Historic Italian Mafia Trial Results in Over 2,000 Years in Sentences

On Monday, a shock wave was sent through the Mafia like nothing we have ever seen in this country before.

The trial, which took place in Italy, handed down more than 2,000 years in sentences in a case that saw more than 200 Mafia defendants convicted.

The trial was for Calabria's notorious 'Ndrangheta mafia, and it lasted nearly three years.

Going to Jail

For decades, the mob operated with impunity in this country, but it has gone on far longer in Italy.

More than 300 defendants were named in the case, with the prosecution securing a guilty verdict against 207 of them.

After two years and nine months, the trial finally concluded, and it was not good for those who were found guilty.

A total of roughly 2,150 years was handed out, with sentences ranging from just a few months to 30 years.

Even with the significance of the sentence, however, it was a far cry from what prosecutors were hoping for in recommendations given to the court. Had they had their way, 5,000 years would have been doled out.

Giuseppe Borrello, the local representative for the anti-mafia association Libera, commented on the sentences handed down.

Borrello stated, "The road is still long but it's been charted out, that's the most important thing.

"The strong message it (the verdict) sends is that the sense of impunity that has very often been felt in our territory is gone."

The trial uncovered the tactics of the mafia figures, who “suffocated the local economy, infiltrated public institutions, and terrorized its people for decades.”

Prosecutors can thank their informants for the verdict, something they do not often see in Italy because of the family nature of the business.

While the designation of a crime “family” holds a far different meaning here in the United States, in Italy, these crime families often have very deep blood ties, so it is rare for someone to flip.

Authorities estimated that 'Ndrangheta brings in more than 50 billion euros ($53 billion) annually worldwide from its nefarious activities.