Two spoons of pistachios, one spoon of rot. For years, tourists have devoured Sicilian gelato at Palermo’s famous shops, unaware that the booming business was controlled by organized crime.
This scam is a typical case for detectives trained to detect dirty money, but even with three classic robbers cases – a suspicious bankruptcy, a front and a “ The Godfather” was full of intrigue – it took investigators years to stop this activity.
The Brioscia brand, which includes two ice cream parlors, flourished in the late 2010s, attracting both locals and foreign visitors with its glittering golden stars on tourism websites.
The store is run by Mario Mancuso. Behind the scenes is Michele Micalizzi, who has spent time in prison multiple times for Mafia connections.
Mancuso takes care of the ice cream, Micalizzi takes care of the rest.
A judicial source told AFP that included taking a cut of profits to protect Mancuso from extortion attempts by other gangsters.
But the company was in Mancuso’s wife’s name, and with the divorce looming, the men feared they would lose control.
They declared Brioscia bankrupt in 2021, the source said, blaming a 4 million euro ($4.3 million) hole in its books on the Covid lockdown.
“It’s a thriving business and very popular in Palermo. Therefore, bankruptcy is not justified,” he told AFP.
Suspicious investigators used wiretaps to discover that two men – far from bankrupt – had big plans to open a shop abroad.
Sources said the couple has established a new company called Sharbat, renaming the stores.
“I’m not even sure the employees know who they’re working for,” said a nearby store employee who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Investigators said the men divided the proceeds, with Micalizzi transferring a portion to his incarcerated relatives to pay legal fees or sundry expenses.
But on August 12, the police arrived and arrested both men and four accomplices, seizing 1.5 million euros.
Mancuso and Micalizzi are being prosecuted for mafia association, extortion and bankruptcy fraud.
Billions of dollars from the Mafia
Between drug trafficking, racketeering, public procurement, legitimate companies or empty shells dedicated to money laundering, the Bank of Italy estimates the annual turnover of domestic organized crime groups at 40 billion euro, equivalent to 2% of national assets.
The mob still makes good money from traditional crimes such as drug trafficking. For example, the ‘Ndrangheta in the southern region of Calabria is responsible for much of the cocaine trade in Europe.
“It also invests directly in the legal economy,” said Rocco Sciarrone, who teaches criminal psychology at the University of Turin.
According to a 2022 report by economist Antonio Parbonetti, more than two-thirds of mafia infiltrations were in the construction, trade, real estate and manufacturing sectors.
The mob also has tentacles in agriculture, hotels and restaurants, logistics, transport and waste management.
The level of “investment” of criminal groups in each area varies significantly between regions.
“The socio-economic structure (in Sicily) is made up of small family businesses that are very good at laundering money,” said Eliseo Davi from the University of Palermo.
According to Parbonetti’s report, one of the two companies controlled by the mafia is the so-called “star” company, which generates a comfortable income and employs workers, thus having broad social, economic support economic and political.
In the Palermo gelato case, the company did not have the necessary license for one of the two shops, leading to calls for an investigation into whether there was collusion with state officials.
Near the living rooms is the former home of Giovanni Falcone, an anti-mafia judge whose 1992 mob assassination sparked a state crackdown that permanently weakened the Cosa Nostra.
Just like American law enforcement agent Eliot Ness, who brought down gangster Al Capone, Falcone had a simple rule: follow the money.
