with more weapons than forks, one out of two had a criminal record. There was nothing! If a young person from San Luca

wanted to emerge, the only way was the 'Ndrangheta. Chapter 3

The Hierarchy The 'Ndrangheta has

a well-defined hierarchy. It can be scaled from

the lowest level to the highest, via merit, even today. Although it's criminal merit,

it is based on talent. The 'Ndrangheta

is a unitary structure with an apex and hierarchical roles, the so-called "rungs". You enter the organization

as a Soldier of Honor. First you are an Honored Contrast. If no one here is 'Ndrangheta,

we're all Contrasts You're all Contrasts. The word itself is clear: a person who doesn't acknowledge

the Rules of Honor. When you start doing favors

for the organization, you become an Honored Contrast

but not an Associate. Then you're baptized

and become a Soldier of Honor. Then you're a Camorrista, nothing

to do with the Neapolitan Camorra, it's only a step, then Sgarrista,

which is the Minor Society. Santista is the first step

in the Major Society, the major league

of international crime. Santista, Vangelo,

Trequartino, Quartino: so, greater responsibility. Godfather, Crociata, Stella, Mamma Santissima, the Infinite:

limitless power. The most incredible 'rung':

Count Ugolino. Do you know why? Because the 'Ndrangheta boss

with that 'rung', we don't know who held

this position historically, can be like Count Ugolino

of Dante's "Hell": he can eat his children, he can kill, betray others and not

lose the position of Godfather, not lose the position

of Father, of Boss and above all,

he can't be considered as infamous. To get the organizational chart

of the 'Ndrangheta, took more than a century

of investigation. Eight times what was needed to map the human genome. This is because the higher positions

are not revealed to the Associates, a Sgarrista may not know

who the Santista is. Like a multinational,

it has areas responsibility. The one responsible for Lombardy,

the one in charge of Northern Europe, New Zealand, Canada, all answer to

a central executive board. The 'Ndrangheta executive board

is in San Luca. San Luca is called The Mother because this is

where the Rule originates. It's the Mother

who gives rules to children, and especially

who gives rewards and punishment. San Luca is important

because of the Sanctuary of Polsi. On September 2, Our Lady

of the Mountain is celebrated. It's felt deeply by all Calabrians, whether in Calabria or not,

it's imbued with spirituality, joy. Unfortunately this feast has been

defaced by another tradition. For over a century, on that day, the 'Ndrangheta "annual convention"

is held. All the bosses of all the branches

of the organization throughout Italy and the world, which, incidentally,

are called "Locals", flock to Polsi. Problems are discussed, strategies

established, positions given. In 2009, the Carabinieri proved it. They placed cameras,

we have videos of their meetings. They even managed to film them as they met on September 2nd. There's a rule, positions can be given twice a year. We have to do it all together. The Crimine belongs to everyone, it must be formed by every "Local". The 'Ndrangheta uses ancestral

symbols linked to nature imagery. This is noted

when listening to rites and oaths, rituals that serve

to enter the organization and access the higher positions. When you receive a position,

there's a rite, a baptism. Good eventide

and holy evening to Santisti! This holy evening,

in the silence of the night, under starlight

and the splendor of the moon, I form the sacred chain. In the name of Garibaldi,

Mazzini and La Marmora, with words of humility,

I form the Sacred Society. - Say with me: I swear...

- I swear. - To renounce everything...

- To renounce everything... - Up to the seventh generation...

- Up to the seventh generation... All the criminal societies

I have acknowledged to now... All the criminal societies

I have acknowledged to now... To safeguard the honor

of my wise brothers. Legends, rites and codes serve to pass on an identity in which you recognize yourself

forever and it must be such a strong identity that you're willing to be imprisoned,

kill and die. When Antonio Pelle declared himself

guilty of Pizzata's murder he became part of this ancient,

eternal system. To enter, he offered all his youth because in 1968 he was sentenced

to 23 years in prison for the murder

he'd taken responsibility for. When Pelle went to jail

he had a wife and young children. He knows he won't raise them, but, like all connected with the

