Milanese police arrested dozens of immigrant youths Wednesday as part of a clampdown on the American-style Latin street gangs that are forming in some
Italian cities.
The police said a series of dawn raids targeted members of two Milanese gangs - the Latin Kings and the 'Commando' - most aged between 17 and 22. The Police said the groups have been involved in a ferocious "war of marginalization" in recent months. The gangs are allegedly responsible for a range of crimes, including extortion, robbery and stabbing assaults.
The arrests come after a two-year investigation.
Officers said the probe revealed one particularly disturbing case, in which a pregnant woman linked to one of the gangs was beaten so badly by a rival group that she lost her baby. "They are (always) ready to challenge each other in fights and crude duels," a police statement said. "They clash to show supremacy or apparent control of an area, often a metro station or parts of the outskirts of the city".
The police said that a number of similar gangs have formed in Milan in recent months - names include Chicago, Forever, New York and the Soldatos Latinos - as well as in other northern Italian cities, such as Genoa and Turin. They all take their lead from groups like the Gangster Disciples, the Latin Kings and the Vice Lords, which were born decades ago in Chicago's most violent neighbourhoods and have spread to other US cities.
Members show their affiliation to a gang with bold tattoos, which are often clearly visible on their bare upper bodies, and by wearing large gold medallions and distinctive coloured clothing. They use graffiti to mark their territory. According to Italian media reports, several immigrant youths have confessed to committing crimes and acts of violence in tests to win gang membership.
Genoa police recently carried out a similar blitz on Latin groups.
