Cosenza, October 24, 2026 — A suspected 'Ndrangheta hit took place in Cassano all'Ionio, in the province of Cosenza. The target was 64-year-old Damiano Pepe, considered by investigators to be a prominent figure in organized crime in the Sibari area. His 60-year-old wife, Silvana Sibarelli, was killed, while Pepe was left seriously wounded.

He was initially taken to the hospital in Corigliano-Rossano before being transferred to Cosenza, where he reportedly underwent delicate surgery.

The ambush took place around midnight in the Lattughelle district, near Pepe's home. He was known in criminal circles as "Tripolino." Investigations are underway to establish the exact circumstances of the attack and the number of gunmen involved.

He was released from prison in 2019 after serving more than 26 years for mafia association and murder.

The ambush, which left his wife dead, comes amid a particularly tense period in the Sibari area over recent months. Last August, 36-year-old Giuseppe Scorza was killed in a shooting in Lauropoli, while Domenico Forastefano survived an attempted murder in October 2025.

A feud over the reshuffling of the local criminal power balance may therefore be underway, although investigators are currently keeping all lines of inquiry open.

NAPLES, ITALY — He was returning to Secondigliano Prison, where he was serving his sentence under a semi-liberty regime, when two gunmen on a motorcycle shot him dead just a few hundred meters from the prison entrance.

Alessandro Uccello, 57, originally from Marano, died minutes after the ambush. He was struck by multiple gunshots, leaving emergency medical personnel with no chance of saving him despite their attempts to resuscitate him.

The murder took place on Via Roma verso Scampia, at the intersection with Via Bakù. The killing has inevitably drawn attention to the victim's criminal past, although investigators consider it only a starting point rather than an established motive.

Uccello was serving a final, non-appealable sentence for his involvement in a serious violent crime dating back to April 2016, when he was implicated in the murder of 25-year-old Enrico Pezzella.

According to the investigation conducted at the time by the Carabinieri of the Giugliano company, Uccello was considered an accomplice—or otherwise jointly responsible—alongside his brother-in-law, Raffaele Bacioterracino, in a violent incident that unfolded on Via Falcone in Marano.

That tragic morning, following yet another argument over the relationship between Pezzella and Uccello's niece—a relationship opposed by the young woman's family—a shot was fired from a legally owned handgun, fatally striking the 25-year-old in the head.

During the trial, Uccello maintained that the gun had gone off accidentally and that he had never intended to kill the young man. However, the court established his substantial criminal responsibility, resulting in the prison sentence he was serving under a semi-liberty arrangement.

Nevertheless, investigators from the Carabinieri, who are leading the investigation into last night's ambush, believe that the family-related killing in 2016 is now too remote in time to explain the execution in Scampia.

Investigators are therefore focusing on more recent developments and possible motives, while keeping all avenues of inquiry open, including those concerning Uccello's past and his recent associations.

Meanwhile, surveillance footage from the area is being examined.

Investigators hope the recordings will provide useful clues to identifying the hit squad responsible for Uccello's murder.

Michael talks about the gas scam so much it has become a meme, I though this was because that was the only lucrative/interesting thing he was involved in. But no, he a had a few other interesting schemes, didn’t net profits in the millions like the gas scam, but still interesting and profitable.

The Nat Geo documentary on him is how I came to know about this. Everytime the narrator said Franzese had a new scheme to make money, I thought “here comes the gas scam”, but it was a couple things before it ultimately went to the gas scam.

He had a shipping company scam where with fake work orders he routinely made a lot of money and some huge union construction job he got his hands on.

They both sound very interesting, I don’t know why he never expands on these in his YouTube videos/podcasts. It’s always the gas scam.

Recently, I’ve been reading books about the Philly Mob, most notably Blood & Honor, which centers on the Scarfo mob and is largely based on the life of Nicholas “The Crow” Caramandi.

But I’ve also read The Mobfather & The Last Gangster. Not so interested in reading Gotti’s Rules. Something about Alite really puts me off. There's a couple of other books by Anastasia I will likely check out too.

Anyway, I am REALLY looking forward to his book about Angelo Bruno, which is slated for release sometime next year. I find it odd that it took so long for him to publish such a book, but if there’s anyone who seems qualified to write it, it’s him. I am expecting it to be good.

My main criticism of him is that in a few of his books he’s mostly just giving an informant’s account of what happened. And that can be problematic given that informants are not the most reliable narrators.

I am reminded of the slogan from the clothing line Omerta: STOP GLORIFYING RATS

The guy from MOB TALK RADIO would always shit on him and the other Philly journalist Dave Schratwieser for giving erroneous information about various things. Tbh, the rants on that show would grow tiresome. The host came across as a bit unhinged & bitter. But that’s another conversation…

Besides his being too chummy with informants, I have mostly good things to say about Anastasia's work. He is the main reason why the Philadelphia Mob is such a topic of interest among those (like myself) who study Cosa Nostra history. Thanks to his work, the Philly Mob is more than a collection of names and sensational headlines. He has documented those guys as an organization, along with its personalities, internal conflicts, psychology, and its decline.

What do you guys think? Where would you put Anastasia among mob writers?

The actual 60 Minutes interview.

Andrew fives his take, what’s yours?

most of the people of these photos are like in their 50s or smth I'm curious and I want to know how the newer generations these days are like

In February 1957, a crew of Northeast Ohio burglars targeted the home of a reputed gambler in Alliance, Ohio, hoping to make off with thousands of dollars. But when a father and son unexpectedly interrupted the burglary, the encounter turned deadly.

Paul “Red” Carpenter admitted shooting both men and killing 25-year-old Eldon Shoup. Weeks later, Carpenter was himself shot three times and left for dead in a shallow grave near Painesville. He survived and accused Cleveland underworld figure Alfred Calabrese, Sr., of arranging the attempt on his life.

What followed was a remarkable criminal case involving allegations of Mafia connections, a confessed killer turned prosecution witness, accusations of revenge, and two murder trials.

The latest installment of Cleveland’s Known Criminals examines the killing of Eldon Shoup, the attempted murder of Paul Carpenter, and the prosecution of Alfred Calabrese, Sr., and his alleged accomplices.

People mentioned: Alfred Calabrese, Sr., Paul “Red” Carpenter, Paul Perrotti, Arthur LaRiche, Raymond Paone, Frank Wells, Earl Shoup, Eldon Shoup, Lou Battista, Alfred “Allie” Calabrese, Jr., Captain Ben Pumphrey, Frank Stredrick, Captain Carroll Cutright, Mary LaRiche, Judge George Graham, Judge Paul Weber, prosecutor Norman J. Putman, and Alliance Police Chief A. O. Lower.

https://timgill924.substack.com/p/clevelands-known-criminals-no-4-alfred?r=1ixz1x&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Lots of mobsters are known for their charitable contributions to various organizations, groups, and individuals. For example, during the Great Depression I heard Al Capone had soup kitchens. I haven't bothered to verify it, but it tracks.

Here, I'd like to discuss the most notable instances and to tell the most poignant stories about mobsters "giving back."

I featured Wild Bill Cutolo & Tommy Gambino in the photos because I've read a lot about the work they did with various charities. But I know there's probably at least 1000 examples.

So please educate me!

Btw, I already know some of these guys were using their philanthropy to launder or steal money. That's another convo that can be had here as well. I think even Cutolo was embroiled in some controversy related to some charity.