ROME- A court, presided over by Laura Di Girolamo, sentenced seven members of the Spada crime family. The Spada are one of the warring criminal families in the coastal town of Ostia in the greater-Rome area.

 Ostia has long been a hotbed of organised crime, the violence of the rival factions being brutal and public, for instance, the daylight assassination of Francesco Antonini, 45 and Giovanni Galleoni, 42, in 2011.

 Girolamo sentenced Massimiliano Spada to 13 and 8 months, Ottavio Spada to 5 years, Davide Cirillo to 6 years and 4 months, Mirko Miserino to 6 years and 4 months, Maria Dora Spada 7 years and 4 months, and both Massimo Massimiani and Manuel Granato 6 and a half years.

 The group, who had already been in prison since April 2016 after an investigation following the attempted murder of sub-clan leader, Massimo Cardoni, were charged with threats of violence, assault, forceful eviction, and deceit as part of organised crime.

 In Dec.13 2015, aggravated by a suspected testimony that contributed to the arrest of Massimiani Spada for the theft of electricity by Massimo’s grandson, Michael Cardoni, Massimiliano raised a gang of “"20 gypsies led by Massimiliano Spada, all with guns and knives” from 2-5am outside Cardoni’s apartment, according to co-occupant Tamara Ianni. Cardoni subsequently gave testimony on Jan. 11, 2016.

KvH