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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009
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7

Cops Seize Mafia Don's 'Croc Weapon'

Mobster accused of threatening to feed extortion victims to 6-foot beast

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(Newser) – Italian police have confiscated a crocodile they suspect was used by a Mafia boss to persuade people to cough up protection money. The gangster invited extortion victims to his home and threatened to set the crocodile on them if they didn't pay up, investigators say. He has has been charged with illegal animal possession. The croc has been sent to an animal rehabilitation center in Rome.

Police aren't sure how the crocodile, from a species native to South America, got to Italy.
Police aren't sure how the crocodile, from a species native to South America, got to Italy.   (Shutter Stock)
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jagerhans
Sep 24, 09 4:41 AM CDT
for the ones who wonder where precisely this happen it's the city of Caserta, not far from Naples, where I lived for years. Traditionally it's a Camorra (Neapolitan mafia) haven. Usually the protection racket (the protection is called «pizzo») does not resort to reptiles to 'persuade' - they rather stick to a romantic nighttime AK-47 Solo in B flat against the roller shutters of the insolvent shops. It is commonplace to hear some faraway monotonous «thump-thump-thump» serenade while you're in bed at night. Magic of Italy. Reply
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UrUndertaker
Sep 24, 09 7:02 AM CDT
"The croc has been sent to an animal rehabilitation center in Rome."....Is this like where they teach the Crock a trade perhaps so he can reenter society as a tax paying citizen perhaps? j/k What I do know is if some 50 something year old dude was invited to a home, shown the crock and told to pay up or be crock food, I would be handing my wallet to the guys and asking if they also took a check........
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schmidtkoff
Sep 24, 09 7:43 AM CDT
they're going rehab the croc to go after the mafia. Reply
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NewsDoc
Sep 24, 09 8:56 AM CDT
they are thugs. they are the real animals. they are not human. they are beasts. Reply
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BeatBlaster
Sep 24, 09 9:07 AM CDT
How exactly do you rehab a croc? Am I to believe that the boss actually domesticated this animal? Reply
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