Antonio Macrì
Encyclopedia
Antonio Macrì popularly known as Zzi 'ntoni, was a historical and charismatic boss of the 'Ndrangheta, a criminal and mafia-type organisation in Calabria
, Italy
. He was born in Siderno
on the Ionic coast
of Calabria
and was the capobastone (head of command) of the 'ndrine in his hometown.
Macrì held the position of capo crimine from the beginning of the 1960s until the outbreak of the first 'Ndrangheta war in 1975. Together with Domenico Mico Tripodo
, the boss of the city of Reggio Calabria
and the surrounding areas and Girolamo Mommo Piromalli
, head of the most powerful 'ndrina on the Tyrrhenian coast
, he formed a sort of triumvirate, whose senior position was recognized by all other family chiefs and whose advice was in most cases followed without protest. He also had close relations with the Sicilian Mafia, in particular with Michele Navarra
, at the time the capomafia of Corleone
, when Navarra was banished by the Italian authorities to Gioiosa Marina in Calabria in the 1950s.
, San Luca
, and the Gioia Tauro
plain did engage in these activities and Macrì had no means by which to prevent or punish these violations of the traditional mafia code. (Both the crimine and its charismatic leaders depended on the consensus and cooperation of the individual 'Ndrangheta families and relied on the good will of single family bosses to have the codes obeyed).
Nevertheless, Macrì also was an exponent of modernization, representing a qualitative step in expanding traditional parasitic criminal activities of extortion to a more entrepreneurial phase. When in 1974 businesses involved in the expansion of the port and steelworks in Gioia Tauro
offered a three per cent kickback to be left in peace the three leading 'Ndrangheta families at the time, Macrì, the Piromalli brothers and the De Stefano brothers
rejected the offer and wanted to be sub-contracted on work carried in order to control the projects.
Macrì has been involved in expanding the local 'Ndrangheta internationally, in particular Canada and Australia. He urged Michele (Mike) Racco, who had been initiated to the local 'ndrina and moved to Canada in the early 1950s, to set up an organisation in Canada. Different clans originally from Siderno formed what has been called the Siderno Group
by Canadian law enforcement authorities.
The disagreement led to bloodshed in the so-called first 'Ndrangheta war. On January 20, 1975, Macrì was killed. His death triggered the 'Ndrangheta war that cost some 300 lives. According to a state witness, a young Pasquale Condello
was one of his 'executioners'. Macrì may have paid for his opposition to kidnappings and drug trafficking with his life, as his murder was presumably organized by the supporters of a change of modus operandi of the 'Ndrangheta.
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He was born in Siderno
Siderno
Siderno is a town and comune located in Calabria, Italy about 3 kilometres from Locri.Siderno Marina is the newer town located on the Ionian coast. It is popular with both Italian and foreign tourists and has a bathing beach....
on the Ionic coast
Ionian Sea
The Ionian Sea , is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea. It is bounded by southern Italy including Calabria, Sicily and the Salento peninsula to the west, southern Albania to the north, and a large number of Greek islands, including Corfu, Zante, Kephalonia, Ithaka, and...
of Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
and was the capobastone (head of command) of the 'ndrine in his hometown.
Criminal career
Antonio Macrì was one of the most powerful bosses belonging to the ‘old guard’. In Siderno he was well known as the true authority in his town. In 1929 he was charged with illegal firearms, in 1932 for grievous bodily harm, in 1945 for robbery with violence, in 1947 for attempted murder and in 1958 for murder with aggravating circumstances.Macrì held the position of capo crimine from the beginning of the 1960s until the outbreak of the first 'Ndrangheta war in 1975. Together with Domenico Mico Tripodo
Domenico Tripodo
Domenico Tripodo was an Italian criminal and a historical and charismatic boss of the 'Ndrangheta dominating the city of Reggio Calabria and the surrounding areas...
, the boss of the city of Reggio Calabria
Reggio Calabria
Reggio di Calabria , commonly known as Reggio Calabria or Reggio, is the biggest city and the most populated comune of Calabria, southern Italy, and is the capital of the Province of Reggio Calabria and seat of the Council of Calabrian government.Reggio is located on the "toe" of the Italian...
and the surrounding areas and Girolamo Mommo Piromalli
Girolamo Piromalli
Girolamo Piromalli , also known as Mommo, was a historical and charismatic boss of the 'Ndrangheta, a Mafia-type organisation in Calabria . His criminal base was his home town Gioia Tauro on the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria...
