Cops nab 40 mafia suspects in Bari

(ANSA) - Bari, July 7 - Carabinieri police on Tuesday arrested 40 alleged affiliates of the powerful Strisciuglio mafia clan operating in and around the southern city of Bari. The sweep came after a three-year investigation that uncovered what prosecutors said is a heavily armed criminal organization affiliated with the Neapolitan Camorra mafia, with a network of affiliates both within and outside prison walls.
    The clan controlled the drug trade, met publicly in a piazza to exchange information and discuss strategy, extorted construction businesses, and infiltrated ultrà supporters of the Bari soccer team. Those arrested include clan boss Domenico Strisciuglio, Sigismondo Strisciuglio, and his wife Eugenia Prudente. One suspect who turned State's witness has been placed under house arrest in a protected location.