Giuseppe Piromalli (born 1921)
Encyclopedia
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
. A native of Gioia Tauro
Gioia Tauro
Gioia Tauro is a comune in the province of Reggio Calabria, in Calabria , on the Tyrrhenian coast. It has an important port, situated along the route connecting Suez to Gibraltar, one of the busiest maritime corridors in the world....
, Piromalli was one of the most famous of the 'Ndrangheta bosses and headed the Piromalli 'ndrina
Piromalli 'ndrina
The Piromalli 'ndrina is one of the most powerful clans of the 'Ndrangheta, a criminal and mafia-type organisation in Calabria, Italy. The 'ndrina is based in Gioia Tauro on the Tyrrhenian coast. The Piromalli's are allied with their relatives of the Molè family, also from Gioia Tauro. Often they...
. He redirected the 'Ndrangheta clan from its rural base to an entrepreneurial criminal organisation.
Most powerful group
Piromalli ruled the most powerful mafia group in the Gioia Tauro plain. He inherited this position from his elder brother Girolamo Mommo PiromalliGirolamo Piromalli
Girolamo Piromalli , also known as Mommo, was a historical and charismatic boss of the 'Ndrangheta, a Mafia-type organisation in Calabria . His criminal base was his home town Gioia Tauro on the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria...
, who died of natural causes in 1979. The Piromalli cosca
Cosca
The word cosca is a Sicilian word which refers to any plant – such as the artichoke or the thistle – whose spiny closely folded leaves symbolize the tightness of relationships between members of the Mafia. In the English language this is best described as a clan. It is often used as a synonym for...
contains more than 200 members. Since the mid-1970s, according to several pentiti
Pentito
Pentito designates people in Italy who, formerly part of criminal or terrorist organizations, following their arrests decide to "repent" and collaborate with the judicial system to help investigations...
, members of the Nirta family from San Luca
San Luca
San Luca is a comune in the Province of Reggio Calabria in the Italian region Calabria, located about 100 km southwest of Catanzaro and about 35 km east of Reggio Calabria. The town is situated on the eastern slopes of the Aspromonte mountain, in the valley of the Bonamico river...
and the Piromalli family rotated among themselves the position of capo crimine. In Gioia Tauro, blood relatives of the Piromalli long represented the interest of the clan in the city council.
The Piromalli’s were allied with their relatives of the Molè family. Often they are referred to as the Piromalli-Molè clan. "The Molè family is the military arm of the Piromalli clan," according to Francesco Forgione
Francesco Forgione
Francesco Forgione may refer to:*Pio of Pietrelcina, Italian priest, popularly known as Padre Pio*Francesco Forgione , Italian politician of the Communist Refoundation Party, president of the Antimafia Commission, 2006–2008...
, chairman of Italian parliament's Antimafia Commission
Antimafia Commission
The Italian Antimafia Commission is a bicameral commission of the Italian Parliament, composed of members from the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate . The Antimafia Commission is a commission of inquiry into, initially, the “phenomenon of the Mafia”...
. Control of the Gioia Tauro container hub has allowed the Piromalli clan to dominate not only the illegal drug trade but also arms and other contraband smuggling. The Piromalli-Molè clan in recent years turned the syndicate into a modern and high-tech criminal organization. Within the Piromalli organization the Molè clan is responsible for drug trafficking and handles relations with 'Ndrangheta branches in central and northern Italy as well as with Colombian drug cartels.
Entrepreneurial mafia
Together with his elder brother Girolamo Piromalli, Giuseppe redirected the 'Ndrangheta clan from its rural base to an entrepreneurial criminal organisation assuming dominance over several public works in the Gioia Tauro area, particularly in the construction and operation of the new container seaport. When in 1974 businesses involved in the expansion of the port and steelworks in Gioia TauroGioia Tauro
Gioia Tauro is a comune in the province of Reggio Calabria, in Calabria , on the Tyrrhenian coast. It has an important port, situated along the route connecting Suez to Gibraltar, one of the busiest maritime corridors in the world....
offered a three per cent kickback to be left in peace the three leading 'Ndrangheta families at the time, Antonio Macrì
Antonio Macrì
Antonio Macrì , popularly known as Zzi 'ntoni, was a historical and charismatic boss of the 'Ndrangheta, a criminal and mafia-type organisation in Calabria, Italy...
, the Piromalli brothers and the De Stefano brothers
Paolo De Stefano
Paolo De Stefano was a member of the 'Ndrangheta who became the undisputed boss of Reggio Calabria. Together with his brothers Giovanni, Giorgio and Orazio he headed the De Stefano 'ndrina.-Early years:...
rejected the offer and wanted to be sub-contracted on work carried in order to control the projects.
The subcontracts for the steelwork in Gioia Tauro, whose total value reached the astronomic amount of US$3,800 billion were largely distributed on the basis of territorial criteria. More than half the contracts were granted to a single cosca, the Piromalli family, which dominated the area where the steelwork was supposed to be built. The managers of the consortium responsible for the completion of the port and the steelworks made Gioacchino Piromalli an official associate – the company subsequently did not suffer from extortion or inflicted damage of any kind in an area where the previous 154 explosive attacks were committed.
Arrest
Accused of ordering the killing of rival 'Ndranghetisti Piromalli went on the run. He was captured on February 24, 1984. He was convicted to 11 life sentences. However in appeal the conviction was reduced to one life sentence. In 1986 he was convicted for mafia association. The same year Piromalli joined the Radical Party, and the party leader Marco PannellaMarco Pannella
Giacinto Pannella, better known as Marco Pannella is an Italian politician.He is the historic leader of the Italian Radicals...
publicly campaigned on Piromalli’s behalf against the severe article 41-bis prison regime
Article 41-bis prison regime
In Italian law, Article 41-bis of the Prison Administration Act is a provision that allows the Minister of Justice or the Minister of the Interior to suspend certain prison regulations...
.
Supporting Berlusconi
Piromalli continued to try to get released from the strict prison regime. During the election campaign in 1994Italian general election, 1994
An early national general election was held in Italy on March 27, 1994 to elect members of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right alliance won handily the election for the Chamber and only narrowly lost that for the Senate....
, candidates for Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...
's "good government" coalition, such as Tiziana Maiolo and Vittorio Sgarbi
Vittorio Sgarbi
Vittorio Umberto Antonio Maria Sgarbi is an Italian art critic, politician, cultural commentator and TV personality.He was appointed curator of the Italian Pavilion at the 2011 Venice Biennale...
campaigned actively in southern Italy denouncing the excessive power of investigative magistrates and the damage done to the regional economy by organized crime investigations. In return, Piromalli declared in open court: "We will vote for Berlusconi." Both Maiolo and Sgarbi visited Piromalli in jail.
Death
Terminally ill with cancer, Piromalli was released to the care of his family in 2003. At the age of 83, he died on February 19, 2005 attended by relatives and former associates. His cousin Giuseppe PiromalliGiuseppe Piromalli (born 1945)
Giuseppe Piromalli , is an Italian criminal known as a member of the 'Ndrangheta in Calabria. He succeeded his uncle Giuseppe Piromalli as head of the family clan that controls the port of Gioia Tauro and is one of the major powers in the 'Ndrangheta...
succeeded him.