In a significant development, the court in southern Vibo Valentia, led by President Brigida Cavasino, delivered sentences ranging from 30 years to a few months to 207 defendants, including four ‘Ndrangheta members, after a trial lasting two years and nine months.

Prosecutors initially sought almost 5,000 years for the 322 accused mafia members and their white-collar collaborators in the Calabrian province of Vibo Valentia.

Notably, former parliamentarian and defense lawyer Giancarlo Pittelli, accused of being a mafia fixer, received an 11-year sentence, falling short of the 17 years requested, France24 reported.

The court acquitted 131 defendants, emphasizing the ‘Ndrangheta’s ties to power.

The verdicts, subject to two possible appeals, concluded Italy’s largest mafia trial in decades, dealing a substantial blow to the formidable organized crime syndicate.

Written by B.C. Begley