Italian mafia boss Vincenzo La Porta was captured because of his passion for soccer. If you are curious about the surprising arrest of the mob leader, here's what police authorities shared.
Italian Mafia Boss La Porta's Passion for Soccer Leads to His Arrest
Napoli fans react after Napoli opened the scoring during the Italian Serie A football match between Napoli and Sampdoria on June 4, 2023, at the Diego-Maradona stadium in Naples.
According to Fox News' latest report, La Porta has been on the run for around 11 years. He's linked to the Camorra; a dangerous organized crime group. Before he was arrested, Sky News reported that La Porta was among the 100 most dangerous fugitives in Italy.
However, his arrest showed that despite La Porta's crimes, he is still like other people who can fall in love with sports.
Police authorities said that La Porta was arrested after he was located because of a picture.
A photo was captured showing the mafia boss celebrating the win of the Napoli soccer team in the Series A professional soccer championship.
The image showed him celebrating on Corfu Island in Greece. In the photo, you can see him carrying a banner while wearing a blue cap.
He was seen at a restaurant where he allegedly had been working as a chef. La Porta's lawyer explained that the mafia leader started a new family in Greece and doesn't want to be extradited.
After the police confirmed his identity, authorities quickly went to the Greek island to arrest the 60-year-old mafia boss.
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His Passion for Soccer Betrayed Him
SSC Napoli players celebrate with the Serie A trophy following the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and UC Sampdoria at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on June 04, 2023, in Naples, Italy.
Police said that La Porta's passion for soccer betrayed him, leading to his arrest.
"Betraying him was his passion for soccer and for the Napoli team. With the championship victory, La Porta couldn't resist celebrating," said the police.
As of writing, Italian officials are requesting for La Porta to be transported back to Italy so he can serve a 14-year prison sentence.
However, Athanassios Giannakouris, La Porta's lawyer, said that the man doesn't want to be extradited.
"He has started a new family in Greece ... he has a nine-year-old boy and is working as a cook to get by. He suffers from heart ailments," said the lawyer.
He added that La Porta's family will be ruined if he is transported back to Italy. If you want to learn more about the arrest of this Italian mafia leader, you can click this link.
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