Mafia, Camorra and 'Ndrangheta, he knows the organization

will pay expenses: legal, health. The organization pays a salary

relative to rank, to the number of children

and family problems. For example, mafiosos

with disabled children get more. Pelle was jailed

in a prison on Pianosa, a small island off the coast of

Leghorn, called the Italian Alcatraz. But he was in Pianosa just two years. Then he was given obligatory

residence in Apulia. Obviously, in February 1971,

he escaped and became a fugitive. Chapter 4

The rise of Pelle and the 'Ndrangheta For a 'Ndrangheta boss,

the safest way to hide isn't to flee around the world, but to hide in his own territory. Simple! He knows every stone,

every street, although investigators

would think that immediately, he shows all members

that he's not running, no need to be substituted,

you're present. Pelle hides in Aspromonte,

in Africo, 40 kilometers from San Luca. During his period of hiding, Badleg becomes friends

with a powerful boss, Giuseppe Morabito "Da Aim-straight". Their association changes

the history of the 'Ndrangheta and a part of the history

of our country. In those years the whole

criminal scenario was changing. It was no longer the era

of cattle rusting, shakedowns. No longer. These years mark the turning point

for the 'Ndrangheta from an agropastoral organization

to an entrepreneurial organization involved in public contracts and

in the industrial sector of Italy. That's when construction of

the Port of Gioia Tauro started, and where they move in. Then the interminable works:

the Salerno-Reggio Calabria Highway. Interview with an Associate

taken from the program "The Longest Day of the 'Ndrangheta"

Rai TV, 1980 What did the A1 Highway mean

for Calabria? It helped evolution

and it allowed the change from the old to the new Mafia. Then also subcontracts came in. It meant well-being, those able to buy themselves

a vehicle and get a subcontract,

with fair means or foul, for him, for his family

and all those around him, it meant well-being. But careful! There's an important passage. Getting hold of these contracts implied excellent companies, good quality materials,

it takes money. Where did this money come from? Kidnappings. Swallowed by Aspromonte 3 kidnappings in 36 hours

Child of 11 taken Paul Getty Jr. kidnapped in Rome

Grandson of the world's richest man Mother and son in chains

beg for help Cesare, the long hours of waiting In a hole in the ground

for nine months Engineer from Naples

released after a year in Aspromonte Kidnap victims are kept like animals, actually, animals are kept better. My name is Carlo De Feo, I was held prisoner

by the 'Ndrangheta from February 28, 1983

to February 17, 1984. ROBERTO SAVIANO TELLS OF

THE LIVES OF THE BOSSES ROBERTO SAVIANO TELLS OF

THE LIVES OF THE BOSSES Engineer from Naples

released after a year in Aspromonte You're always bound by two chains: one at your foot

and one at your hand. It's a situation

of terrible subjection. The evening of the kidnapping, I was returning home as usual. After the roundabout, two cars blocked me:

one in front and one behind. I muttered: "Look at this idiot!" Men with Tommy guns

jumped out of the car in front, I tried to back up

but the other car was there. They came inside,

dragged me from the driver's seat and we took off in my car. I discovered I was in Aspromonte three months later when I was transferred

from Careri creek, on the Tyrrhenian coast, on foot, all the way to the top of Aspromonte. It was a terrible night, I'd been immobile

for 3 months, chained hand

and foot, so, walking on mountain paths, gave me excruciating pain all over. My toenails came off,

I suffered a lot. We came to this place, they chained me to a tree and left. The chain had an unsoldered link. I managed to pry it open and free myself from the chain. I was in a very precarious

physical situation, but I started walking down. The Sanctuary of Polsi

was around a curve, after about twenty steps I hear footsteps behind me,

some men jumped on me and pulled me into the bushes again. Footage taken by Carlo De Feo

a year after his liberation That's the place. The chain was connected behind there and there should also be

the remains of a lock. Once we broke it with a pickaxe. Having to do with these characters is like entering another world. Actually, the characters

are like those in the normal world. There's the generous type,

the coward, the scumbag, it's a slice of humanity

in another dimension that functions with other rules. Kidnappings become the main activity of several Aspromonte villages. The ransom money ended up in

construction, in the cement cycle. The ransom money comes

and they buy bulldozers and cement. In Bovalino,

a village not far from San Luca, there's a neighborhood called

"Paul Getty", they say it was built

with the money from the kidnapping of the grandson of American oil

tycoon, Jean Paul Getty. Paul Getty was 16

when he was kidnapped. But even younger ones

ended up in 'Ndrangheta prisons. Marco Fiora was 7. He was kept prisoner

for a year and a half, he was never washed or changed. They told him he was still there because his parents

