Sebastiano Romeo
Encyclopedia
Sebastiano Romeo also known as U Staccu, was a historical 'Ndrangheta boss from San Luca
in Calabria
. His family was allied with others in the Pelle-Romeo-Vottari clan and he was a member of the Vangelo, an exclusive high rank within the 'Ndrangheta.
He also became a member of La Provincia, a provincial commission of the 'Ndrangheta, formed at the end of the Second 'Ndrangheta war in September 1991 to avoid further internal conflicts. He was involved in drug trafficking and the dumping of toxic and radioactive waste
of the coast in Italy.
According to the 'Ndrangheta turncoat (pentito
) Francesco Fonti
, Romeo was involved in attempts to locate the place in Rome
where the Christian Democrat
politician and former Prime Minister Aldo Moro
was held by the militant communist group the Red Brigades
after they had kidnapped him on March 16, 1978. Romeo had been asked by unnamed national and Calabrian Christian Democrats such as Riccardo Misasi and Vito Napoli to help out.
With the help of the Italian military intelligence agency SISMI
and the criminal organisation the Banda della Magliana
Fonti was able to locate the house where Moro was kept. When he reported to Romeo, the latter said that he had done a good job but that important politicians in Rome had changed their minds. Moro's body was found later after he was shot.
Sebastiano Romeo died at home on January 19, 1998, at the age of 67. He was under house arrest due to medical problems. He was succeeded by his son Antonio Romeo, assisted by Sebastiano's brother, who also is named Antonio Romeo. His son was arrested on June 26, 1998.
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...
in 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....
. His family was allied with others in the Pelle-Romeo-Vottari clan and he was a member of the Vangelo, an exclusive high rank within the 'Ndrangheta.
He also became a member of La Provincia, a provincial commission of the 'Ndrangheta, formed at the end of the Second 'Ndrangheta war in September 1991 to avoid further internal conflicts. He was involved in drug trafficking and the dumping of toxic and radioactive waste
Radioactive waste dumping by the 'Ndrangheta
The 'Ndrangheta, a criminal organization from Calabria has been involved in radioactive waste dumping since the 1980s. Ships with toxic and radioactive waste were sunk off the Italian coast...
of the coast in Italy.
According to the 'Ndrangheta turncoat (pentito
Pentito
Pentito designates people in Italy who, formerly part of criminal or terrorist organizations, following their arrests decide to "repent" and collaborate with the judicial system to help investigations...
) Francesco Fonti
Francesco Fonti
Francesco Fonti is an Italian criminal and a member of the 'Ndrangheta, a Mafia-type organisation in Calabria, who became a turncoat collaborating with the authorities.-Early criminal career:...
, Romeo was involved in attempts to locate the place in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
where the Christian Democrat
Christian Democracy (Italy)
Christian Democracy was a Christian democratic party in Italy. It was founded in 1943 as the ideological successor of the historical Italian People's Party, which had the same symbol, a crossed shield ....
politician and former Prime Minister Aldo Moro
Aldo Moro
Aldo Moro was an Italian politician and the 39th Prime Minister of Italy, from 1963 to 1968, and then from 1974 to 1976. He was one of Italy's longest-serving post-war Prime Ministers, holding power for a combined total of more than six years....
was held by the militant communist group the Red Brigades
Red Brigades
The Red Brigades was a Marxist-Leninist terrorist organisation, based in Italy, which was responsible for numerous violent incidents, assassinations, and robberies during the so-called "Years of Lead"...
after they had kidnapped him on March 16, 1978. Romeo had been asked by unnamed national and Calabrian Christian Democrats such as Riccardo Misasi and Vito Napoli to help out.
With the help of the Italian military intelligence agency SISMI
SISMI
Servizio per le Informazioni e la Sicurezza Militare was the military intelligence agency of Italy from 1977-2007....
and the criminal organisation the Banda della Magliana
Banda della Magliana
The Banda della Magliana was an Italian criminal organization based in Rome, particularly active throughout the late 1970s until the early 1990s. Given by the media, the name refers to the original neighborhood, the Magliana, of most of its members....
Fonti was able to locate the house where Moro was kept. When he reported to Romeo, the latter said that he had done a good job but that important politicians in Rome had changed their minds. Moro's body was found later after he was shot.
Sebastiano Romeo died at home on January 19, 1998, at the age of 67. He was under house arrest due to medical problems. He was succeeded by his son Antonio Romeo, assisted by Sebastiano's brother, who also is named Antonio Romeo. His son was arrested on June 26, 1998.