Inter, AC Milan ultras jailed up to 10 years in Italy
HARDCORE supporters of Serie A giants Inter Milan and AC Milan were sentenced to up to 10 years in prison on Tuesday for a range of crimes including criminal conspiracy and murder, following a probe into illegal activities of so-called 'ultra' groups.
All 16 people standing trial for a variety of offences, in a fast-track procedure which began in March, were found guilty and handed sentences which added up to 90 years.
The crimes broadly involved activities around the iconic San Siro stadium on matchdays, from ticket touting to control of parking, sales from concession stands and taking payment from people without tickets and letting them into the stadium.
Andrea Beretta was one of three people handed the harshest sentence, the former leading Inter ultra being found guilty of criminal conspiracy aggravated by mafia methods and the murder of fellow top Inter ultra and mobster Antonio Bellocco.
Beretta turned state's witness after stabbing to death Bellocco during an altercation outside a boxing gym in a Milan suburb, weeks before the arrest in September of 19 leading Inter and Milan ultras.
The murder of Bellocco was especially shocking due to his status as a scion of an 'Ndrangheta mafia family, from the southern Italian region of Calabria, which bears his surname.
Beretta was also one of six people to be arrested in April for the murder of notorious ultra and career criminal Vittorio Boiocchi in October 2022.
- Power struggle -
He stepped up to take over the 'Curva Nord' section of the San Siro from Boiocchi who was gunned down outside his house at the age of 69 as part of a power struggle between rival factions.
Beretta and Marco Ferdico -- sentenced to eight years -- used Bellocco's 'Ndrangheta connections to push aside more traditional football hooligans, linked with far-right politics, who were bidding for top billing among the Inter ultras.
Milan's top ultra Luca Lucci was also given 10 years in prison for criminal conspiracy and planning in 2019 the attempted murder of a rival ultra, Enzo Anghinelli.
His right-hand man Daniele Cataldo, judged to be the man who carried out the attack on Anghinelli, was handed the same prison sentence.
The fast-track trial, known as 'rito abbreviato', is a legal procedure in Italian law in which defendants are judged on the basis of evidence brought by prosecutors, with no debate of that evidence by legal teams.
The procedure allows trials to be completed in a much shorter space of time than the years it takes for the ordinary judicial procedure, under which the remaining three people arrested in September began their trial in February.
That trio includes Francesco Lucci, who often took charge of the Milan ultras during his brother Luca's frequent problems with the law for offences that include drug trafficking and the assault of an Inter fan who was blinded and later committed suicide.
Neither of the clubs were charged in relation to the crimes, and were awarded 50,000 euros each as civil defendants and damaged parties in the trial.
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New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Italian judge sentences AC Milan, Inter ultras in case linked to mafia infiltration
MILAN: An Italian judge yesterday sentenced 16 Inter and AC Milan hardline 'ultra' soccer fans to prison terms ranging from two to 10 years for crimes including murder, extortion and criminal association with links to the 'Ndrangheta mafia. The verdicts followed a fast-track trial held behind closed doors in a high security court attached to Milan's San Vittore prison. The case resulted from the arrest of 19 people last September following an investigation by Milan prosecutors and the office of the national anti-mafia prosecutor. A second trial, which involves three other AC Milan ultras, will deliver its verdict on June 19. Prosecutors argued that the ultra groups acted as "private militias" with criminal influence far beyond the stadium, alleging infiltration by both the mafia and far-right extremist groups. Around 200 AC Milan fans demonstrated outside the court in solidarity with their fellow ultras before the verdicts were handed down. Judge Rossana Mongiardo sentenced Andrea Beretta, former leader of Inter Milan's ultras, to 10 years in prison. He had confessed to the murder in September of Antonio Bellocco, a leading figure in the 'Ndrangheta and a fellow Inter ultra. After his arrest, Beretta became a state witness and cooperated with investigators, contributing to a lower sentence than might otherwise be applied in a murder case. Luca Lucci, the historic leader of AC Milan's ultras, who is also under investigation in a parallel case for international drug trafficking, was sentenced to 10 years in prison plus four years of probation on charges of criminal association and attempted murder. At the end of the trial, the defence lawyers had dismissed the prosecution's charges as "a house of cards". In a fast-track trial, cases are heard by a judge behind closed doors without witnesses. Defendants get their sentences reduced by a third if they agree to the process. The judge also ordered an immediately enforceable provision of 50,000 euros ($58,000) each payable to Inter and Milan, plus an additional 20,000 euros to Italy's Serie A soccer league. Any further damages will be assessed separately in civil proceedings. Leaders of the ultras, together with the 'Ndrangheta mafia, ran ticket scams and protection rackets on drink stands and car parks around the city's San Siro stadium, which both clubs share, prosecutors said. According to investigators, the case discovered in Milan is not the only one in Italy where crime bosses and the far-right are tapping into the muscle and money-spinning activities of hardline 'ultra' soccer fans. Similar issues have been uncovered in Greece where police have made dozens of arrests as they investigate the alleged links between violent sports fans and criminal gangs.