wanted him there, they wouldn't pay. Not true, they wanted to pressure

the child and his family. He was kept chained

by his wrist to a cot, a meter-long chain,

so he couldn't move around. When he was released,

his legs were so scrawny he couldn't stand up. As confirmation that the ransom money served to finance the ventures: when appropriations for a public work

were announced, they'd start kidnapping fast,

lots of them! When they heard a contract was about

to start up, they'd kidnap 10 people. It was easy to understand

when kidnappings would increase. From 1969 to 1998, known as the kidnapping season

in Italy, there were 672 kidnappings

for extortion, not political. 81 of these never returned home. There was a regular section

in the papers for kidnappings. It's incredible to say so today. Look. It's a page from La Stampa in Turin, there was a logo with hands...

kidnapping page, like a culture page, a sports page. The most dramatic period

was between 1970 and 1988. In those years, the 'Ndrangheta made 207 kidnappings. A gigantic business,

reaping 400 billion lire, half a billion euros. Despite the fact

it concerned his territory, Antonio Pelle declared he never

believed in the logic of kidnapping, but in that period

of economic expansion, also Antonio Pelle's role grew. From 1971 to 1977, as a fugitive, he

had three children, so, he was there. Yet no one could find him. They looked everywhere, in the South,

the North, in France, in Milan, they followed Calabrian emigrants, lawyers, entrepreneurs

from Val d'Aosta were tailed. No one could find him. He was captured in a place

typical of the ghost he was, in the woods at night. On November 21, 1977, three Carabinieri are combing

the banks of the creek in Benestare, a town near San Luca. They hear footsteps and

seem to see the shadow of a man. They order him to stop, they shoot into the air

and launch into a chase. The closer they get,

the clearer the shadow becomes, 5'9", limping, it's him, Badleg. Badleg feels the Carabinieri

have recognized him, he stops and gives up. 7 years later, Antonio Pelle

ends up in jail again. A fugitive for 7 years

caught by Carabinieri in Benestare We're talking about a man

who has, in his past, a conviction for murder

and criminal conspiracy and still has

to serve a half of his sentence. When you go to jail

for such serious reasons, there are just two ways to get out:

either serve your sentence or escape. But in Pelle's case

there's a third way, very rare: obtain a pardon

from the President of Italy. In 1981, President Sandro Pertini

signed a pardon for Antonio Pelle. What? President Pertini! It may seem incredible, yet formally, there were

all the elements for a pardon. In Messina jail

where he was imprisoned, Pelle had been a model inmate, excellent behavior with the guards

and the other inmates. There was also a legal document. Here it is. Signed by the brother

of the man Pelle killed, Pizzata. "I declare to have pardoned

the above-mentioned Pelle and that the selfsame has acquitted

all obligations towards me resulting from the crime. In faith" and he signs

in a shaky hand, Bruno Pizzata. So, there were all the elements

to receive a pardon. It rings strange today,

presidents pardoning bosses! Back then, it wasn't so bizarre. It wasn't, when, in 1981,

the power of the 'Ndrangheta was seen as marginal, unknown and the legislative machine

was totally inadequate. The crime of Mafia association

didn't exist. This crime went on the books in 1982. To see the 'Ndrangheta named

in an article of the penal code, we had to wait until 2010. In the meantime, the organization

was growing in great silence. We should reflect,

not so much on the pardon, not so much on

the president's signature, but how the plea got there, going from desk to desk,

official to official, the organization was pushing

the plea for pardon. The organization knew

all the wheels to grease. After the pardon,

Antonio Pelle returns to San Luca. While, for the State, he has absolved

his debt with society, for the 'Ndrangheta he's a boss. According to several informers,

right after the pardon he was given the rank

of Capo Società of San Luca. If the 'Ndrangheta were a nation, to be Capo Società of San Luca, is like being mayor of the Capital. His life in San Luca improves: big house, two floors, 9 rooms, a house that allows him

to fulfill, in comfort, the only condition of the pardon,

probation. At 50 he manages to get a shield for his life as a criminal. He's hired by the government,

a full contract as a forestry worker. In Aspromonte

to be a forestry worker means to watch over the territory:

if you're decent, you protect it, if you're an Associate, you exploit

all the niches for the organization. Kidnappings had

transformed Aspromonte like an oil well:

hundreds of billions to reinvest. Interest was enormous and because capital

continued growing, clashes rose on how

to corner the contract market. The second 'Ndrangheta war erupts:

