The trial against the ‘Porta Nuova’ mafia clan in Palermo has concluded at the first-instance court, with most of the defendants convicted of mafia association, drug trafficking, and extortion. In this unprecedented case, the individual responsible for the extortion was convicted, while the alleged instigator was acquitted. For the first time, not only the construction company owner but also his workers—who were subjected to threats they promptly reported—joined the trial as civil parties with the support of Addiopizzo
This decision was the result of a collaborative effort between Addiopizzo, the employer, and the workers, in synergy with the prosecutors from the Palermo Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Carabinieri investigators. Together, they worked through a process of listening and support, enabling the victims to stand firm against extortion demands.
The employer and workers provided detailed testimony about the suffocating extortion strategy they endured, which escalated to repeated threats to halt the renovation work on a building within the Porta Nuova mafia territory. Although this story has a positive outcome, it also sheds light on the persistent issue of extortion in the construction sector, where employer organizations and trade unions must take a stronger stance to support their members.
Certain areas of Palermo and its province still present significant challenges for entrepreneurs and workers due to rival companies that, in exchange for paying extortion fees, secure supplies and contracts under the protection of Cosa Nostra. This phenomenon not only harms those striving to run honest businesses but also distorts the free market and fair competition to the detriment of consumers.
Over the past two decades, trials have revealed hundreds of reports from business owners in Palermo who opposed Cosa Nostra, enabling them to continue their activities under normal conditions. However, there are still individuals who pay extortion fees without reporting them—not out of fear or intimidation, but because they actively seek a “protection arrangement” in a context of collusion and convenience.
