9 arrested in operation against Clan Vaccaro for extortion, weapons, and drug offenses. Watch video.

Last Updated: May 23, 2024

Nine people have been arrested by the carabinieri as part of an operation coordinated by the District Anti-Mafia Directorate of the Prosecutor’s Office of Caltanissetta because they are believed to belong to a mafia clan based in Campofranco. Seven people have been brought to prison and two under house arrest, while another individual is currently unavailable and being sought. They are being investigated for mafia association, extortion aggravated by the mafia method and the availability of weapons, possession and trafficking of drugs in conspiracy.
The investigation was launched in October 2022 after the release of Angelo Schillaci, who had served a sentence for mafia-related crimes. The suspects, mostly presumed members of the Campofranco family, were said to have worked to reorganize the clan through the procurement of weapons and the establishment of a common fund with the proceeds of extortion and drug trafficking.
In particular, four attempted extortions with intimidating acts against some companies involved in public works in the municipalities of Campofranco and Milena and a commercial operator in Campofranco were confirmed, as well as three extortions against entrepreneurs and merchants. The clan also had relationships with individuals from Milena and the province of Agrigento.
The Campofranco mafia family, also known as the Vaccaro clan because led by brothers Domenico and Lorenzo Vaccaro, has always been at the center of the balance of mafia figures in the province of Caltanissetta. Domenico Vaccaro, the last provincial representative of Cosa Nostra in Nissena, played a significant role in the Sicilian Mafia’s balance following the capture of historical leader Salvatore Riina, as he was identified as the substitute for the head of the provincial commission Piddu Madonia.