“I am no longer welcome, not even as a visitor in Serra Bruno, the municipality of vibonese where I was born 49 years ago and which I have been forced to leave after having declared war to the ‘ndrangheta. Local institutions as well as my own family members don’t want me there anymore. I am collecting the last few things from my office and from my wife’s dentist lab. I am saying goodbye forever to my people. This is a painful departure, far more painful than the first because I have decided to transfer my residence which I had maintained to this day”.
These words belong to Pino Masciari. His eyes fill with tears as he speaks. Mr. Masciari was a constructor from the italian region of Calabria who is now a very important witness in mafia trials. Pino’s tribulations began 13 years ago when his contruction business in Calabria was flourishing. He pressed charges against a business committee tied to mafia clans who demanded that a portion of the money earned from construction jobs be turned over to them.
After having reported everything to the Carabinieri (italian police force) Mr. Masciari describes his experience as a “deportee” to a secret location toghether with his wife and two children. The only times he returned to Calabria ,Pino was escorted by bodyguards who protected him throughout the trials held against the people he had denounced.
For all this time Pino continued his battle for justice and truth from inside the walls of his hideout. He conquered the affection and the respect of a great number of italian cities who declared Pino honorary citizen.
“Only my hometown which is surrounded by other towns whose local political institutions have failed because of mafia infiltrations, has done nothing for me. I have sadly recognized that they do not want me there. For this reason I am leaving and cutting all ties with everyone. I wish to thank all the “common people” for their support. I also wish to thank colonel Giovanni Roccia and the bodyguards he kindly provided to watch over me. I am also leaving this, so called, secret location which was recently broken into by two individuals who raided my bedroom. Not to mention the explosive device placed on a window ledge of my paternal home in Serra San Bruno just a few months ago by strangers”.
These words belong to Pino Masciari. His eyes fill with tears as he speaks. Mr. Masciari was a constructor from the italian region of Calabria who is now a very important witness in mafia trials. Pino’s tribulations began 13 years ago when his contruction business in Calabria was flourishing. He pressed charges against a business committee tied to mafia clans who demanded that a portion of the money earned from construction jobs be turned over to them.
After having reported everything to the Carabinieri (italian police force) Mr. Masciari describes his experience as a “deportee” to a secret location toghether with his wife and two children. The only times he returned to Calabria ,Pino was escorted by bodyguards who protected him throughout the trials held against the people he had denounced.
For all this time Pino continued his battle for justice and truth from inside the walls of his hideout. He conquered the affection and the respect of a great number of italian cities who declared Pino honorary citizen.
“Only my hometown which is surrounded by other towns whose local political institutions have failed because of mafia infiltrations, has done nothing for me. I have sadly recognized that they do not want me there. For this reason I am leaving and cutting all ties with everyone. I wish to thank all the “common people” for their support. I also wish to thank colonel Giovanni Roccia and the bodyguards he kindly provided to watch over me. I am also leaving this, so called, secret location which was recently broken into by two individuals who raided my bedroom. Not to mention the explosive device placed on a window ledge of my paternal home in Serra San Bruno just a few months ago by strangers”.
From Antimafiaduemila.com and Il Quotidiano della Calabria.it (3 settembre 2009)
LINK: il BLOG degli amici di Pino Masciari
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