MAFIA MURDER ALLEGED

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28258, 22 April 1957, Page 15

MAFIA MURDER ALLEGED

Fruit Market “War” In Italy (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) ROME, April 20. An investigating magistrate found today that a man whose body was dumped in a field near Como, in north Italy, two years ago, was the victim of a vendetta in the fruit and vegetable market of Palermo, Sicily, more than 1000 miles away. The body of the man, Salvatore Licandro, was found in June, 1955. with head injuries. An autopsy suggested that he had been thrown out of a car travelling at speed. According to the Magistrate’s report today, Licandro was involved in a war between two rival gangs of the Mafia secret society seeking to gain control over the wealthy Palermo fruit market. By last August the “fruit war” had claimed 11 victims. Now, the Magistrate said, the struggle had spread to Milan’s fruit market, where merchants were in' close contact with those operating in Palermo. Licandro, who was suspected by police of being involved in one of the fruit market murders, fled to Milan, where he tried to continue trading. But the revenge-crazed Mafia sought him out even at the other end of Italy, the magistrate said.