Bellocco 'ndrina
Encyclopedia
The Bellocco 'ndrina is a clan of the 'Ndrangheta, a criminal and mafia-type organisation in Calabria
, Italy
. The 'ndrina is based in Rosarno
, on the Tyrrhenian coast
.
plain. Jointly with the Pesce clan
and in collaboration with the Piromalli-Molè 'ndrina
they controlled the public contracts for the construction of the container terminal
in the port of Gioia Tauro.
After the construction of the port, the Piromalli-Mole and Pesce-Bellocco clans controlled activities tied to the port, the hiring of workers, and relations with port unions and local institutions, according the a report of the Italian Antimafia Commission
. They who would guarantee peace and order on the docks in return for a ‘security tax’ of US$1.50 per for each transshipped container.
The clan also has a strong presence in northern Italy, in particular in Varese
(Lombardy
), where they controlled drug trafficking.
(1937), arrested in February 1993 and currently in prison. Umberto or his brother Carmelo Bellocco became a member of La Provincia, a provincial commission of the 'Ndrangheta, formed at the end of the Second 'Ndrangheta war in September 1991 to avoid further internal conflicts.
In the beginning of the 1980s Umberto Bellocco was involved in setting up the Sacra Corona Unita
(SCU), a mafia-type organization in Apulia
, to counter the growing influence of the Camorra
. On his instigation Giuseppe Rogoli imported the codes, structure and initiation rites of the 'Ndrangheta to be used by the SCU.
After his arrest in 1993, he was succeeded as acting boss by his cousin Gregorio Bellocco
, arrested in February 2005, and Giuseppe Bellocco
, arrested in July 2007.
, Como
, Sondrio
, Brescia
, Bergamo
, Treviso
, Alessandria
, Naples
and Reggio Calabria
. The cocaine was imported from Colombia, Brazil, Spain and the Netherlands, heroin from the Balkans and ecstasy from the Netherlands.
On January 12, 2010, the Italian police arrested 17 people in Bologna and Calabria linked to the Pesce-Bellocco clan. They were expanding their drug and arms trafficking activities to Bologna
, where Carmello Bellocco was serving a 17-year sentence for racketeering. Bellocco is accused of leading the group's activities while on day-leave from prison.
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....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The 'ndrina is based in Rosarno
Rosarno
Rosarno is a comune in the province of Reggio Calabria in the Italian region of Calabria. It is about southwest of Catanzaro and about northeast of Reggio Calabria. Rosarno stands on a natural terrace cloaked in olive plantations and vineyards on the left bank of the river Mesima, overlooking...
, on the Tyrrhenian coast
Tyrrhenian Sea
The Tyrrhenian Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy.-Geography:The sea is bounded by Corsica and Sardinia , Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Basilicata and Calabria and Sicily ....
.
Powerful 'Ndrangheta clan
The Bellocco clan is one of the most powerful clans in the 'Ndrangheta. Activities range from drug trafficking, extortion and the control of nearly all commercial businesses in the 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....
plain. Jointly with the Pesce clan
Pesce 'ndrina
The Pesce 'ndrina is a clan of the 'Ndrangheta, a criminal and mafia-type organisation in Calabria, Italy. The 'ndrina is based in Rosarno on the Tyrrhenian coast.-Powerful 'Ndrangheta clan:...
and in collaboration with the Piromalli-Molè '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...
they controlled the public contracts for the construction of the container terminal
Container terminal
A container terminal is a facility where cargo containers are transshipped between different transport vehicles, for onward transportation. The transshipment may be between container ships and land vehicles, for example trains or trucks, in which case the terminal is described as a maritime...
in the port of Gioia Tauro.
After the construction of the port, the Piromalli-Mole and Pesce-Bellocco clans controlled activities tied to the port, the hiring of workers, and relations with port unions and local institutions, according the a report of the Italian 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”...
. They who would guarantee peace and order on the docks in return for a ‘security tax’ of US$1.50 per for each transshipped container.
The clan also has a strong presence in northern Italy, in particular in Varese
Varese
Varese is a town and comune in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 55 km north of Milan.It is the capital of the Province of Varese. The hinterland or urban part of the city is called Varesotto.- Geography :...
(Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
), where they controlled drug trafficking.
Leadership
The head of the clan is Umberto BelloccoUmberto Bellocco
Umberto Bellocco is an Italian criminal and a member of the 'Ndrangheta, a mafia-type organisation in Calabria. He belongs to and was the boss of the Bellocco 'ndrina based in Rosarno....
(1937), arrested in February 1993 and currently in prison. Umberto or his brother Carmelo Bellocco became a member of La Provincia, a provincial commission of the 'Ndrangheta, formed at the end of the Second 'Ndrangheta war in September 1991 to avoid further internal conflicts.
In the beginning of the 1980s Umberto Bellocco was involved in setting up the Sacra Corona Unita
Sacra corona unita
Sacra Corona Unita, or United Sacred Crown, is a Mafia-like criminal organization from Apulia region in Southern Italy, and is especially active in the areas of Brindisi, Lecce and Taranto .-Background and activities:...
(SCU), a mafia-type organization in Apulia
Apulia
Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
, to counter the growing influence of the Camorra
Camorra
The Camorra is a Mafia-type criminal organization, or secret society, originating in the region of Campania and its capital Naples in Italy. It is one of the oldest and largest criminal organizations in Italy, dating to the 18th century.-Background:...
. On his instigation Giuseppe Rogoli imported the codes, structure and initiation rites of the 'Ndrangheta to be used by the SCU.
After his arrest in 1993, he was succeeded as acting boss by his cousin Gregorio Bellocco
Gregorio Bellocco
Gregorio Bellocco is an Italian criminal and a member of the 'Ndrangheta. He is the boss of the Bellocco 'ndrina from Rosarno in Calabria. He was a fugitive since 1996 and included in the list of most wanted fugitives in Italy until his capture in February 2005.The Bellocco clan is one of the most...
, arrested in February 2005, and Giuseppe Bellocco
Giuseppe Bellocco
Giuseppe Bellocco is an Italian criminal and a member of the 'Ndrangheta. He is the capobastone of the Bellocco 'ndrina from Rosarno in Calabria. He was a fugitive since 1997 and included in the list of most wanted fugitives in Italy until his capture in July 2007.The Bellocco clan is one of the...
, arrested in July 2007.
Recent developments
In January 2006, 54 members of the Bellocco-Pesce clan were arrested in an operation against international drug trafficking. They were supplying the drug markets in MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Como
Como
Como is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy.It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como....
, Sondrio
Sondrio
Sondrio is an Italian town and comune located in the heart of the Valtellina. Sondrio counts approximately 22,000 inhabitants and it is the administrative centre for the Lombard Province of Sondrio.- History :...
, Brescia
Brescia
Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
, Bergamo
Bergamo
Bergamo is a town and comune in Lombardy, Italy, about 40 km northeast of Milan. The comune is home to over 120,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent the metropolitan area of Milan...
, Treviso
Treviso
Treviso is a city and comune in Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 82,854 inhabitants : some 3,000 live within the Venetian walls or in the historical and monumental center, some 80,000 live in the urban center proper, while the city...
, Alessandria
Alessandria
-Monuments:* The Citadel * The church of Santa Maria di Castello * The church of Santa Maria del Carmine * Palazzo Ghilini * Università del Piemonte Orientale-Museums:* The Marengo Battle Museum...
, Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
and Reggio Calabria
Reggio Calabria
Reggio di Calabria , commonly known as Reggio Calabria or Reggio, is the biggest city and the most populated comune of Calabria, southern Italy, and is the capital of the Province of Reggio Calabria and seat of the Council of Calabrian government.Reggio is located on the "toe" of the Italian...
. The cocaine was imported from Colombia, Brazil, Spain and the Netherlands, heroin from the Balkans and ecstasy from the Netherlands.
On January 12, 2010, the Italian police arrested 17 people in Bologna and Calabria linked to the Pesce-Bellocco clan. They were expanding their drug and arms trafficking activities to Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
, where Carmello Bellocco was serving a 17-year sentence for racketeering. Bellocco is accused of leading the group's activities while on day-leave from prison.