Mafia funeral in Palermo forces shops to close as procession passes through centre

The funeral procession

Italian press reports, carried by several Greek outlets, describe the funeral in central Palermo of Emanuele Rubino, a 36-year-old described as a boss convicted in mafia cases. Local media said Cosa Nostra forced traders at the Balarò market, the city's largest popular market, to pull down their shutters in mourning as the hearse passed. About 200 people walked the coffin from the Balarò district to the historic centre along Via Maqueda. Dozens of motorcycles, horns, smoke bombs, fireworks and dangerous scooter manoeuvres escorted the procession. Members of organised crime halted traffic on a central street and led the hearse with firecrackers, sparklers and motorcycles while residents and tourists watched in alarm. One report adds that Rubino died of natural causes.

Convictions behind the funeral

Rubino had been sentenced to 12 years in prison by a court of first instance in Palermo for the 2016 murder of a migrant from Gambia. He was also found guilty of extortion and of imposing the mafia protection levy on foreign traders who run small businesses in central Palermo, a crime that drew a nine-year sentence. According to the reports, members of organised crime coordinated online before the procession took place. The articles present both sentences as first-instance rulings and do not state whether appeals are pending. The two terms are compared in the chart below.

2016 murder of a Gambian migrant12

Extortion and protection levy9

2016 murder of a Gambian migrant

12 years

Extortion and protection levy

9 years

Data from the article text

Reaction in Palermo

Mayor Roberto Lagalla said the city cannot accept conduct in entire neighbourhoods that leaves residents feeling unable to live in safety and freedom. He added that once the municipal police were alerted, they acted immediately and banned the procession from continuing. Reports say the display frightened tourists and angered thousands of residents in Palermo. The sources do not say whether anyone was detained at the scene.

Open questions

The coverage describes the events as forced public participation, a phrase the Italian press used to frame the closures. The articles do not say how many traders closed their shops or which individuals led the funeral. Whether the traders were compelled is described only through those press accounts.