In a statement, Rai said: “On Tuesday journalist Daniele Piervincenzi and filmmaker Edoardo Anselmi were violently attacked by Roberto Spada, a member of the Spada family, well-known in the media for various judicial investigations, and another man”.

The pair work for Rai2’s ‘Nemo Nessuno Escluso’ programme.

Piervincenzi suffered a broken nose after being headbutted by Spada, the brother of mafia boss Carmine Spada, before being chased and attacked with a baton.

He was attacked after questioning Spada outside the boxing club he runs about his alleged support of the far-right extremist group, Casapound.

Spada, who has faced corruption and drug smuggling charges, accused the crew of repeatedly ignoring his request to refrain from responding before “forcing their way into a members-only club, interrupting a session and frightening my son.”

The attack was condemned by Rome mayor Virginia Raggi as well as the deputy head of Casapound, Simone Di Stefano, who said the group had nothing to do with the Spada mafia clan.

“Roberto Spada is not a member of CasaPound. We share nothing with him, apart from attendance at a kid's party in a piazza 18 months ago,” Di Stefano was quoted by Ansa as saying.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Marco Minniti said the incident was being investigated “because the principles of law and order are fundamental, and there can be no no-man's land in Italy.”

Piervincenzi has asked for an apology from Spada.

“If he apologises I'm ready to forgive him, but he should apologise to Ostia, where the high crime rate and the clans have spoiled the social fabric of a beautiful place,” he told Ansa.