15/05/2020

The "Mani in pasta” - or “a finger in every pie” - operation, which in the last few days resulted in 91 arrests of persons in Italy after a major raid conducted by Italy’s finance police, the Guardia di Finanza, coordinated by the Anti-Mafia District Directorate of Palermo, reaffirms what we have been aware of for decades: the link between organised crime and horse exploitation.

The focus of the operation were the Palermo mafia families Ferrante and Fontana, whose right-hand men have had their feet under the table at several Italian hippodromes. The "assets" taken by the preventative seizure order issued by the preliminary investigations judge of the Court of Palermo also included 12 horses.

"Unfortunately, we can’t say we are surprised”, was the comment of the President of IHP, Sonny Richichi. "The links between organised crime and abuse of horses have been known for decades" - he declares - "Although we we’re only thinking here about illegal horse racing, in effect everything that generates money attracts the interest of the clans. So we are not at all surprised at the news of race fixing and money laundering in the purchase and sale of horses".

Among the criminal allegations formulated by the Sicilian District Anti-Mafia Directorate are also race fixing in Italian hippodromes, performed by doping horses or intimidating rival jockeys in order to have their chosen horse among the winners.
The revenues from this “betting ring” were then laundered into all types of activities, including jewellers, and not only: it seems that part of the money laundering took place through the purchase of thoroughbreds.

"For now we’re explicitly talking about the hippodromes of Turin, Villanova d’Albenga, Siracusa, Milan and Modena, but we can assume that the investigation will expand. And this wouldn’t surprise us, either”, adds the President of IHP.
Among those placed under house arrest as part of the "Mani in Pasta" operation, there are also two harness race drivers: Marco Spina, 32, Sicilian living in Follonica, and Mauro Paruffati, from Treviso. They are charged with aggravated fraud against the Italian Ministry for Agricultural Policies and with aiding and abetting criminal activities, in this case horse race betting. According to the investigators, they received instructions from clan representatives in order to “steer" the outcome of races in which they participated.

The investigation, which also led to the seizure of 12 horses, revealed that clan leader in the world of horse racing was Mimmo Zanca, already arrested in the past and in charge of managing the “carve-up” in the hippodromes, corrupting and threatening those opposed to it.

"For as long as the exploitation of horses is allowed for so-called sports against their nature, these things will continue to happen” - concludes Richichi. “To inflict pain on animals means that, in many cases, you are supporting and enriching the mafia. The cultural shift required to combat organised crime also includes respect for horses"