4 ms·

Berlusconi was said to have had ties to organized crime, going back to his time as a real estate lawyer. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/dec/04/silvio-be

by jll29 3y ago

Berlusconi was said to have had ties to organized crime, going back to his time as a real estate lawyer. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/dec/04/silvio-berlusconi-linked-mafia-court https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/dec/04/silvio-berlusc...

cinntaile 3y ago
Aren't politicians with ties to the mafia quite common in Italy?
- datadeft 3y ago
  Aren't politicians with ties to the mafia quite common?
  - paganel 3y ago
    Like the recent Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon getting arrested a couple of days ago (and released, for the time being).
    - flir 3y ago
      Mafia? Sturgeon? Are you serious?
      - hbbio 3y ago
        Amounts for Sturgeon are indeed so low. For 100s of millions, I'd rather look at us politicians ("Democrats") that trade stock and receive large paychecks from corporations... In exchange of what exactly?
    - mathieuh 3y ago
      Seems like a fairly straightforward misappropriation of party funds at this point, I don't think there's any suggestion she was playing around with taxpayer money
    - pjc50 3y ago
      It is an odd consequence of the free speech and contempt of court laws in both countries that we can see inside the US president's house and look at the pile of illegal documents, while, sitting here in Scotland, the charges against Sturgeon remain extremely vague and it's basically illegal to discuss whether there is any substance to them.
      - NoRelToEmber 3y ago
        > it's basically illegal to discuss whether there is any substance to them. Could you elaborate?
        darkr 3y ago
        UK contempt of court laws prohibit "publications" from influencing any future trial (publications taken to mean any communication addressed to the public - including twitter etc).
    - mandmandam 3y ago
      Of all the examples of 'possibly mafia connected' politicians, you chose Sturgeon?! Literally lol.
      - paganel 3y ago
        [flagged]
        mandmandam 3y ago
        > the politicians are the real mafia Mate. The mafia is a real thing already. Yes, politicians engage in some incredibly corrupt shit. Kids in cages for profit, starting wars based on lies to funnel trillion into banks, selling tens or hundreds of billions in arms to bonesaw-wielding dictator Kings, trading guns for drugs with gangs, etc. Yes, the mafia and other gangs literally own some politicians. And vice versa, for sure. BUT! Sturgeon is just about the most milquetoast possible example you could ever have chosen. EVEN IF the allegations against her are true, which is far from proven afaict.
  - camillomiller 3y ago
    Aren't politician with ties quite common?
  - wlecometo 3y ago
    no they are not, unless by mafia you are generalizing the term "organized chrime"
    - ekianjo 3y ago
      That seems like what a person affiliated with politicians would say :-)
- stefantalpalaru 3y ago
  [dead]
- thefz 3y ago
  No. They are not.
liotier 3y ago
Anywhere in the world, I doubt any real estate business functions with no contact with criminal organizations and local politics - too much money depends on regulations and their executive applications or lack thereof. In early 90's Italy ? Is that even a question ?
- brandall10 3y ago
  Yeah... this was well illustrated in The Wire.
camillomiller 3y ago
As a staunch Italian hater of anything Berlusconi, we still have to agree that he was never found guilty of those charges, though--it doesn't mean he was involved, but the judiciary system in Italy had also its own agenda and an obsession with indicting Berlusconi that, tbh, backfired against the court system in a big way.
- peoplefromibiza 3y ago
  that's not what happened. most of them ended because the limitation period expired, thanks to his lawyers being elected in Parliament to fix his trials.
serallak 3y ago
Uh, he was never a lawyer ... At the start he was a real estate developer. His TV empire did start as small local TV channel for Milano 2, a residential neighbourhood he built in the "70.

by jll29 3y ago

cinntaile 3y ago

Aren't politicians with ties to the mafia quite common in Italy?

datadeft 3y ago
Aren't politicians with ties to the mafia quite common?
- paganel 3y ago
  Like the recent Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon getting arrested a couple of days ago (and released, for the time being).
  - flir 3y ago
    Mafia? Sturgeon? Are you serious?
    - hbbio 3y ago
      Amounts for Sturgeon are indeed so low. For 100s of millions, I'd rather look at us politicians ("Democrats") that trade stock and receive large paychecks from corporations... In exchange of what exactly?
  - mathieuh 3y ago
    Seems like a fairly straightforward misappropriation of party funds at this point, I don't think there's any suggestion she was playing around with taxpayer money
  - pjc50 3y ago
    It is an odd consequence of the free speech and contempt of court laws in both countries that we can see inside the US president's house and look at the pile of illegal documents, while, sitting here in Scotland, the charges against Sturgeon remain extremely vague and it's basically illegal to discuss whether there is any substance to them.
    - NoRelToEmber 3y ago
      > it's basically illegal to discuss whether there is any substance to them. Could you elaborate?
      - darkr 3y ago
        UK contempt of court laws prohibit "publications" from influencing any future trial (publications taken to mean any communication addressed to the public - including twitter etc).
  - mandmandam 3y ago
    Of all the examples of 'possibly mafia connected' politicians, you chose Sturgeon?! Literally lol.
    - paganel 3y ago
      [flagged]
      - mandmandam 3y ago
        > the politicians are the real mafia Mate. The mafia is a real thing already. Yes, politicians engage in some incredibly corrupt shit. Kids in cages for profit, starting wars based on lies to funnel trillion into banks, selling tens or hundreds of billions in arms to bonesaw-wielding dictator Kings, trading guns for drugs with gangs, etc. Yes, the mafia and other gangs literally own some politicians. And vice versa, for sure. BUT! Sturgeon is just about the most milquetoast possible example you could ever have chosen. EVEN IF the allegations against her are true, which is far from proven afaict.
- camillomiller 3y ago
  Aren't politician with ties quite common?
- wlecometo 3y ago
  no they are not, unless by mafia you are generalizing the term "organized chrime"
  - ekianjo 3y ago
    That seems like what a person affiliated with politicians would say :-)
stefantalpalaru 3y ago
[dead]
thefz 3y ago
No. They are not.

liotier 3y ago

Anywhere in the world, I doubt any real estate business functions with no contact with criminal organizations and local politics - too much money depends on regulations and their executive applications or lack thereof. In early 90's Italy ? Is that even a question ?

brandall10 3y ago
Yeah... this was well illustrated in The Wire.

camillomiller 3y ago

As a staunch Italian hater of anything Berlusconi, we still have to agree that he was never found guilty of those charges, though--it doesn't mean he was involved, but the judiciary system in Italy had also its own agenda and an obsession with indicting Berlusconi that, tbh, backfired against the court system in a big way.

peoplefromibiza 3y ago
that's not what happened. most of them ended because the limitation period expired, thanks to his lawyers being elected in Parliament to fix his trials.

serallak 3y ago

Uh, he was never a lawyer ... At the start he was a real estate developer. His TV empire did start as small local TV channel for Milano 2, a residential neighbourhood he built in the "70.