Antonio Imerti
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Antonio Imerti
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1946|8|22}}
| birth_place = Villa San Giovanni
| nationality = Italian
| other_names = Nano feroce
| criminal_charge =
| criminal_penalty =
| criminal_status = Captured
}}
Antonio Imerti ({{IPA|it|anˈtɔːnjo iˈmɛrti}}; born on 22 August 1946, in Villa San Giovanni), also known as Nano feroce ("fierce dwarf"), is an Italian criminal and a member of the 'Ndrangheta, the Calabrian mafia. He was born in Villa San Giovanni and controlled the Fiumara di Muro neighbourhood in Reggio Calabria.
Life as a fugitive
He was one of the protagonists in the Second 'Ndrangheta war which raged from 1985 to 1991 between the Condello-Imerti clan and the De Stefano-Tegano clan, which left 621 deaths.[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/feb/24/internationalcrime.italy Godfather's arrest fuels fear of bloody conflict], The Observer, 24 February 2008 His marriage in 1983 with Giuseppina Condello – the sister of the Condello brothers, underbosses of Paolo De Stefano – triggered the conflict. The De Stefano clan feared the new alliance might challenge their power base. The conflict exploded in 1985, two years after the marriage and saw practically all the 'ndrine in the city of Reggio Calabria grouped into either one of two opposing factions.Paoli, Mafia Brotherhoods, pp. 88-89Gratteri & Nicaso, Fratelli di sangue, p. 65
The war started with a failed bomb attack on Antonio Imerti on 11 October 1985, which left three of his bodyguards dead.{{in lang|it}} [http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/1985/10/13/si-salvato-soltanto-il-boss.html Si e' salvato soltanto il boss], La Repubblica, 13 October 1985 Two days later, his rival Paolo De Stefano was killed and suspicion fell on Imerti as the one who ordered the killing.{{in lang|it}} [http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/1985/10/15/ucciso-il-re-delle-cosche-ora-lotta.html Ucciso il 're delle cosche' e ora lotta per la successione], La Repubblica, 15 October 1985
Disappearance and capture
Imerti escaped a second bomb attack on 7 July 1986, and subsequently became a fugitive. He was arrested on 23 March 1993, in Reggio Calabria, together with his brother-in-law Pasquale Condello. Newspaper reports mentioned that Condello might have surpassed his former boss – and there had been speculation that Condello might have killed Imerti when they both were still fugitives. However, although the speculation proved to be false, Imerti's power had declined because of his opposition to a 'pax mafiosa' to end the war between the opposing clans in Reggio Calabria.{{in lang|it}} [http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/1993/marzo/24/manette_capocosca_Nanu_Feroce_Imerti_co_0_93032413729.shtml Manette al capocosca "Nanu Feroce" Imerti e al cognato], Corriere della Sera, 24 March 1993{{in lang|it}} [http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/1993/03/24/preso-imerti-re-della-ndrangheta.html Preso Imerti, re della ' ndrangheta], La Repubblica, 24 March 1993
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{in lang|it}} Gratteri, Nicola & Antonio Nicaso (2006). [https://books.google.com/books?id=TTUWeZBiBrUC Fratelli di sangue], Cosenza: Pellegrini Editore, {{ISBN|88-8101-373-8}}
- Paoli, Letizia (2003). [https://books.google.com/books?id=qX5NfHTWzS0C&dq Mafia Brotherhoods: Organized Crime, Italian Style], New York: Oxford University Press {{ISBN|0-19-515724-9}} ([http://www.organized-crime.de/revpao01mafiandrangheta.htm Review] by Klaus Von Lampe) ([https://web.archive.org/web/20071026131902/https://www.ccja-acjp.ca/en/cjcr/cjcr68.html Review] by Alexandra V. Orlova)
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Imerti, Antonio}}