Mafia paralyses Palermo for funeral of convicted godfather Rubino
The Mafia forced businesspeople to close their shops and halted traffic in central Palermo during the funeral of Emanuele Rubino.
Funeral of godfather with extortionate procession in Palermo outrages Italy
Shock and outrage spread across Italy following the imposition of forced public participation in the funeral of a Mafia member in Palermo, as reported by Newsit.gr citing local media.
Members of organised crime forced business owners in the city to "lower shutters as a sign of mourning" as the funeral procession passed with the coffin of "godfather" Emanuele Rubino. The procession took place in eastern Sicily, in the heart of the city.
The head of the procession was formed by motorcycles, while firecrackers and flares were fired on a main street that had been blocked off by members of organised crime. The spectacle frightened tourists and outraged thousands of residents.
Mayor Roberto Lagalla strongly condemned the incident. "Our city cannot accept that in entire areas behaviours are adopted because of which citizens feel that they cannot live in conditions of safety and freedom," Lagalla stated. He clarified, however, that municipal police, once notified, immediately intervened and prohibited the procession from continuing.
Rubino had a serious criminal record. A first-instance court in the Sicilian city had convicted him to a prison sentence of 12 years for the murder of a migrant from Gambia committed in 2016. At the same time, he had been found guilty of extortion and the imposition of a compulsory Mafia "protection tax" on foreign merchants with small businesses in central Palermo, receiving a prison sentence of nine years for these offences as well.
Source: Newsit.gr