Gela, iron pact, and “mafia peace” between Cosa Nostra and Stidda

Last Updated: March 12, 2024

Gela, patto di ferro e «pax mafiosa» tra Cosa nostra e Stidda

In Gela, Cosa Nostra and Stidda allegedly signed an ironclad pact for the management of drug trafficking and extortion. This emerged from a police raid conducted by the SCO of the police, the mobile squad of Caltanissetta, and the police station of Gela, which led to the arrest of 55 people after a long investigation coordinated by the Dda of Caltanissetta. The suspects include 32 people from Gela, 4 from Catania, 4 from Palermo, 12 from the province of Agrigento, and 3 from the province of Reggio Calabria. The charges include mafia-style association, fictitious ownership of assets, extortion, and drug trafficking. The crimes are aggravated by the availability of weapons (including war weapons) and explosives in the hands of the associates.

The operation conducted by the police is particularly significant – said the prosecutor of Caltanissetta, Salvatore De Luca – as it targets the drug trafficking managed between the two families of Cosa Nostra and Stidda. Gela has its own specificity in the entire regional and national territory where two families of Cosa Nostra and Stidda are present. The three criminal groups have an agreement and have signed a mafia “pax” that has lasted over time. During the operation, a 700-gram explosive device was found that would have been used if necessary.