The Sun
9 hours ago
- The Sun
Organised crime and murder: Top Inter and AC Milan ultras imprisoned
HARDCORE supporters of Serie A giants Inter Milan and AC Milan were sentenced to up to 10 years in prison on Tuesday for a range of crimes including criminal conspiracy and murder, following a probe into illegal activities of so-called 'ultra' groups. All 16 people standing trial for a variety of offences, in a fast-track procedure which began in March, were found guilty and handed sentences which added up to 90 years. The crimes broadly involved activities around the iconic San Siro stadium on matchdays, from ticket touting to control of parking, sales from concession stands and taking payment from people without tickets and letting them into the stadium. Andrea Beretta was one of three people handed the harshest sentence, the former leading Inter ultra being found guilty of criminal conspiracy aggravated by mafia methods and the murder of fellow top Inter ultra and mobster Antonio Bellocco. Beretta turned state's witness after stabbing to death Bellocco during an altercation outside a boxing gym in a Milan suburb, weeks before the arrest in September of 19 leading Inter and Milan ultras. The murder of Bellocco was especially shocking due to his status as a scion of an 'Ndrangheta mafia family, from the southern Italian region of Calabria, which bears his surname. Beretta was also one of six people to be arrested in April for the murder of notorious ultra and career criminal Vittorio Boiocchi in October 2022. - Power struggle - He stepped up to take over the 'Curva Nord' section of the San Siro from Boiocchi who was gunned down outside his house at the age of 69 as part of a power struggle between rival factions. Beretta and Marco Ferdico -- sentenced to eight years -- used Bellocco's 'Ndrangheta connections to push aside more traditional football hooligans, linked with far-right politics, who were bidding for top billing among the Inter ultras. Milan's top ultra Luca Lucci was also given 10 years in prison for criminal conspiracy and planning in 2019 the attempted murder of a rival ultra, Enzo Anghinelli. His right-hand man Daniele Cataldo, judged to be the man who carried out the attack on Anghinelli, was handed the same prison sentence. The fast-track trial, known as 'rito abbreviato', is a legal procedure in Italian law in which defendants are judged on the basis of evidence brought by prosecutors, with no debate of that evidence by legal teams. The procedure allows trials to be completed in a much shorter space of time than the years it takes for the ordinary judicial procedure, under which the remaining three people arrested in September began their trial in February. That trio includes Francesco Lucci, who often took charge of the Milan ultras during his brother Luca's frequent problems with the law for offences that include drug trafficking and the assault of an Inter fan who was blinded and later committed suicide. Neither of the clubs were charged in relation to the crimes, and were awarded 50,000 euros each as civil defendants and damaged parties in the trial.
The Sun
9 hours ago
- The Sun
Inter, AC Milan ultras jailed up to 10 years in Italy
HARDCORE supporters of Serie A giants Inter Milan and AC Milan were sentenced to up to 10 years in prison on Tuesday for a range of crimes including criminal conspiracy and murder, following a probe into illegal activities of so-called 'ultra' groups. All 16 people standing trial for a variety of offences, in a fast-track procedure which began in March, were found guilty and handed sentences which added up to 90 years. The crimes broadly involved activities around the iconic San Siro stadium on matchdays, from ticket touting to control of parking, sales from concession stands and taking payment from people without tickets and letting them into the stadium. Andrea Beretta was one of three people handed the harshest sentence, the former leading Inter ultra being found guilty of criminal conspiracy aggravated by mafia methods and the murder of fellow top Inter ultra and mobster Antonio Bellocco. Beretta turned state's witness after stabbing to death Bellocco during an altercation outside a boxing gym in a Milan suburb, weeks before the arrest in September of 19 leading Inter and Milan ultras. The murder of Bellocco was especially shocking due to his status as a scion of an 'Ndrangheta mafia family, from the southern Italian region of Calabria, which bears his surname. Beretta was also one of six people to be arrested in April for the murder of notorious ultra and career criminal Vittorio Boiocchi in October 2022. - Power struggle - He stepped up to take over the 'Curva Nord' section of the San Siro from Boiocchi who was gunned down outside his house at the age of 69 as part of a power struggle between rival factions. Beretta and Marco Ferdico -- sentenced to eight years -- used Bellocco's 'Ndrangheta connections to push aside more traditional football hooligans, linked with far-right politics, who were bidding for top billing among the Inter ultras. Milan's top ultra Luca Lucci was also given 10 years in prison for criminal conspiracy and planning in 2019 the attempted murder of a rival ultra, Enzo Anghinelli. His right-hand man Daniele Cataldo, judged to be the man who carried out the attack on Anghinelli, was handed the same prison sentence. The fast-track trial, known as 'rito abbreviato', is a legal procedure in Italian law in which defendants are judged on the basis of evidence brought by prosecutors, with no debate of that evidence by legal teams. The procedure allows trials to be completed in a much shorter space of time than the years it takes for the ordinary judicial procedure, under which the remaining three people arrested in September began their trial in February. That trio includes Francesco Lucci, who often took charge of the Milan ultras during his brother Luca's frequent problems with the law for offences that include drug trafficking and the assault of an Inter fan who was blinded and later committed suicide. Neither of the clubs were charged in relation to the crimes, and were awarded 50,000 euros each as civil defendants and damaged parties in the trial.