700 dead in 6 years. A war! A clan war breaks out again

in Reggio This slaughter draws

too many police, too many journalists and business starts slowing. To bring peace, the most eminent

'Ndrangheta members get moving. The most eminent of all

is Antonio Pelle Badleg. His word is so heeded that he stops the bloodbath. His specialty was to foster pacts

and relationships, to get power. He involves his family

in this strategy. Four of his five children marry people from well-known

'Ndrangheta families. Like the great noble families, the 'Ndrangheta makes

marriages of convenience. Marriage is important,

not only because it builds alliances, but also because it guarantees

the continuity of power. Chapter 5

Conquering the world The clans come out

of the second 'Ndrangheta war with a common aim: reinvest

the kidnap money, where? In drug trafficking.

Second investment: cement, drugs. The Calabrians understand, different

from La Cosa Nostra of those years, that investments should be made

on one specific drug, not the heroin loved by

the Sicilian La Cosa Nostra, because it guaranteed, they believed,

a continuous flow. An addict becomes a consumer

and will be one forever. The Calabrians say: no. Cocaine's the market. Some come, some go, it increases, it's sniffed, not injected,

so, a middle class drug. There is no financial investment

in the world that makes more profit than cocaine. If I invest a thousand euros

in cocaine today, in a year, it will be

182 thousand euros. The 'Ndrangheta deals with Colombian

and Mexican cartels as equals and sells the coke all over Europe. How did the Mafia of

one of Europe's poorest regions spread its business to all the world, disseminating 50 thousand Associates

in every corner of the globe and bringing home a turnover of 53 billion euros a year, more

than triple that of Facebook? The answer's simple: rules. In the criminal world, which by definition is chaotic,

without rules, setting rules is an added value. The rules of the organization divide the world into

Men of Honor and cowards. They're rigid rules of discipline,

in some cases even eternal. You must renounce

all you knew until yesterday. As of today, men will not judge you, you will judge yourself. There are two alternatives. If you commit a grave negligence, it mustn't be your brothers

who pass judgement. You yourself must know

you've done the negligence and choose the path to follow. Either you take poison

or this, that shoots. You must always

keep one shot in the chamber. That one is for you. Today too, an Associate

must answer to infinite parameters. Actually, to enter the organization, you must even prove

that, in your family, there are no cuckolds. Wives, sisters, sisters-in-law must be recognized

as absolutely faithful. But the 'Ndrangheta

has the Rule of Rules, the so-called Rule of Sharing. All information must be shared, just as earnings are shared. The management of business affairs

is in common. It was so for kidnappings and

it becomes so for drug trafficking. Trafficking is organized, in southern Italy as in the North,

no difference. On February 2, 1988, an inspector finds himself

before an incredible scene. At a cafe in Buccinasco,

sitting at the same table, he sees Antonio Pelle boss of San Luca, Giuseppe Morabito boss of Africo and Antonio Papalia, contact man for the Lombardy clans. Papalia gives a shoebox to a woman. Inside was 340 million lire. That woman was the wife

of a drug trafficker, Manolo, the contact for Calabrians and Middle

East drug suppliers, so, heroin. That money was a second portion of a payment for

a large supply of drugs totaling 900 million lire,

about 1 million euro. For investigators...

and this is interesting, it coincided with the money

collected from three kidnappings. An idyllic situation

for a criminal organization: hundreds of billions reinvested

in the world's most profitable trade. An absolute organizational structure which is spreading

throughout the world. While La Cosa Nostra

is the center of world attention, there's the maxi-trial,

they're all being arrested. No one speaks of

the 'Ndrangheta in those years, no one knows of it,

it's considered innocuous. As they're making

more and more revenue, the most symbolic

'Ndrangheta conflict explodes. Chapter 6

The feud Carnival 1991. In San Luca several boys

are throwing eggs at a recreation center,

they dirty its windows and a car. It might seem like

a simple Carnival joke, except the center is managed

by Domenico Pelle, the son of Antonio Badleg,

the car belongs to a Vottari, a family which is allied with Badleg, and throwing the eggs, are boys

connected to Pelle's rival clan, the Nirta-Strangio families. Thus the gesture

is seen as a provocation. Antonio Vottari goes down and shoots four of the

Nirta-Strangio boys, all about 20. Massacre in San Luca Killers behind the mask He kills two and leaves

