Sacra Corona Unita: Difference between revisions
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[[File: | [[File:Sacra Corrona Unita.png|thumb|220px|right]]The Sacra Corona Unita is a [[Mafia]] like[[ Organized crime| ]][[Organized crime|criminal organization]] rom [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apulia Apulia] (in Italian ''Puglia'') region in Southern [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy Italy], and is especially active in the areas of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brindisi Brindisi], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lecce Lecce] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taranto Taranto]. | ||
==Background and activities== | ==Background and activities== | ||
The SCU was originally founded in the late 1970s as the '''Nuova Grande Camorra Pugliese''' (current [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foggia Società foggiana]) by [ | The SCU was originally founded in the late 1970s as the '''Nuova Grande Camorra Pugliese''' (current [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foggia Società foggiana]) by [[Camorra]] boss [[Raffaele Cutolo]], who wanted to expand his operations into [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puglia Puglia]. A few years later with the downfall of Cutolo, however, the organization began operating alone under the leadership of [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Giuseppe_Rogoli&action=edit&redlink=1 Giuseppe Rogoli]. Under his leadership the SCU mixed Pugliese interests and opportunities with [['Ndrangheta]] and [[Camorra]] traditions. Originally preying on Puglia's substantial wine and olive oil industries, the group moved into [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraud fraud], [[Arms trafficking|gunrunning]] and [[Illegal Drug Trade|drug trafficking]] and made alliances with international criminal organizations such as the [[Russian Mafia|Russian]] and [[Albanian Mafia|Albanian]] mafias, [[Colombian drug cartels]], Chinese [[Triads]], and Japanese [[Yakuza]]. | ||
The SCU is made up of three distinct groupings or levels. Members can 'graduate' from one level to the next by going through ''riti battesimali'' (baptismal rites). The religious symbolism is probably left over from the SCU's association with the Camorra. | The SCU is made up of three distinct groupings or levels. Members can 'graduate' from one level to the next by going through ''riti battesimali'' (baptismal rites). The religious symbolism is probably left over from the SCU's association with the Camorra. | ||
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With the decreasing importance of the Adriatic corridor as a smuggling canal (thanks to the normalization of the Balkans area) and a series of successful police and judicial operations against it in recent years the Sacra Corona Unita has been reduced to a fraction of its former power, which peaked around the mid-1990s. | With the decreasing importance of the Adriatic corridor as a smuggling canal (thanks to the normalization of the Balkans area) and a series of successful police and judicial operations against it in recent years the Sacra Corona Unita has been reduced to a fraction of its former power, which peaked around the mid-1990s. | ||
==Symbolism== | ==Symbolism== | ||
Informer Cosimo Capodieci said the SCU used "the Corona because it resembles a crown, meaning the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosary rosary] typically used in Church in order to carry out the functions | Informer Cosimo Capodieci said the SCU used "the Corona because it resembles a crown, meaning the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosary rosary] typically used in Church in order to carry out the functions of [http://real-life-heroes.wikia.com/wiki/Jesus_Christ Jesus Christ] and the cross... Unita because it was necessary to be connected to one another, similar to the rings of a chain."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacra_Corona_Unita#cite_note-2 [2]]</sup> | ||
==Rivals== | ==Rivals== | ||
The internal difficulties of the SCU aided the birth of antagonistic criminal groups such as: | The internal difficulties of the SCU aided the birth of antagonistic criminal groups such as: | ||
*''Remo Lecce Libera'': formed by some leading criminal figures from Lecce, who claim to be independent from any criminal group other than the [ | *''Remo Lecce Libera'': formed by some leading criminal figures from Lecce, who claim to be independent from any criminal group other than the [['Ndrangheta]]. The term Remo indicates Remo Morello, a criminal from the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salento Salento] area, killed by criminals from the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campania Campania] region because he opposed any external interference; | ||
*''Nuova Famiglia Salentina'': formed in 1986 by De Matteis Pantaleo, from Lecce and stemming from the Famiglia Salentina Libera born in the early 1980s as an autonomous criminal movement in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salento Salento] area with no links with extra-regional Mafia expressions; | *''Nuova Famiglia Salentina'': formed in 1986 by De Matteis Pantaleo, from Lecce and stemming from the Famiglia Salentina Libera born in the early 1980s as an autonomous criminal movement in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salento Salento] area with no links with extra-regional Mafia expressions; | ||
*''Rosa dei Venti'': formed in 1990 by De Tommasi in the Lecce prison, following an internal division in the SCU. | *''Rosa dei Venti'': formed in 1990 by De Tommasi in the Lecce prison, following an internal division in the SCU. | ||
[[Category:List]] | [[Category:List]] | ||
[[Category:Organizations]] | |||
[[Category:Weapon Dealer]] | [[Category:Weapon Dealer]] | ||
[[Category:Drug Dealers]] | [[Category:Drug Dealers]] | ||
[[Category:Criminals]] | [[Category:Criminals]] | ||
[[Category:Smuggler]] | |||
[[Category:Extortionists]] | |||
[[Category:Gangsters]] | |||