Extortion was woven into the subcontracting system, disguised as legitimate demands for workers' wages, who were used to block and occupy construction sites and pressure the victims.
This was the system used on some public works construction sites between Florence, Prato, and Siena by Pr Appalti Srl, the company from the province of Naples that, according to the Florence Prosecutor's Office, is headed by the powerful Moccia clan of Afragola.
The Contractus investigation, which led to the arrest of 10 people in recent days (6 in prison and 4 under house arrest), reveals a new, extensive method no longer based on bombs at construction sites and anonymous threats, but rather on inflated contracts and wages for workers who did not perform any work.
Then the death threats, of course, were not lacking, but they were so brazen and open that the suspects didn't even worry about being discovered and arrested.
The system of inflated procurement
The method was this: "PR Appalti, managed by Raffaele Panico (one of the suspects who ended up in prison), obtained small subcontracts for paltry sums of 10 to 15 euros to provide labor to companies that had won tenders in Tuscany. But those subcontracts quickly turned into extortion.
The initial agreements called for payments to Pr Appalti for completed work, but instead the Neapolitan company changed its rules and demanded payment for the hours worked by its workers, some of whom never even stepped foot on the construction sites.
And so small subcontracts worth 16 euros became jobs worth 160 euros, obtained by having the other party sign payment promises under blackmail and threats.
The threat to entrepreneurs
The most violent of all those under investigation, the one who often replaced the administrator Raffaele Panico, was Giuseppe Castiello, who did not bother making serious threats to his victims over the phone.
Last April, to an entrepreneur who refused to pay the surcharge that Pr Appalti wanted to impose, he responded as follows: “Michè, send the bank transfer right away and you go too, Michè! Otherwise you have no escape! Michè, you have no escape! Got it, Michè, you have to send this receipt right away, Michè, send this right away… because I'm coming over there and I'll crush your head! Send this bank transfer right away! Michele, make this bank transfer right away! Michele, you have to make this bank transfer right away! …that big bitch of a mother of yours!!!
Get moving because I'm going to step on you (incomprehensible)! I'll rip your heart out! I'll rip your heart out, you scoundrel! This guy wants to be a moneyless entrepreneur if you don't send the bank transfer today I'll come to Florence and gouge your eyes out, you son of a bitch, I'll gouge your eyes out, do you understand!? Now you have no escape! Now you have no escape! ... Send the bank transfer immediately because otherwise I'll gouge your eyes out! ... listen to me, I don't have the bank transfer by today, I'll get in the car and come to you and gouge your eyes out! I'll gouge your eyes out! ... Michè I'll make you come to a bad end! Michè I promise you I'll make you come to a bad end"'.
Occupied construction sites and intimidation
But Castiello wasn't the only one making threats. When the criminal group, linked to the Moccia clan according to investigators, believed the time had come for payments, they unleashed a fury of verbal threats and intimidating actions, occupying construction sites and making it appear as if the workers' demands for wages were legitimate.
Giovanni Del Prete, another of the suspects, clearly stated this to one of the victims, as evidenced by a wiretapped telephone conversation. “When I come there on Tuesday,” Del Prete says, “I don't want any more 40 (€40.000, editor's note) you give me 160 (€160.000, editor's note) plus you give me the month of April too, which hasn't paid the workers. I'll block all your construction sites, all the progress reports. I'll burn your company, MG COSTRUZIONI, to the ground! From Tuesday onwards you can't even submit the tender for garbage collection! I don't give a damn about money, broken for broken half a party! ... You've got me in trouble because you've already got me in trouble, I'll get you in trouble on Tuesday! I already said it, I'll burn your company! All the progress reports you have, all the tenders you have, I'll block every single one of them! I'll have the Carabinieri, the Fire Brigade, everything, everything, everyone, everything… I'll make a mess of you! Then I'll show you! Then I'll show you what happens on Tuesday!”.
The role of workers on construction sites
In fact, during the investigation, it emerged that PR Appalti workers, in order to facilitate the extensive work, occupied some of the construction sites, also to leverage the contracting authorities and pressure them to pay the victims for the progress of the work, which in turn could have been paid by the group of Neapolitans.
The investigation, which lasted over a year, concluded with ten arrests and the realization that criminals always find new ways to make money and impose their supremacy through forms of oppression that even have a semblance of legality.
In short
Extortion was insinuated into the subcontracting system, disguised as legitimate demands for workers' wages, which were used to block and occupy construction sites and put pressure on…
- This was the system used on some public works construction sites between Florence, Prato, and Siena by Pr Appalti Srl,…
- The Contractus investigation, which led to the arrest of 10 people in recent days (6 in prison and 4 under house arrest), reveals…
- Then the death threats, of course, were not lacking, but they were so brazen and open that the suspects…
Key questions
What is the main point of the news?
Extortion was insinuated into the subcontracting system disguised as legitimate demands for the wages of workers who were used to block and occupy construction sites and…
Why is this news relevant?
This was the system used on some public works construction sites between Florence, Prato, and Siena by Pr Appalti Srl,…
Which detail helps us understand the case better?
The Contractus investigation, which led to the arrest of 10 people in recent days (6 in prison and 4 under house arrest), reveals a new extensive method…
Interesting article, but the situation seems strange to me. The details are confusing and the numbers seem full of inflated figures and unclear benefits. The workers weren't really working, and the companies were paying a lump sum without any control. I hope the investigation continues and the justice system sheds light on the matter.