Banda della Comasina and the Turatello Crew Organized crime in Italy

the banda della comasina (english translation: comasina gang) organized crime group active in milan, milan metropolitan area, , lombardia in 1970s or anni di piombo. name derived milan neighborhood of comasina, founding location of organization. group lead milan crime boss renato vallanzasca, powerful figure in milanese underworld in 1970s. group began smaller robbery gang, , continued specialize in armed robbery, kidnapping, carjacking, , truck hijacking grew in power , expanded other subtler areas of organized crime. gang became notorious brazenly setting roadblocks , robbing members of milan police force. banda della comasina rose in power, expanded other areas of organized crime, such arms trafficking, illegal gambling, drug trafficking, contract killing, extortion, racketeering, bootlegging, , corruption.

the group s downfall partially brought brazen disregard subtlety , authority , continued reliance on kidnapping , armed robbery make money. gang s leader, renato vallanzasca, repeatedly escaped police custody , continued commit robberies , kidnappings of wealthy , powerful people while living fugitive. in 1976, group committed approximately 70 robberies , multiple kidnappings (many of never reported police), including kidnapping of prominent bergamo businessman, , several of robberies resulted in murder of robbery victims, including 4 policemen, doctor , bank employee. same year, vallanzasca (still fugitive @ point) , gang kidnapped 16-year-old emanuela trapani, daughter of milanese businessman, , held captive on month , half, december 1976 january 1977, releasing girl upon payment of ransom of 1 billion in italian currency. after, gang responsible killing of 2 highway police officers had stopped car containing vallanzasca , other members of gang. 2 other members of banda della comasina, carlo carluccio , antonio furiato, killed in separate gun battles policemen, in piazza vetra in milan , on autostrada a4 motorway respectively.

vallanzasca captured, and, while in prison, developed alliance , friendship former rival, francis turatello, incarcerated , powerful crime boss in milan strong connections sicilian mafia, camorra, , italian-american gambino crime family (as possible ties banda della magliana , italian political terrorist groups). leader of so-called turatello crew, francis turatello protege of sicilian mafia , important ally in milan both sicilian mafia , nuova camorra organizzata. turatello crew controlled various illegal rackets in milan underworld backing of sicilian mafia , camorra, controlling prostitution in milan and, banda della comasina, participating in robbery , kidnapping. turatello crew , banda della comasina had in fact been in middle of gang war each other when both of leaders, vallanzasca , turatello, incarcerated in same prison, @ point 2 crime figures reconciled , bonded. newly forged alliance between banda della comasina , mafia- , camorra-backed turatello crew increased banda della comasina s influence , power in milan underworld, , 2 groups cooperated in controlling of milanese organized crime while leaders remained incarcerated , controlling illegals operations within prison. however, while in prison in 1981, turatello assassinated orders of camorra boss raffaele cutolo, , turatello crew collapsed while banda della comasina lost important new ally. after turatello s assassination, vallanzasca, still imprisoned, organized , participated in prison revolt in 2 pentiti, or former gangsters had collaborated italian government, brutally killed. despite repeated escape attempts, vallanzasca remains in prison serving 4 consecutive life sentences , additional 290 years, , banda della comisina collapsed , disbanded in 1980s in vallanzasca s absence.