Investigation on port jobs: two businessmen from Palermo refused to pay.

Last Updated: October 31, 2023

Two entrepreneurs from Palermo refused to pay for subcontracted work, while a third allegedly complied with the demands of the technical director, Francesco Tricarico, and the site manager, Rosario Cavallaro. The Palermo judge, Rosario Di Gioia, ordered house arrest for the two employees of the Roman company Socostramo, which had won a contract worth 23 million euros to modernize the new maritime station used as a cruise terminal. The first two entrepreneurs faced problems after refusing to pay, including surprise inspections of the quality of materials used, delayed payments, and slow progress. One of the non-paying entrepreneurs reported that Cavallaro often boasted about having connections with criminal elements in Palermo, specifically mentioning his knowledge of many funeral home contractors in the city. The two entrepreneurs repeatedly rejected Cavallaro’s proposals, including using lower-quality glass for the station, which could jeopardize the safety of users. The relationship between the entrepreneurs and Cavallaro and Tricarico became very conflictual. The third entrepreneur, from the province, admitted to paying sums of money to Cavallaro and Tricarico, fearing that refusal would result in the loss of future work with Socostramo. The total amount he paid was approximately 80,000 to 90,000 euros.