two seriously wounded. He'll pay for this a year later by being killed. From here an everlasting vendetta

is unleashed. In San Luca, in the early 1990s, no one related to the Pelle-Vottarios

or the Nirta-Strangios could feel safe, no one. The feud even touched

the highest bosses. In 1995, Giuseppe Nirta is killed. It's Saint Joseph's Day,

his name-day. 5 bullets in the face, while he's on his porch,

under house arrest. Nirta wasn't just any boss, he hadn't been shot

for his family name, he was the Capocrimine. That slot, after his murder,

becomes vacant. Although verdicts

have never confirmed it, according to investigation, the slot

will be filled by... Antonio Pelle. Once again Pelle manages, in a crisis of the organization, to get power thanks to his ability

to mediate peace. He's the most apt, he knows

the rules of criminal capitalism which teach that peace is needed

in order to prosper. It's thanks to Pelle that a truce

among the San Luca families begins. The truce Antonio Pelle oversees,

lasts 10 years. But in that period, in March 2000, an arrest warrant

is issued for Badleg. So, he does what he does best:

he dematerializes. He returns to being a ghost. During his period of hiding,

Badleg returns to Aspromonte. His change of clothes was at the Sanctuary

of Our Lady of Polsi. As he's in hiding, he can't be there to mediate, so, the feud relights. 15 years have passed

since Carnival 1991 when the feud was sparked, and not only has hatred not calmed, but it doesn't even

spare women and children. On Christmas Day in 2006 something happens from which

there's no turning back. It's 5 pm, the center of San Luca

is already dark, several members of the family

are outside a relative's house, they've just celebrated Christmas. At a certain point,

men in full-face helmets pass by... and open fire. Hunting rifles, Kalashnikovs,

pistols, a powerhouse of fire. They kill several people,

including a child of 5, and they kill Maria Strangio,

a woman of 33. Bloody Christmas in Locride It's not just this. A killing at Christmas

isn't by chance, it has a purpose. Killing on Christmas,

on birthdays, on name-days, ties the murder to an important date and people relive that killing when they relive that date. So, every Christmas, every name-day

you relive that murder. After the Christmas massacre, the situation is so tense that the Italian government

awaits a reaction. The inevitable

could happen at any moment. The Police Chief even forbids

New Year's fireworks, because that night could be ideal

for another killing. Children stay home from school, because as relatives of relatives,

they might be targets, or they could

get into the line of fire. Once again,

the Pelles try to be mediators, because if the feud continues,

there are just two options: they'll all end up

either dead or arrested. On the morning after Christmas,

in the Gazzetta del Sud, a letter is published,

signed by one of Badleg's sons. We take our distance

from the happenings in San Luca. San Luca

Pelle "unrelated to clan war" They place themselves

outside the conflict, addressing the most

remunerative thing, peace. But peace doesn't come,

the Nirta-Strangios organize the most resounding vendetta

in Mafia history. ROBERTO SAVIANO TELLS OF

THE LIVES OF THE BOSSES ROBERTO SAVIANO TELLS OF

THE LIVES OF THE BOSSES The Feast of the Assumption in 2007. In Duisburg, a town

in western Germany, two thousand kilometers

from San Luca, six people are killed coming out of an Italian restaurant. They'd just celebrated

the 18th birthday of one of them. 70 shots are fired at them, then each of them receives

a shot to the head. At the back of the restaurant,

in a windowless room, they find an image

of Our Lady of Polsi watching over a semi-circular table

with twelve chairs. In a participant's pocket,

German police find a holy image

of Saint Michael, the Archangel who the 'Ndrangheta

considers its protector. All details that evening

seemed to say, not only was there a birthday,

but also a baptism. A massacre done in Germany

but mourned in Calabria. Wiretapping

Duisburg - San Luca between relatives of the victims - Hello?

- Hello? Who's this? - Achille!

- Is "Mother" there? - What's the matter?

- Achi, is "Mother" there? - Why?

- Is "Mother" near you? - No, I have to go to the house.

- Go tell her. What? My brother's dead, and my nephew,

your brother's dead. - They're all dead.

- Even my brother? - Yes!