, head of the most powerful 'ndrina on the Tyrrhenian coast
Tyrrhenian Sea
The Tyrrhenian Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy.-Geography:The sea is bounded by Corsica and Sardinia , Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Basilicata and Calabria and Sicily ....
, he formed a sort of triumvirate, whose senior position was recognized by all other family chiefs and whose advice was in most cases followed without protest. He also had close relations with the Sicilian Mafia, in particular with Michele Navarra
Michele Navarra
Michele Navarra was a powerful member of the Sicilian Mafia. He was a qualified physician and headed the Mafia Family from the town of Corleone...
, at the time the capomafia of Corleone
Corleone
Corleone is a small town and comune of approximately 12,000 inhabitants in the Province of Palermo in Sicily, Italy....
, when Navarra was banished by the Italian authorities to Gioiosa Marina in Calabria in the 1950s.
Tradition and modernization
Macrì opposed new criminal activities such as kidnappings and drug trafficking. However, several cosche of PlatìPlatì
Platì is a town and comune in the province of Reggio Calabria, in Calabria, southern Italy. It rises 300 metres above the sea level on the slope of the Aspromonte mountains and is located next to the Aspromonte National Park...
, San Luca
San Luca
San Luca is a comune in the Province of Reggio Calabria in the Italian region Calabria, located about 100 km southwest of Catanzaro and about 35 km east of Reggio Calabria. The town is situated on the eastern slopes of the Aspromonte mountain, in the valley of the Bonamico river...
, and the Gioia Tauro
Gioia Tauro
Gioia Tauro is a comune in the province of Reggio Calabria, in Calabria , on the Tyrrhenian coast. It has an important port, situated along the route connecting Suez to Gibraltar, one of the busiest maritime corridors in the world....
plain did engage in these activities and Macrì had no means by which to prevent or punish these violations of the traditional mafia code. (Both the crimine and its charismatic leaders depended on the consensus and cooperation of the individual 'Ndrangheta families and relied on the good will of single family bosses to have the codes obeyed).
Nevertheless, Macrì also was an exponent of modernization, representing a qualitative step in expanding traditional parasitic criminal activities of extortion to a more entrepreneurial phase. When in 1974 businesses involved in the expansion of the port and steelworks in Gioia Tauro
Gioia Tauro
Gioia Tauro is a comune in the province of Reggio Calabria, in Calabria , on the Tyrrhenian coast. It has an important port, situated along the route connecting Suez to Gibraltar, one of the busiest maritime corridors in the world....
offered a three per cent kickback to be left in peace the three leading 'Ndrangheta families at the time, Macrì, the Piromalli brothers and the De Stefano brothers
Paolo De Stefano
Paolo De Stefano was a member of the 'Ndrangheta who became the undisputed boss of Reggio Calabria. Together with his brothers Giovanni, Giorgio and Orazio he headed the De Stefano 'ndrina.-Early years:...
rejected the offer and wanted to be sub-contracted on work carried in order to control the projects.
Macrì has been involved in expanding the local 'Ndrangheta internationally, in particular Canada and Australia. He urged Michele (Mike) Racco, who had been initiated to the local 'ndrina and moved to Canada in the early 1950s, to set up an organisation in Canada. Different clans originally from Siderno formed what has been called the Siderno Group
Siderno Group
The Siderno Group is a criminal association in Canada and Australia related to the 'Ndrangheta, a Mafia-type organisation in Calabria. The association is labelled the "Siderno Group" because its members primarily came from the town of Siderno on the Ionian coast in Calabria and migrated to Canada...
by Canadian law enforcement authorities.
Death
Macrì was a traditional 'Ndrangheta capobastone who, together with Tripodo, opposed to new developments in the organisation such as the formation of the Santa, a secret society within the 'Ndrangheta established in the early 1970s to maximize the power and invisibility of the most important bosses.The disagreement led to bloodshed in the so-called first 'Ndrangheta war. On January 20, 1975, Macrì was killed. His death triggered the 'Ndrangheta war that cost some 300 lives. According to a state witness, a young Pasquale Condello
Pasquale Condello
Pasquale Condello is an Italian criminal known as a member of the 'Ndrangheta. He is also known as "Il supremo" for his role at the top of the crime syndicate. He was a fugitive since 1990 and included in the list of most wanted fugitives in Italy until his capture in February 2008...
was one of his 'executioners'. Macrì may have paid for his opposition to kidnappings and drug trafficking with his life, as his murder was presumably organized by the supporters of a change of modus operandi of the 'Ndrangheta.