Rocco Lo Presti (born Rocco Lopresti May 6, 1937 – January 23, 2009), known in Marina di Gioiosa Ionica, his town of origin as "Roccu u Maneja", was an Italian crime boss of the 'Ndrangheta, a Mafia-type organization in Calabria, Italy, but his criminal base was Bardonecchia, in Piedmont region.
Biography Lo Presti was born on May 6, 1937, in Marina di Gioiosa Ionica from a humble peasant family. The father Salvatore Lopresti and the mother Maria Caterina Femia make do as they can, working the land. The first of eight children, he leaves elementary school very early and joins his uncle, in close contact with the capobastone (head of command) of Gioiosa Ionica, Rocco Amleto Monteleone, known as " Roccu u Regginu ", managing the business of his uncle and Monteleone, in the market fruit first, and market fish after.
At the age of 16, he left Calabria and moved to Piedmont together with his cousins, the Mazzaferro brothers.
In 1957 he was arrested in Casale Monferrato for selling counterfeit money, together his cousin Cosimo Ierinò, known as " Cosimu u Caddara".
In 1963 he was sent to stay in soggiorno obbligato in Bardonecchia,Il primo nel 63 a Bardonecchia La Stampa March 17, 2012 and booming construction puts on a small construction company. In September of the same year, Mario Corino, unionist and future mayor of Bardonecchia was attacked and beaten at night by strangers. The police arrested for the attack, two calabrese workers. Francesco Ursino, brother-in-law of Lo Presti, and Antonio Zucco, originally from Ciminà. Questioned by the judge, the two declared to have beaten Corino, because he was an Italian Labor Union spy. Lo Presti had been the instigator.L'aggressione di Bardonecchia non ha avuto movente politico La Stampa September 8, 1963
In 1965 he was arrested in Geneva by the Swiss gendarmerie, with Alberto Re, an entrepreneur of Bardonecchia, for a series of thefts in the villas. They were arrested for the last shot they took. Theft of 60 million jewels inside a judge's villa. He was tried and sentenced to two years imprisonment.Impresario di Bardonecchia arrestato per furto di 60 milioni di gioielli in una villa a Ginevra La Stampa July 29, 1965
In 1968, Lo Presti returned to Bardonecchia and married a compaesana in one of the most luxurious hotels in the city, the Grand Hotel Riky. Among the guests, the well-known American boss Frank Coppola (mobster) known as Frank Tree Fingers and the Gambinos of Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
In December 1969 he was suspected as the instigator of the Timpano murder. At Exilles, along the Val di Susa provincial road, the body of Vincenzo Timpano from Grotteria, Calabria was found. He was killed by his brother-in-law Giuseppe Oppedisano, who in turn is a brother-in-law of Rocco Lo Presti. The body was sprinkled with gasoline and set on fire. The Alfa Romeo 1750 owned by Lo Presti was found at the scene of the crime. Oppedisano confessed, but he never revealed the motive. Lo Presti instead had an unassailable alibi. He was flying on a plane to southern Italy.Scappato dal Sud, è stato raggiunto e atrocemente giustiziato presso Salbertrand Stampa Sera December 17, 1969Si cerca un amico del mafioso sfigurato in Valsusa Stampa Sera December 18, 1969L'uccisione del mafioso calabrese può essere un affare di famiglia Stampa Sera December 19, 1969
In June 1970, just six months later, he was again suspected as the instigator of the D'Aguanno murder. The body of Luigi D'Aguanno was found in an abandoned landfill at Moncalieri, a professional fence just released from prison. Someone said he paid a tip to the police with his life. The police arrested for the murder, Carmine Messina on the car owned by Lo Presti. Also that time Lo Presti was flying on a plane bound for Calabria, but was acquitted of all charges.Il bandito ucciso e bruciato in un campo a Moncalieri La Stampa June 27, 1970Non ho mai conosciuto D'Aguanno non ho mai prestato l'auto a Messina La Stampa July 3, 1970
