Glitter

[bhaexpress]

Fair comment.

However, it all went pearshaped after the war, when the American forces occupying Sicily looked to establish "democratic" government and turned to the local leaders who had been locked up by Mussolini for "opposing the fascist regime".

It took thirty years for the post-war Italian state to rid Sicilian government of mafia influence.




I'm sure that, these days, the Americans are MUCH better at establishing democratic structures in countries that they occupy.

Yes, in time honoured tradition the Americans did team up with the bad guys to suit their agenda. It's no secret that they contacted the New York Mafia and in particular one Charlie 'Lucky' Luciano (was serving a long jail sentence at the time) to make introductions for them.

Luciano was moved from a maximun security prison to a low security one nearer New York which helped him continue his 'Cosa Nostra' activities. Rumour had it that one of his Lieutenants, Albert Anisitasia was ultimatley responsible for the sinking of the French Liner (and converted troop carrier) Normandy in New York harbour. The US also used the Cosa Nostra to weed out spies.

There's thirty seconds of your life you'll never get back.

 

[bhaexpress]

I'm not certain that Scilian or indeed the entire Italian government is rid/has ever been/ever will be rid of mafia influence?

It hasn't but neither has America and it now has to contend with the even bigger menace of the so called Russian Mafia who are even more ruthless.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

It hasn't but neither has America and it now has to contend with the even bigger menace of the so called Russian Mafia who are even more ruthless.

I though the biggest menace was George Dubya.

 

[enigma]

It hasn't but neither has America and it now has to contend with the even bigger menace of the so called Russian Mafia who are even more ruthless.

True. The Sicilians etc were more organised than the Russians but definitely not as vicious.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I'm not certain that Scilian or indeed the entire Italian government is rid/has ever been/ever will be rid of mafia influence?

Things got better in the seventies, partly as a result of the success of the centre-left tendencies of the government in Rome. [Sorry, looney.]

More recently, Berlusconi undoubtedly has reversed that progress. But his corruption serves his own mob, not the Sicilian families.

 

[magoo]

Am i missing something here? Why the f*** would any parent drop the charges for any amount of money??

Do parents value their kids differently there? Is the money more important than getting a convicted paedophile the justice he and his victims deserve?

 

[looney]

Some systems of justice have a built in mechanism that "encourages" victims and their families to express themselves "happy" that state intervention would be inappropriate.

Western Sicily was a good example, until the ivory tower socialists came along with their politically correct nonsense and put the mafia out of business.

Those systems are a small minority and USA set up the mafia to fight the nazi's not introduce democracy.

 

[A Melbourne Albion Supporter]

Given 3 years jail after he avoided the firing squad by paying each victim 1000 quid.

 

[bailey]

Those systems are a small minority and USA set up the mafia to fight the nazi's not introduce democracy.

Eh? The mafia existed long before the Nazis. (Or did I mis-understand you?)

 

[bhaexpress]

Eh? The mafia existed long before the Nazis. (Or did I mis-understand you?)

Don't worry, Looney is misunderstood.

For the record, the Mafia was formed originally in Sicily to combat the corruption of landowners there. It grew in the US towards the end of the ninetenth century as gangs of immigrants formed into their own ethnic and national groups.

It was never formed by the US Government, (no idea where Looney got that idea from but there again, some people to use fiction as fact to meet their own aendas). During World War two, the US Government enlisted the existing US Mafia (Or Cosa Nostra as they preferred to be called) to use their contacts in Italy to fight the Germans and provide intelligence. They also use their influence in US Docks to help weed out spies.

 

[London Calling]

Am i missing something here? Why the f*** would any parent drop the charges for any amount of money??

Do parents value their kids differently there? Is the money more important than getting a convicted paedophile the justice he and his victims deserve?

Yes they do, thats why women and children get given or sold into the sex trade, parents will love the fact that a foreigner wants to be a partner to their child. A large proportion of asian people live in extreme poverty and life, especially young life, still has a lower value and westerners are excessively rich!

And lets hope Glitter rots away.

 

[Brixtaan]

He looked particularly repulsive today.He kept smiling like a gook

 

[Bwian]

He looked particularly repulsive today.He kept smiling like a gook

I want to know why we've still got his smiley on here?

 

[Brixtaan]

 

[¡Cereal Killer!]

"I haven't done anything - I am innocent. It is a conspiracy by you know who."

 

[Gritt23]

Gary Glitter should be allowed to leave Vietnam on the proviso that his genitalia remains as recompense to the families involved.The removal of his genitals should be done with a rusty meat cleaver.

That seems like a good idea to me.


If that rule was brought in over here, the Hearts team would have to listen to team talks an octave or two higher.

 

[Yoda]

"I haven't done anything - I am innocent. It is a conspiracy by you know who."

No I don't know who.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

I want to know why we've still got his smiley on here?

 

[Brixtaan]

No I don't know who.

The Sun

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

He looked particularly repulsive today.He kept smiling like a gook

Didn't the Americans use the word gook during the Vietnam war as derogatory slang for Vietnamese ?