Rome Mayor Ignazio Marino
returned to work on Rome's Capitoline Hill Thursday, quickly
dismissing criticism over his prolonged absence from the Eternal
City for a summer vacation in the United States.
"If at the end of the day you don't have a lot of enemies,
it means you haven't done the right thing," Marino said.
On Wednesday Marino met with New York Mayor Bill de Blasio,
who supported his Roman colleague without reservations.
"Ignazio Marino has been courageous," de Blasio said.
"He deserves a lot of credit for what he's doing in the
fight against mafia and corruption".
First on Marino's agenda Thursday was a meeting with his
cabinet.
Later in the afternoon Marino was scheduled to participate
in an anti-mafia demonstration in the Don Bosco neighborhood,
where a recent flamboyant Godfather-style funeral for mafia boss
Vittorio Casamonica caused public controversy and outrage.
On Friday Marino is scheduled to meet with Rome Prefect
Franco Gabrielli, and later in the day with government officials
regarding preparations for the upcoming Jubilee Year.
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