PALERMO POLICE HEADQUARTERS. SUSPECTS ESCORTED BY POLICE. DETECTIVES WORKING ON IDENTIKIT PICTURE AND SHOWING PHOTOGRAPHS OF SUSPECTS.




Initials AA/RAI/BHH/SGM



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: ITALIAN POLICE HAVE ANNOUNCED THE ARREST OF TEN PEOPLE, INCLUDING LEADING FIGURES IN THE MAFIA TERRORIST SOCIETY, AND FOUND MAFIA LINKS WITH THE AMERICAN UNDERWORLD.IN PRE-DAWN RAIDS ON MONDAY FROM BOLOGNA, IN NORTHERN ITALY, TO TAORMINA, IN EASTERN SICILY, POLICE BROUGHT IN THE MAFIA SUSPECTS.

THE POLICE HAVE GIVEN THE NAMES OF FOUR OTHERS THEY ARE SEEKING -- ALL BELIEVED TO BE IN THE UNITED STATES WHERE GOVERNMENT AGENTS ARE HUNTING FOR THEM.

THOSE ARRESTED INCLUDE GIUSEPPE GENCO RUSSO, THE 72 YEARS-OLD, REPUTED "UNCROWNED KING" OF THE MAFIA.HE WAS BANISHED FROM SICILY TO ENFORCED RESIDENCE IN NORTH ITALY TWO YEARS AGO, AND IS SAID TO BE INVOLVED IN MURDER, EXTORTION, AND RUBBERY.

POLICE SAID ALL 14 WERE WANTED TO ANSWER TO CHARGES OF CONSPIRING TOGETHER FOR CRIMINAL PURPOSES.THEY SAID THEY HAD BEEN PROBING DRUG AND TOBACCO SMUGGLING OPERATIONS FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND HAD BEEN WATCHING THE ACTIVITIES OF KNOWN MAFIA SUSPECTS SINCE 1962.THE ARRESTS WERE MADE, SAID THE POLICE, AFTER A DOSSIER HAD BEEN BUILT UP BY PATIENT INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE COMPLEX RAMIFICATIONS BETWEEN THE MAFIA AND THE AMERICAN UNDERWORLD'S EQUIVALENT, THE "COSA NOSTRA".THERE IS ALLEGED TO BE STRONG EVIDENCE LINKING THE TWO ORGANISATIONS.

ALSO ARRESTED: FRANK COPPOLA, NICKNAMED "THREE FINGERS." HE WAS BORN IN PALERMO 75 YEARS AGO AND RETURNED THERE WHEN DEPORTED FROM THE UNITED STATES IN 1948 AFTER GANGLAND ACTIVITIES IN KANSAS CITY.ROSARIO VITALITI, SAID TO BE A MEMBER OF INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS GANGS, AND NOW LIVES IN SICILY.VINCENZO MARTINEZ, AN AMERICAN CITIZEN SUSPECTED OF NARCOTICS TRAFFIC AND LIVING IN SICILY, AND FRANK GAROFALO, A SICILIAN WHO HAS SPENT MOST OF HIS LIFE IN THE UNITED STATES AND IS ALSO ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED IN NARCOTICS SMUGGLING.

NEW LAWS HAVE RECENTLY BEEN PASSED IN ITALY TO COUNTER "OMERTA" THE UNWRITTEN MAFIA LAW OF SILENCE.THEY GIVE THE JUDGE POWERS OVER MAFIA SUSPECTS EVEN BEFORE TRIAL.TWO YEARS AGO ITALY'S PARLIAMENT ORDERED AN INQUIRY INTO THE MAFIA AND A BIG POLICE DRIVE AGAINST IT BEGAN.