‘Anti-mafia mayor’ arrested in mob warrant

(ANSA) – Isola Caporizzuto, December 3 – A former Italian mayor known for her stance against organized crime was among several people arrested Tuesday for alleged ties to the mafia. Carolina Girasole, under house arrest, was mayor of Isola Caporizzuto in the southern Calabria region from 2008 to 2013, when she launched an unsuccessful bid for the House. She made a name for herself by appearing in numerous anti-mafia demonstrations alongside other women mayors from the south. Police say she had ties to 76-year-old Nicola Arena, already behind bars for crimes linked to the Calabria-based ‘Ndrangheta, believed to be the most powerful of the Italian mafias for its virtual monopoly of the European cocaine trade. Some 13 people were cited in the warrant Tuesday, seven of whom were placed under arrest. The Arena family is said to be one of the strongest ‘Ndrangheta gangs, reaching throughout Italy and abroad. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED