Movies like the Godfather series, Goodfellas and The Irishman have all shaped how people think about the mafia. Francis Ford Coppola’s magnum opus helped mystified the organization, with Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro giving some of the best silver screen performances in the medium’s history.
On the other hand, more recent films and TV shows have worked to deconstruct the mythos of the mafia. In the HBO classic The Sopranos, they were portrayed as America’s average middle-aged men who occasionally commit horrible crimes.
Nevertheless, the mafia is no fictional group – although their power has dwindled, they are still a global crime organization. The most recent news links them with the global pandemic. A new regulation from Italy just released several key mafia figures who were imprisoned.
Cafiero De Raho, Italy’s anti-mafia prosecutor, confirmed that mafia bosses have been sent to their homes according to the new penal regulations of the country. To prevent the spread of the virus, Italy ordered many of their prisoners to be released and be put under house arrest.
De Raho said the list included notorious leaders of the mafia. Francesco Bonura had been serving as a capo, or local boss for the Sicilian branch of the mafia. He had been sentenced for 18 years in prison for extortion and collusion with the mafia. Although he avoided the charges, Bonura was also allegedly involved in 5 murder cases.
MSN said that Bonura’s sentencing was considered a big victory for the Italian justice system. With 9 months times still left, Bonura has been sent to house arrest.
72 year old Rocco Santo Filippone is another member of the mob that will do the rest of his time with his daughter. Working closely with the Sicilian Cosa Nostra, Filippone had been serving time for initiating a series of attacks against local police officers.
Filippone has been ordered to be sent to Turin where his daughter lives because of “his preexisting conditions”. He has not been ordered to wear electronic bracelets that would track his location because of his frailty. His son is also doing time in prison for mafia related activities.
De Raho expressed his grave concerns over the decision. According to the prosecutor, mafia bosses are put to solitary confinement so that they are not allowed to communicate with anyone. Naturally, this level of isolation can’t be continued when they are under house arrest.
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Replaced!