He allegedly facilitated an inmate, Michele Cicala, a leading exponent of Taranto crime. For this reason, the director of the Taranto prison, Stefania Baldassarri, was suspended from her post by the director of the Department of Penitentiary Administration, Bernardo Petralia, on the basis of a report from the Lecce District Anti-Mafia Directorate. The Dap alleges that Baldassarri has irregular conduct which, however, would have concerned – as far as we know – the family of Cicala more than directly the latter.
Stefania Baldassarri allegedly showed up on at least two occasions in a bar run by the family of Michele Cicala, a leading exponent of Taranto crime, currently under house arrest. The Guardia di Finanza writes it in the disclosure. Baldassarri would have given Cicala’s wife news about her husband, assuring her of his health conditions, telling him that he was fine, and inviting her to call him to “express comfort”. The bar where the director of the prison went is under seizure. The investigators’ report speaks of “singular and particular concern for the attention given by the director of the Taranto Prison to the inmate Michele Cicala”.
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Cicala is currently no longer in prison but under house arrest. The Lecce Review Court dropped the accusation of mafia association against him at the request of the lawyers. On this point, however, the Lecce Public Prosecutor appealed to the Court of Cassation.
Michele Cicala, the latest arrest for fuel fraud
The latest arrest of Michele Cicala – who has already served a sentence for the “Mediterranean” blitz of years ago, referring to extortion aggravated by the mafia method – dates back to 12 April when he was involved in an operation by the Dda of Lecce and Potenza , as well as the Guardia di Finanza and the Carabinieri. Operation that revealed a fuel fraud.
On that occasion, 26 people were taken to prison, 11 subjected to house arrest and another 6 recipients of a ban on residence. In the specific story, the Cicala clan, according to the reconstruction made by the investigators, was allied to that of the Diana-Casalesi in Campania. In particular, Cicala had created a new team with links with the members of the Catapano-Leone clan from Taranto. This group – the investigation revealed – re-employed economic resources in many activities, including commercial ones, through a dense network of figureheads, and was aggressive from a military point of view. Cicala – emerged from the investigative work – had focused particularly on the hydrocarbon distribution sector, because it was extremely lucrative, agreeing with the Diana group, active in the Vallo di Diano between Basilicata and Campania, and thus developing the smuggling activity. As a result, large quantities of agricultural fuel, which benefits from tax breaks, were sold to people who then placed it on the normal automotive market. According to the survey, the proceeds from the fuel trade had been laundered into the acquisition of bars and restaurants.