Police on Monday broke a post
office siege in Reggio Emilia and took out the hostage taker, an
'Ndrangheta Calabrian mafia convict.
Shortly before the special forces broke in, the man,
Francesco Amato, had let two of his four hostages go.
When they reappeared with Amato, the police were given a
round of applause by the people present at the scene.
It is not yet clear if he gave himself up or not.
The four women who had been taken hostage were said to be
unharmed.
Initially there were five hostages, but a 54-year-old cashier
was let go almost immediately after she had a bad turn and was
treated by an emergency medical team.
Amato was convicted last week in the sprawling 'Aemilia'
trial on 'Ndrangheta Calabrian mafia infiltration in the Emilia
region.
He holed up in the post office early on Monday, taking staff
hostage with a knife, local sources said.
Amato allowed all the customers out of the branch before
taking hostage five female staff including the woman director.
Police blocked roads and started negotiating, sources told
reporters.
After about an hour one of the five hostages, the cashier,
was let out of the branch.
She fainted as soon as she got out and was treated by an
emergency medical team
Amato had been on the run since last week's conclusion of the
'Aemilia' trial which handed down 118 sentences totalling over
1,200 years in jail, including the father of former soccer
player Vincenzo Iaquinta, who got 19 years.
Iaquinta himself got two years for weapons possession but was
cleared of mafia charges.
Amato also got 19 years and has been on the run since the
sentence, police said.
Entering the post office, he reportedly said "I'm the one who
got 19 years in Aemilia".
He then allegedly threatened those present, saying "I'm going
to kill you all".
He was reportedly brandishing a kitchen knife.
After negotiations with Amato proved fruitless, police
eventually decided to send in special forces.
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