From laborer to 'Ndrangheta front man in Bardonecchia On May 1, 1971, on Workers' Day in a bar in Turin, a group of Calabrese immigrants engaged in a gunfight. One of whom was Carmelo Manti who left four dead on the ground. They were arms merchants who demanded payment of a bribe which Manti owed them almost 2 million lire. Among the dead was Giuseppe Prochilo. He was a boss of the building racket and the Lo Presti's right-hand man. This massacre lifted the veil and broke the silence in the building racket. Manti, revealed information on the racket. He revealed tenders and subcontracts, exploitation, bribes. He revealed the names of the bosses who controlled the racket. Among the names there was also that of Rocco Lo Presti. Turin discovered an organization sprouted on the misery and suffering of many immigrants.Quattro calabresi uccisi a Torino La Stampa May 3, 1971Nella strage di piazza Vittorio una drammatica denuncia del racket La Stampa May 4, 1971 The attention of the newspapers and the judiciary concentrated on Bardonecchia. Through threats, intimidation and abuse of all kinds, he had managed to control the construction workforce in Val di Susa.Commissione antimafia indagherà sugli abusi edilizi a Bardonecchia La Stampa May 6, 1973Duro colpo alla mafia dell'edilizia La Stampa October 1º, 1973Lavoratori senza libretto, condannato l'impresario Stampa Sera December 22, 1973
In January 1972 a group of armed Calabrese workers surrounded a construction site ordering the workers to be evacuated and never be seen again. The job thus passed to Lo Presti. However, when the magistrate began the interrogations, no one remembered anything. Leonardo Ferrero, reporter of l’Unità, who was doing a service on building speculation in Val di Susa was threatened by Lo Presti. The Labor Union was also threatened. The mayor of Bardonecchia, Mario Corino, reported Lo Presti to be a mobster.Noi mafiosi? Siamo onesti lavoratori perseguitati per motivi elettorali La Stampa April 23, 1974
In May 1972, Giovanni Rosace said, in Bardonecchia was an intense traffic of arms and precious items coming from Marseille controlled by Lo Presti.Il traffico d'armi e preziosi con la Francia passerebbe per le cosche della Val di Susa La Stampa April 4, 1974 In the same period, a report by the carabinieri claimed that Lo Presti controlled five clandestine gambling dens in Turin.
In 1973, the court of Locri, sent his cousin Don Ciccio Francesco Mazzaferro to Bardonecchia in soggiorno obbligato.Presunto boss del contrabbando espulso dalla Calabria ritornerà a Bardonecchia La Stampa February 28, 1973 Together they dominated the field of gaining lucrative contracts such as the construction of the Fréjus Road Tunnel. They started with illegal hiring, abusive exploitation of workers and racket in yards. Through threats and intimidation they were able to control the labor building in Val di Susa.
First Antimafia Commission inspection in Northern Italy and later exile In 1973 the Parliamentary Antimafia Commission, drawn by the numerous articles in the newspapers, for the first time in Northern Italy, conducted an inspection in Bardonecchia, confirming the presence of organized crime, identifying Lo Presti as the 'Ndrangheta boss of the city. The then police chief commissioner of Turin Emilio Santillo, wrote a voluminous report (dossier Santillo), about the 'Ndrangheta infiltration in Piedmont, that controlled the building industry with particular reference to the figure of Lo Presti.Pronto il rapporto sulla mafia. Sarà consegnato in Parlamento La Stampa, April 14 1972Commissione Antimafia indagherà sugli abusi edilizi a Bardonecchia La Stampa, May 6 1973Il Consiglio comunale di Bardonecchia chiede l'allontanamento dei mafiosi Stampa sera May 12 1973L'Antimafia in Piemonte a raccolto un materiale scottante La Stampa December 13 1973Questi gli undici nomi dei boss di Bardonecchia Stampa Sera April 3 1974Ecco l'esplosivo dossier sulla mafia in Valle di Susa La Stampa April 3 1974 Due to the report in 1975, Lo Presti was accused to having all the workforce in the construction industry under his control, and at the request of the public prosecutor at the Court of Turin Bruno Caccia, the judge murdered by the 'Ndrangheta of Turin in 1983, Lo Presti was sentenced to three years in exile in the prison on the island of Asinara.Lo Presti accompagnato dagli agenti all'Asinara La Stampa 15 ottobre 1975 On the island, he knew many mafia figures, Luciano Leggio, Tommaso Buscetta, Ignazio Pullarà from Palermo, Giuseppe Di Cristina from Riesi, Rocco Gioffrè from Seminara, Francesco Barbaro from Platì.
