Wanted mafia hitman arrested after hiding in plain sight as a pizza chef (PHOTOS)

Feb 4 2023, 8:30 pm

Locals knew him as Paolo Dimitrio, the pizza restaurant owner who brought the flavours of Italy to the small French city of Saint-Étienne. INTERPOL, however, knew him as Edgardo Greco, a convicted mafia hitman who police say is responsible for the murder of two brothers.

According to ITERPOL, Greco, 63, is believed to have ties with the ‘Ndrangheta, a powerful Italian crime group.

Edgardo Greco/INTERPOL

“A dangerous fugitive, he is wanted to serve a life sentence for the murders of Stefano and Giuseppe Bartolomeo, and accused of the attempted murder of Emiliano Mosciaro, all part of a ‘mafia war’ between the Pino Sena and Perna Pranno gangs that marked the early 1990s,” states a release.

The Guardian reports that, after being lured to a fish warehouse in January 1991, the Bartolomeo brothers were allegedly beaten to death with iron bars. Police believe the killings were ordered because the brothers were expanding their business, which interfered with other crime groups. Their bodies were never recovered and police believe they were likely dissolved in acid.

Greco’s arrest comes 16 years after he escaped temporary police custody in Italy in 2007.

He managed to evade police by hiding in plain sight.

In June 2021, Greco opened Caffé Rossini Ristorante, a pizza restaurant in Saint-Etienne. The restaurant was even featured in the regional newspaper, Le Porgrès.

“Paolo Dimitrio opens the Italian restaurant of his dreams,” reads the headline of the article, which states that the restaurant offered fresh and homemade pasta, bread, and desserts.

Edgardo Greco (known as Paolo Dimitrio) at Caffè Rossini Ristorante/Facebook

“I only want to offer regional and homemade recipes,” said Greco in the July 2021 interview.

According to Agence France-Presse, he also worked in other Italian restaurants in the city.

Caffè Rossini Ristorante/Google Maps

Greco was arrested a week after Italian police said they dismantled a ‘Ndrangheta ring in southern Calabria. According to CBS News, the operation took place in the early hours and involved 300 police officers. Fifty six people are being investigated and police have seized assets worth over €250,000,000 (CAD$361,800,000).

Matteo Piantedosi, Italy’s Minister of Interior, said that Greco’s arrest demonstrated the country’s commitment to fighting organized crime and locating dangerous fugitives.

Irish Mae SilvestreIrish Mae Silvestre

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