Italian police tighten the net on mafia godfather

Police in Italy arrested the closest aides of Matteo Messina Denaro, the Cosa Nostra kingpin, yesterday – clamping down on a tightknit, family-run clan that has kept the mobster safely hidden from authorities for over 25 years.

Twenty-one people were arrested in towns near Trapani, Sicily, where Denaro’s criminal empire is based, as part of the “Year Zero” investigation.

Those in custody include brothersin-law Gaspare Como and Rosario Allegra, who allegedly manage their boss’s most important affairs.