- Damn. The world's perception

of the 'Ndrangheta, after Duisburg, will not be the same. Shootings were no longer in San Luca,

in Africo, Platì, Reggio Calabria, it was allowed,

there was no indignation... But abroad? In Duisburg? Germany becomes Mafia territory

to this extent. The government reaction is,

obviously, enormous, as is the resonance in the media. Carabinieri and police

besiege San Luca. On September 25th, Carabinieri search the home

of Badleg's daughter. Behind a kitchen wall,

that opens by remote control, they find a bunker with various

holy images, Padre Pio... but there are also drawings done

by Antonio Pelle's grandchildren. They pray to the Madonna

for the end of the feud. "Our Lady of the Mountain,

please grant me a grace, please take out of prison all my uncles and cousins and I want my father

to get out of this war". They're children! "And from this war also my Uncle... I'm glad peace is coming..." They were listening to their parents. "...and we'll have so much fun". Their grandfather, Antonio Pelle,

was still in hiding, but at 75, with a leg in a bad way, being a fugitive gets tiring. Chapter 7

Conclusion In February 2008, Carabinieri search

Antonio Pelle's new house. A sort of fort, disproportionate compared

to the other homes. It's grandeur symbolized

the power of the Pelle family. For three days they rummage,

break down doors, walls, pneumatic drills, they dig,

absolutely nothing. A Carabiniere has an intuition. In the garage, he sees a wall with the usual niches

for wine bottles. He tells his men to take a jackhammer

and break down the wall where the wines are. One of Pelle's sons

shows signs of nervousness, he tells his sister

to get the remote control. By now they've got him. He takes the remote control and a wall automatically opens. They enter a room with a dais that symbolizes an altar,

a table with small statues of Our Lady of Polsi, Padre Pio,

Our Lady of Lourdes, Saint Michael the Archangel. It was the baptism room. The baptism of

new 'Ndrangheta Associates. Pelle gave the "rungs" there. The bunker was planned to host

more than himself, those needing assistance

as fugitives, many people. Under the bed, they found a trapdoor,

a second bunker, ever further down, 3 meters by 3. The search revealed a third bunker, hidden behind the refrigerator. Antonio Pelle wasn't there. Investigators noticed

when Badleg's wife and son left San Luca, they turned off

their phones. Returning after 3 or 4 hours,

they'd turn them on. They watched

this movement and understood. They couldn't be pin-pointed. But since they were gone

just 3-4 hours, that meant he was nearby, it took them a short time

to get there, they'd go in big circles,

they knew they were being followed. But on June 12, 2009 the Carabinieri

followed his wife, Giuseppa, to Polistena,

70 kilometers from San Luca. When they see she's going to

a hospital, they don't believe it. They let her go in, and follow. They start looking

at everyone wearing white coats, patients and doctors. On the first floor, in room 6

in the post-operative division, Giuseppa is bending over

a patient in pain. This man speaks quietly,

he's in terrible shape. The man looks out the door,

glimpses the Carabinieri and says: "It's all over. It's all over". Nine years as a fugitive, hundreds of investigators, from Italy

and abroad, looking for him, and Antonio Badleg is under care

in a hospital near his town. Feeling so safe,

he used his own name! His own name! He's arrested. He still must serve

26 years in prison. Criminal conspiracy

in drug trafficking. He was on the 30 Most Dangerous

Fugitives list in Italy. But Antonio Pelle is ill

and after just a few months he's out, it's his fate! He's under house arrest. He returns to his home in San Luca,

surrounded by his family, by crosses,

his beloved holy images. Only for a short time though,

on November 4, 2009 Antonio Pelle dies of a heart attack. He is buried

in the family chapel in San Luca and for reasons of safety,

his funeral is held privately. And yet, the following Sunday, at a soccer derby, San Luca

versus Bianco, two rival teams, the San Luca team plays with mourning arm bands, as homage to the sovereign, which part of the city

attributes to him. In the months to follow,

a bug is placed in the home of a son of Pelle's, Giuseppe Badleg deals, negotiates with other exponents

of the 'Ndrangheta and several exponents of

the political scene in Calabria. It all took place in a large room and,

hanging on the wall above them, was a portrait of Antonio Pelle. Because he still had to be present. Like every self-respecting ghost, Antonio Pelle continued to vigil

over his family and the land he wanted to dominate

with so much strategy, even if only through a painting. translation

Charlotte Lantery subtitles Ombre Digital - Roma

Antonio Pelle, boss di 'ndrangheta - Kings of Crime CANALE NOVE

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