“Has Salvatore gone to Calabria then?”. “Yes, my brother sent him, all is well”. “Only your brother could have solved the situation and no one else”. The incident ended badly for the extortionists, who ended up in handcuffs.
They are men linked to the ‘ndrangheta: Aldo Abbruzzese, 51 years old, and Mustaph� Hamil, a Moroccan used as a “stooge” to set cars on fire. The two are accused of aggravated extortion. However, to understand the whole issue and the reason why Rino Gattuso also comes into play at a certain point, it is necessary to take a step back. On October 17th, Ida Gattuso’s car catches fire.
It was parked near her home. The fire could have had very serious consequences for the people living in the adjacent buildings. Two months later, on December 15th, another car belonging to Ida catches fire. Rino Gattuso’s sister crosses the threshold of the carabinieri station and reports the incident.
But she doesn’t stop there. She offers the military a lead to follow and mentions the name of Aldo Abbruzzese, from the eponymous clan. She recounts that she learned from her ex-husband, Franco Nigro, that Abbruzzese had asked her father, Francesco Gattuso, for three thousand euros. Ida’s father sells fish.
Her ex is a small businessman. But there is a moment when the two go into business together for a photovoltaic deal. After obtaining a loan of 80,000 euros. The ‘ndrangheta men find out about it and the demand for protection money kicks in.
As Nigro tries to explain to his ex-wife. She wants to know if this Abbruzzese is a man who likes luxury. He replies: “The reason is not luxury, but control of the territory. They go to jail and live for honor and respect.
If you show them, they say ‘then I’m not worth even a penny’. And you’re finished and dead”. After the first attack, Ida Gattuso has no answers. She doesn’t know who or why someone set her car on fire.
Only after numerous questions to her ex-husband does she know the truth. She lives in fear, has two young children. That’s why she goes to the carabinieri. She understands that the ‘ndrangheta men are targeting her because she is an easy target.
Her father lives in a fortified, hyper-protected house and parks his car in the garage. The investigation continues. From phone intercepts, the carabinieri discover that there will be a payment. And here is where Rino Gattuso’s role would have come into play.
The meeting to “extinguish” the protection money takes place in a bar in Schiavonea, on January 10th. Abbruzzese is in the bar. He awaits the emissary. Who arrives and hands him 2,300 euros, which according to the accusation is the second installment of the 3,000 requested.
The emissary is Salvatore. Called the German because he lives in Germany. He is a trusted friend of Rino Gattuso. According to the words of his sister Ida, exchanged with her friend, it would have been her brother who sent him to Calabria.
The meeting in the bar was brief. Two minutes. The phrase of a friend on the phone with her. “Yes, my brother sent him, all is well”.
“Only your brother could have solved the situation and no one else”. This phone dialogue occurred between *Corriere della Sera – is also on Whatsapp. Just click here to join the channel and be always updated. * February 3, 2024 (modified on February 4, 2024 | 17:07)
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