Matteo Messina Denaro -- Passion For Crime and Art

Matteo Messina Denaro and the criminal passion for art
Oh yes, here we are back to discuss Matteo Messina Denaro, the current boss of bosses of the Sicilian mafia, a bit more in depth. Notably, we are going to talk about his passion for art – yes, high end art!
It may be strange to think of art as an object of desire for crime, but that's exactly how it is. In fact, the illegal trade and smuggling of great pieces of artwork is among the most profitable markets linked to the mafia, second only to drug trafficking and international fraud. This is because ancient and modern works by famous artists are worth millions of euros, they are highly sought after by wealthy patrons and represent the prestige of those who own them. Moreover, they can be used as a bargaining chip to blackmail and put the State in difficulty, and are a great way to launder dirty money.
Numerous bosses have approached art for the great potential it held in the acquisition of power inside and outside of criminal groups, but Matteo Messina Denaro was a true enthusiast. His was a family hobby, inherited from his father, which led him to be involved in famous thefts of the Italian cultural heritage.
Francesco Messina Denaro, also known as Don Ciccio, was a Mafioso linked to Cosa Nostra and the head of the Castelvetrano gang during the 1980s. Father of Matteo Messina Denaro, he was a great lover of art and had transported this love of his into the world of illegality, starting up a fruitful activity of illegal trade in works of art and archaeological finds. In particular, he had become interested in the illegal excavations in Selinunte, an important archaeological site in Sicily, and these operations were run by thieves at his command. His son Matteo would later inherit both the activity and the passion of his father and would carry it on with commitment, earning enough to bring wealth to the family and finance his life in hiding. As you all know from watching our other video, Matteo loves a luxurious life, cars, women and clearly art. Anything great that money can buy!
The clandestine market related to cultural heritage has always been very difficult to follow and infiltrate for the police because generally the bosses and their subordinates are not personally interested in it. In fact, they rely on experts in the field such as art dealers and university professors willing to be bribed and able to recognize the value of a work and make it sell well abroad. This dense network and the illegal activities hidden and difficult to detect have benefited Matteo and many other bosses interested in these trades over the years.
In fact, the fugitive wrote in a letter: "With the traffic of works of art we can support our family. He was always ready to innovate, as law enforcement challenged the more traditional activities of the sicilian mafia.
The risks involved in trading in illegal art are minimal and the profit very high. Suffice it to say that the international traffic in works of art is worth about twenty billion euros. Moreover, it is an easy way to recycle dirty money and to carry out exchanges of all kinds, and these are the fundamental points that allow the mafia bosses to solidify their power.

Видео Matteo Messina Denaro -- Passion For Crime and Art канала Deeper Globalism