Mob Chieftain Evades Jail through Bedsheet Ligation.
A notorious Italian mafia leader, Marco Raduano, age 39, the head of the Sacra Corona Unita criminal organization, has pulled off an old-school prison break by tying bed sheets together and sliding down an exterior wall.
Currently, authorities are on a chase for Raduano, who was serving a 19-year sentence for drug trafficking and was in the midst of a murder trial. Since Raduano wasn't keen on waiting until 2046 for a potential release, he decided to execute this tried-and-true escape method.
After making his escape using this outdated but efficient prison-breaking tactic, Raduano took a tumble from a certain height onto the prison yard grass. He then made his exit through a courtyard door that he somehow managed to get a key for – and bolted.
Affinity for Brutality
The Sacra Corona Unita mafia, based in Puglia, Italy's heel, is lesser-known compared to its counterparts such as the Cosa Nostra and the 'Ndrangheta, but it stands out due to its penchant for violence.
The group is infamous for smashing victims' skulls with shotgun blasts to prevent traditional open-casket funerals. Raduano had a peculiar way of safeguarding his arsenal of firearms – he kept a boa constrictor to protect them. The organization's sources of income include drug trafficking, prostitution, arms trafficking, extortion, gambling, and other criminal activities.
In 2018, Italian law enforcement dismantled a €4.5 billion illegal online gambling operation that involved collaboration between the Sacra Corona Unita, the Cosa Nostra, and the 'Ndrangheta.
Prosecutors claimed that Raduano's gang played a significant role in bringing the typically rival Sicilian and Calabrian groups together and utilized its expertise to construct the operation.
In addition to its operations in Italy, the Sacra Corona Unita is known to run a sizable gambling empire in Albania, which is approximately five hours away by ferry from Puglia across the Adriatic.
Staffing Issues
Meanwhile, an investigation is underway to determine how Raduano managed to slip away undetected. In fact, his disappearance wasn't noticed for two hours, despite being captured on security footage.
Prison officials at the Badu 'e Carros facility claim that Raduano staged his breakout during a shift change when only one guard was on duty due to staff shortages.
During his imprisonment, Raduano maintained a well-behaved demeanor and was even granted a prestigious job in the library on an upper floor. Investigators suspect that this provided him the opportunity to study the guards' routines while patrolling the wall.
As Giovanni Conteddu of the prison's union chapter told Sky News, "The prison is full of flaws, and Raduano's escape was just a matter of time."
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