Shipowner Angelo Marrazzo arrested on charges of extortion and illicit competition aggravated by mafia methods. 

An operation coordinated by the District Anti-Mafia Directorate and conducted by the State Police and Coast Guard  of Italy on the island of Ischia, in Casamicciola Terme, led to the seizure of two ships owned by Traspemar, the Giuseppina Prima and the Don Angelo, which was currently chartered for a marine litter transport service to the Aeolian Islands, by the shipping company Traspemar.

Mayor of Casamicciola Terme

Giuseppina Prima is usually used for the maritime transport of waste from the islands of Ischia and Procida to the mainland. So much so that the mayor of Casamicciola Terme, Giosi Ferrandino, raised the alarm to the Prefect of Naples, speaking of a “serious health risk” and “grave emergency” due to the interruption of the essential service for the transport of solid urban waste to the mainland.

An alarm sharing of New Atac 

An alarm shared by the consortium of haulers in the area, New Atac, which is evaluating how to interface with the institutions for the implementation of an alternative, since the additional service set up by Medmar in response to the requests of the Extraordinary Commissioner for post-earthquake reconstruction would not be sufficient.

Secret the Operation Anti Mafia

The operation of the District Anti-Mafia Directorate of Naples is currently under wraps: according to rumors, however, the investigators are investigating an alleged illicit trafficking of waste and dangerous goods and the disposal of mud from the 2022 Casamicciola flood and waste materials from the demolitions of buildings hit by the earthquake in 2017.

 ِArrest of Angelo Marrazzo 

Angelo Marrazzo, the entrepreneur whose family owns the shipping company Traspemar, has been arrested and is currently under house arrest. Marrazzo is accused of extortion and illicit competition aggravated by mafia methods according to Shipping Italy

According to Fanpage, which seems to have read at least part of the order, the investigation was started by a threatened truck driver, who reported that he had been forced to turn to that company, formally managed by Marrazzo’s daughter-in-law, using its ships to transfer a load of flammable and special waste and scrap on the Naples-Pozzuoli-Ischia and Procida-Pozzuoli routes.

Waste management on the island 

The truck driver allegedly described the tone in which Marrazzo explained the situation to him: “I won’t let you work anymore, waste management on the island is the responsibility of the Moccias (the Camorra clan from Afragola, ed.) and therefore either you turn to us on our terms or you won’t work: I’m in charge on Ischia, I’m the king of waste”. Marrazzo also allegedly threatened consequences if he refused:“I’ll have your trucks with waste and the warehouse seized”; “I’ll have you fined by the port authorities or the municipal police”, “I won’t let you work anymore”.

The man allegedly followed those rules for eight years, paying 250 euros (170 for the outward journey and 80 for the return journey, even without using the return ticket) for each transport.

Refusal to pay the fine

In 2019, when he refused to pay, the entrepreneur allegedly underwent an inspection resulting in a fine, suspension of his license and seizure of the truck. During the investigations, several entrepreneurs were identified, about ten, who allegedly ended up under blackmail; they were all summoned and questioned by the judicial police. Some reported similar situations: when he had decided to turn to another company for waste transfers, checks and stops had arrived.

Testimonies Fanpage Marrazzo

According to the testimonies mentioned by Fanpage, Marrazzo allegedly used a sort of “dossier”, with videos and photos, to document any irregularities in embarkations and disembarks, keeping that material aside to deliver it to the competent authorities when someone refused to pay.

Related : The Prosecutor’s Office :Three CIN-Tirrenia ships seized – Italy

Source : Shipping Italy

Testimonies Fanpage Marrazzo , Two Traspemar ships , Ischia -Italy , Coast Guard , Aeolian Islands, New Atac, Anti-Mafia Directorate