A surge in violence linked to Chinese organised crime erupted again in Tuscany over the weekend, with a group of four suspected Chinese mobsters firing pistols and rifles inside a Chinese cultural club in Prato. The attack, occurring late Sunday into early Monday, represents the latest episode in the so-called “War of the Hangers”, a feud over control of Europe’s textile logistics and clothing production sector.
Authorities said the gunmen shot up the ceiling of the Destiny Club. Fortunately, no patrons died in the incident. The attack comes months after a conviction in Prato of a former Chinese army soldier, Nengyin Fang, who received seven years and six months in prison for attempted murder linked to a prior attack in the city. Fang had been part of a mixed commando, composed of Chinese nationals from the Fujian and Zhejiang regions, sent specifically from China to attack textile businessman Chang Meng Zhang on 6 July 2024 at the Number One club in Prato. Zhang survived a brutal assault, which included attacks with a glass, stabbing, and disembowelment.
The Prato prosecutor’s office said Fang’s collaboration with investigators provided critical evidence linking him to the attempted murder. The other five members of the commando received identical sentences for their roles in the July 2024 attack. According to prosecutors, the attackers acted to protect the business interests of monopoly groups in the hangers sector, a highly profitable segment of the clothing industry.
In August, police arrested 31 people in relation to Chinese organised crime.
Chinese mob violence not confined to Tuscany
The violence in Prato has not remained confined to Tuscany. Earlier in 2025, a Chinese man shot a woman in the head in Rome, who survived after doctors removed a bullet lodged in her throat. Days prior, a Chinese couple were killed execution-style on bicycles in the Pigneto district of Rome. Prosecutors link both attacks to the ongoing triad-led feud originating in Prato, highlighting how the conflict has spilled into other Italian cities. The murdered couple, Zhang Dayong, 53, and his wife Gong Xiaoqing, 38, were reportedly involved in previous investigations into Chinese criminal networks, including the 2018 “China Truck” operation targeting logistics and textile trafficking across Europe.
Prato hosts Italy’s largest Chinese community, historically specialising in textiles and clothing manufacturing. The city has become the epicentre of the European “War of the Hangers”, as organised crime groups compete for control over logistics and supply chains. Recent months have seen an escalation of criminal activity in Prato and elsewhere in Tuscany, including assaults, arson attacks, and other forms of intimidation, extending to Madrid and Paris.
Italian authorities have long monitored these networks, tracing their links to criminal organisations in China. Prosecutors note that the recent wave of attacks, including the club shooting in Prato, suggests a destabilisation of previously consolidated crime structures.
