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CRIME

Mafia trial puts black soul of Italy in the dock

The alleged ringleaders of Italy's newest mafia go on trial on Thursday in a landmark case set to highlight systemic corruption in Rome and serve as a litmus test of the country's battle against organized crime.

Mafia trial puts black soul of Italy in the dock
The trial will open at Rome's Palace of Justice, pictured, before moving to the city's Rebibbia prison. Photo: David Merrett

Massimo Carminati, a one-eyed gangster with a history of far-right links, stands accused with more than 40 alleged accomplices of operating a network that stole millions of euros from the city of Rome.

The racketeering contributed to the crumbling state of the capital's infrastructure, strained its public services and helped bring down its mayor.

Among those brought to trial are local politicians, businessmen and city officials.

All are allegedly implicated in rigging tenders and other schemes designed to siphon off cash destined for public services ranging from rubbish collection to the reception of newly arrived refugees.

Hundreds more, including former mayor Gianni Alemanno, have been investigated in a case dubbed “Mafia Capitale” by prosecutors in charge of the biggest anti-corruption operation Italy has seen since the “clean hands” campaign of the early 1990s led to half the country's lawmakers being indicted for taking bribes.

John Dickie, a British mafia historian and professor of Italian Studies at University College, London, said the case represented a significant precedent in the application of custom-made legislation that has been used effectively to combat the traditional mafias of southern Italy to a new organisation.

“It is a very important case,” he told AFP.

“If the prosecution case stands up, it will be a sign Italy is able to prosecute new mafias that emerge,” he said.

“Of course there are always two ways of looking at it. On the one hand, Mafia Capitale is a sign of the state doing its job, but at the same time it is also profoundly worrying in what it says about the nature of political power in Italy.”

Hearings in prison

After an opening day in Rome's Palace of Justice, the trial will move to the city's Rebibbia prison, where it is expected to continue at a rate of four hearings per week until next July.

The extent of the criminal infiltration of Rome's City Hall came to light in December 2014, when police arrested Carminati and 36 other suspects in a surprise swoop.

Wire-tap evidence leaked to the media included Carminati's alleged right-hand man, Salvatore Buzzi, boasting that skimming cash intended to feed and accommodate asylum-seekers from Africa and the Middle East was more lucrative than drug dealing.

Such revelations have severely damaged the image of the Italian capital.

Raffaele Cantone, head of the National Anti-Corruption Authority, observed recently that Milan has “become the country's moral capital, while Rome has shown itself not to have the necessary antibodies” to stop organised crime.

They have also inflamed public anger over the state of Rome's pot-holed and litter-strewn streets and its failing public transport system.

These factors were widely seen as having contributed to the city's centre-left mayor, Ignazio Marino, being forced to resign last month.

Marino was not suspected of any personal involvement in Mafia Capitale-related wrongdoing.

But he was unable to escape the fallout, with some commentators suggesting his determination to clean up the way the City does its business created a clash with vested interests that led to his downfall over a minor expenses scandal.

Carminati, who is being held in a high-security prison in northern Italy and will not attend the opening hearing for security reasons, has been described by local media as “the black soul” of Rome's underworld.

He was given a 10-year prison term in 1998 for membership of an infamous criminal gang, the Magliana crew, which wielded enormous influence in Rome in the 1970s and 1980s.

Now 57, he is also a former member of the Nuclei Armati Rivoluzionari (Armed Revolutionary Nuclei), a far-right group that was involved in the 1980 bombing of Bologna railway station which left 85 people dead. He lost his left eye in a 1981 shoot-out with police.

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ROME

Why Rome has been ranked among the least ‘smart’ cities in the world

A new global report ranks Italy's capital among the least 'smart' cities worldwide. What exactly does this mean?

Why Rome has been ranked among the least 'smart' cities in the world

There are many things that make the Eternal City an enduring draw for millions of tourists every year, as well as for new residents – but modern innovations are not generally known to be among them.

So the results of a new study ranking Rome as among the least ‘smart’ cities in the world may not come as too much of a surprise to anyone familiar with it.

In fact, you might think this was appropriate enough for a city where people live amidst 3,000 years of history.

Still, Rome’s particularly low ranking at 133rd place out of 142 cities worldwide – placing between Sao Paolo and Lima – might also seem a little harsh.

The result was in stark contrast to other major European cities: Zurich in Switzerland took the number 1 spot, while Oslo, Geneva, Copenhagen, London and Helsinki all featured in the top ten.

READ ALSO: Milan and Rome ranked ‘worst’ cities for foreigners to move to – again

Madrid was ranked 35th, while Paris came in 49th place. Athens however scored less well, in 120th place, and the Bulgarian capital Sofia came 113th.

Italian cities rank poorly overall, as Milan – seen as Italy’s technological and business hub – came in at a lacklustre 91st, and the university city of Bologna came 78th.

What is this ranking?

The 2024 Smart Cities Index (SCI) is produced by the Smart Cities Observatory – part of the IMD’s Global Competitiveness Center – in partnership with the World Organization for Smart and Sustainable Cities (WeGO). 

Researchers combined real-world data and survey responses from residents of 142 cities around the world to show how technology allows cities to improve the quality of life of their population.

However, as the study’s authors point out, it is not just (or strictly) about the cities’ technological aspects.

The survey’s “balanced focus’” was also on “humane dimensions” of smart cities.

They include the overall quality of life, infrastructure, environment, health and safety, public transport, services available to the population, as well as governance.

READ ALSO: Why Milan is a much better city to live in than Rome

The ‘winners’ — cities that ranked the highest — are all “located in areas where social and economic environments are relatively predictable, even against the overall climate of global uncertainties,” the report states.

“They are also cities in which visible initiatives have been taken to facilitate the lives of citizens (e.g., by developing public transport networks or ‘eco compatible’ transport solutions), and to improve the overall ‘quality of life’.”

In that case, this survey seems similar to the many other ‘quality of life’ rankings in which Rome (and Milan) also fares badly every year.

The ranking ranges from ‘AAA’ for ‘smartest’ cities to ‘D’ — the lowest. Rome had a ‘CCC’ rating while Milan was awarded a ‘B’.

Interestingly, included in the survey are not only the best aspects of each city, but also the areas that its residents have designated as ‘priorities’ — that is, the ones that need improvement.

In Rome, the major concerns for residents were recycling, which was a priority for 64 percent according to the study, and public transport, for 62 percent.

Priorities highlighted also included road congestion and air pollution, which were factors bringing down the overall score for Milan, too.

Health services, school education and green spaces were not seen as issues for most Rome residents, meanwhile.

What do you think? Is this criticism justified and, if you live in Rome, do you find the positives outweigh the negatives? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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