The kidnapping-murder Ceretto In February 1976 Lo Presti was taken from the prison of the island of Asinara because he was accused of being the instigator of the Mario Ceretto kidnapping-murder, a wealthy industrialist of Cuorgnè found buried in a field in Orbassano.Industriale rapito nei pressi di Torino La Stampa May 24, 1975 On May 23, 1975, Ceretto was kidnapped and found dead a week later in the abandoned field. Lo Presti was accused by Giovanni Caggegi to be creator of the kidnapping.Rocco Lo Presti è arrestato all'Asinara per il sequestro e l'omicidio Ceretto La Stampa February 20, 1976A Moncalieri con le manette ai polsi Rocco Lo Presti accusato di omicidio La Stampa February 21, 1976 In the kidnapped were also involved and arrested, Giuseppe Cosimo Ruga from Monasterace, Cosimo Metastasio from Stilo, Sebastiano Giampaolo, Giuseppe Calabrò, known as and Giuseppe Giorgi from San Luca, Raffaele La Scala from Locri and Venanzio Tripodo, son of Don Mico Domenico Tripodo.L'assassinio di Ceretto scopre i legami fra la mafia di Rivarolo e Bardonecchia La Stampa June 28, 1976In aula i 14 dell'Anonima sequestri La Stampa January 28, 1978 After the arrest of Lo Presti, the clans in Turin were reorganized. One by one the people close to Lo Presti were eliminated.
In February 1977 Carmine Carmelo Messina, who had been involved with Lo Presti in the D'Aguanno murder disappeared.Doveva partire in aereo per Palermo ma è scomparso nel nulla a Caselle La Stampa February 8, 1977ll mistero del boss Stampa Sera February 8, 1977
In July 1977, three hooded killers and armed with lupara killed Giuseppe Zucco, originally from Ciminà, in Calabria tied to Lo Presti. He was part of the organization that recruited the labour for the building industry and had been involved with Lo Presti in the traffic of arms and precious items coming from France with the Organizer crime in Marseille.Straziato con la lupara Stampa Sera July 8, 1977 The other two brothers of Zucco, Rocco and Antonio were also killed, also very close to Lo Presti. Murders to frame everyone in the so-called Faida di Ciminà in Calabria.Faida di paese o racket edilizio? Stampa Sera November 16, 1981Ucciso come i fratelli Stampa Sera October 19, 1982
In July 1978, while the trial of the Ceretto murder was under way, Giuseppe Oppedisano, brother-in-law of Lo Presti, after nine years in jail for the Timpano murder, crowds of jealousy, went out of prison and killed his wife. The victim was Giuseppa Lo Presti, sister of Rocco Lo Presti.Delitto per gelosia o atrce vendetta? Stampa Sera July 15, 1978Uscito dal carcere dopo 10 anni folle di gelosia uccide la moglie La Stampa July 15, 1978Chivasso: migliora il feroce uxoricida ma ripete a tutti: Lasciatemi morire La Stampa July 16, 1978 A real blow to Lo Presti and his reputation as a boss of the 'Ndrangheta. Those who knew him argue that, at that time, Lo Presti was so powerful that he would never have allowed such an affront to pass. Even Caggegi, who accused him of kidnapping Ceretto, when knew of Lo Presti's arrival in the Le Nuove prison in Turin, took refuge on the roofs of the penitentiary for three days for fear of reprisals.Sui tetti delle Nuove per paura della mafia La Stampa June 5, 1976