DIA anti-Mafia investigators have seized assets worth 100 million euros from Antonino and Carmelo Paratore, father and son, according to a statement issued on Wednesday.
DIA said the investigation began in 2020, coordinated by anti-Mafia investigators in Catania. They analysed the pair’s financial activities, previously investigated by Sicilian prosecutors. Both were arrested in an operation called ‘Pyramids.’
“The pair lead one of the most important entrepreneurial groups in eastern Sicily,” the statement said. Their businesses operate in various sectors, mainly waste management and disposal.
“Over the years, the father and son created a true network of companies,” the statement continued. They diversified into hospital cleaning services, real estate, and managing a well-known Catania beach club.
Investigators believe the father and son cooperated for decades with Mafia boss Maurizio Zuccaro. Zuccaro is serving a life sentence at Opera prison in Milan. He is an historic member of the Santapaola-Ercolano clan and was convicted for the 1996 murder of Luigi Ilardo.
Police have been cracking down on Catania mafia rings recently.
