A longtime fugitive and white-collar Italian mafioso was arrested Friday in Greece after Italian authorities sighted him in a photograph of fans celebrating soccer club Napoli’s championship victory, according to several reports.
Vincenzo La Porta, 60, was arrested on the Greek island of Corfu while riding a motor scooter in a street near his home, Deutsche Welle (DW) reported. Italy’s Carabinieri said La Porta, on the run for 11 years, was spotted in a photograph of fans of his hometown soccer club, SSC Napoli, celebrating the club’s first Serie A championship win in 33 years on the balcony of a restaurant, per the report. The Carabinieri reportedly then investigated his whereabouts and tracked and apprehended him. (RELATED: Mafia Murderer-Turned-Pizza Chef Arrested After 16 Years As Fugitive)
La passione per il Napoli e la voglia di esultare per lo scudetto lo hanno tradito. Latitante da 11 anni, Vincenzo La Porta è stato immortalato in una foto durante i festeggiamenti per lo scudetto in un ristorante di Corfù #IoSeguoTgr @TgrRaihttps://t.co/7FDP6svcK4
— Tgr Rai Campania (@TgrRaiCampania) August 5, 2023
La Porta, one of Italy‘s 100 most-wanted fugitives, is reportedly a member of the Italian mafia’s Contini clan and allegedly helped to launder money for the Neapolitan Camorra syndicate, per the DW report. Italian authorities reportedly had been tracking his online financial activities for years, hoping he would make a mistake which would give away his location. La Porta reportedly built a new Camorra-financed life for himself in Greece, starting a second family and allegedly running sham business dealings.
“Betraying him was his passion for soccer and for the Napoli team. With the championship victory, La Porta couldn’t resist celebrating,” the police said, according to the Associated Press.
Italy reportedly wants the mafioso extradited to serve a jail sentence of 14 years and four months for criminal association, tax evasion and fraud.