Lo Presti 'ndrina

The Lo Presti 'ndrina is a clan of the 'Ndrangheta, the mafia-type criminal organization originating in Calabria, Italy. Although the family is originally associated with Marina di Gioiosa Ionica in Calabria, its principal criminal base described in reference material was Bardonecchia, an Alpine town in the Susa Valley of Piedmont in northern Italy. The clan is closely connected historically to the Mazzaferro 'ndrina, another important Calabrian criminal family with a presence in northern Italy. The Lo Presti family's significance in Bardonecchia is particularly associated with alleged influence over local public administration and commercial activity. In 1995, the President of the Italian Republic dissolved the Bardonecchia municipal council following allegations of mafia infiltration. The dissolution gave Bardonecchia the distinction, according to the cited account, of being the first and only municipality in northern Italy to be dissolved on those grounds at that time. The episode made the town a prominent national example of the extension of 'Ndrangheta influence beyond Calabria. Later accounts describe a changing internal and inter-clan alignment. A justice witness reportedly stated that relations between the Lo Presti family and their Mazzaferro cousins had deteriorated, while the Lo Presti group moved closer to the Aquino family, described as a rival of the Mazzaferro clan. Leadership in the later period was attributed to Luciano Ursino and Giuseppe Ursino, nephews of Rocco Lo Presti. The use of the Ursino family name in accounts of the clan reflects the importance of kinship and succession within the group rather than the existence of a conventional commercial enterprise. The Ursino brothers first came to public attention in the supplied material in 1993, when Giuseppe Ursino and 15 other people were arrested in Bardonecchia in connection with alleged arms and drug trafficking. In 2004, the Ursinos were accused of approaching a politician in an effort to obtain European Union funding and of establishing a large usury operation. One alleged victim was a political figure who reported the organization. Rocco Lo Presti and his Ursino nephews were arrested in November 2006 in connection with investigations into the group's activities. In February 2018, Giuseppe Ursino and Ercole Taverniti were arrested on allegations including extortion and mafia association. Authorities also seized commercial activities, including bars and restaurants, reportedly connected to the investigation. These actions illustrate the pattern described in available sources: alleged criminal influence expressed through relationships with public officials, financial exploitation, control or penetration of businesses, and violent or coercive offenses. The Lo Presti 'ndrina should not be treated as a consumer brand or ordinary corporate entity. The supplied subject is a criminal clan identified in a Wikipedia article and related reporting. No reliable information in the provided material establishes a formal founding date, corporate structure, legal ownership, website, public listing, or legitimate product portfolio.

The Lo Presti 'ndrina is identified in the available reference material as a local clan of the 'Ndrangheta rather than a commercial brand. Its family origins are associated with Marina di Gioiosa Ionica in Calabria, while its principal base developed in Bardonecchia, Piedmont. This reflects a broader pattern in which Calabrian criminal families established networks in northern Italian regions and became involved in local economic and political life. The clan's history in Bardonecchia became especially visible in the mid-1990s. Alleged infiltration of the municipal administration led to the dissolution of the town council in 1995 by the President of the Italian Republic. The event was historically significant because Bardonecchia was described as the first and only municipality in northern Italy dissolved at that time for alleged mafia infiltration. The case placed the Alpine town at the center of public discussion about the expansion of 'Ndrangheta influence outside Calabria. The Lo Presti family was closely related to the Mazzaferro 'ndrina. Later testimony indicated that this relationship became strained, and that the Lo Presti group moved toward an alliance with the Aquino family, characterized in the source material as an opponent of the Mazzaferro clan. These reported changes show the importance of kinship, alliances, and competition among 'Ndrangheta groups. A later leadership phase was associated with Rocco Lo Presti's nephews, Luciano Ursino and Giuseppe Ursino. In 1993, Giuseppe Ursino and 15 other people were arrested in Bardonecchia over alleged arms and drug trafficking. In 2004, the Ursinos were accused of seeking access to European Union funding through a political contact and of creating a substantial usury network. A political figure was reportedly among those subjected to usury and later denounced the organization. Rocco Lo Presti and his Ursino nephews were arrested in November 2006 during investigations connected with the alleged criminal network. Press reports cited in the source material continued to examine the clan's alleged organization and political objectives during the 2000s. In February 2018, Giuseppe Ursino and Ercole Taverniti were arrested on allegations of extortion and mafia association. Investigators also seized commercial activities, including bars and restaurants. The available material therefore links the clan to alleged trafficking, usury, extortion, political influence, and the infiltration or control of businesses. The record does not provide evidence of a lawful corporate identity, consumer products, formal brand management, public-market status, or an official website. Any description of the Lo Presti 'ndrina as a brand is therefore only a data-model classification inherited from the requested encyclopedia format; substantively, the subject is a criminal organization.

• 2018

  Arrests and business seizures

  [1]Lo Presti 'ndrinaen.wikipedia.org

  Giuseppe Ursino and Ercole Taverniti were arrested over alleged extortion and mafia association, while commercial activities were seized.

• 2006

  Arrest of Rocco Lo Presti and Ursino relatives

  [1]Lo Presti 'ndrinaen.wikipedia.org

  Rocco Lo Presti and his Ursino nephews were arrested during investigations into alleged criminal activity.

• 2004

  Alleged political and usury operation

  [1]Lo Presti 'ndrinaen.wikipedia.org

  The Ursinos were reported to have sought European Union funding through a political contact and to have operated a major usury ring.

• 1995

  Bardonecchia council dissolved

  [1]Lo Presti 'ndrinaen.wikipedia.org

  The municipal council of Bardonecchia was dissolved following allegations of mafia infiltration linked to the Lo Presti family.

• 1993

  Arrest of Giuseppe Ursino and associates

  [1]Lo Presti 'ndrinaen.wikipedia.org

  Giuseppe Ursino and 15 other people were arrested in Bardonecchia in connection with alleged arms and drug trafficking.

Not applicable as a conventional brand. In the available reference material, the Lo Presti 'ndrina is described as a criminal clan whose alleged influence involved illicit finance, extortion, trafficking, political access, and control or infiltration of commercial activities.

• 2018

  Extortion and mafia-association investigation

  Giuseppe Ursino and Ercole Taverniti were arrested on allegations of extortion and mafia association, accompanied by seizures of bars, restaurants, and other commercial activities.

  Source

• 2004

  Alleged usury and attempted access to European funding

  The Ursino group was accused of operating a usury ring and approaching a politician in an effort to obtain European Union funds.

  Source

• 1995

  Alleged infiltration of Bardonecchia municipal administration

  Alleged influence by the Lo Presti family and associated 'Ndrangheta interests contributed to the dissolution of Bardonecchia's municipal council by the Italian state.

  Source

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• 2018

  Seizure of commercial activitiesOther

  Background

  Authorities investigated alleged extortion and mafia association involving Giuseppe Ursino and Ercole Taverniti.

  Action taken

  Investigators arrested the two men and seized commercial activities including bars and restaurants.

  Aftermath

  The action disrupted businesses allegedly connected with the investigated network.

  Source

• 1995

  State dissolution of Bardonecchia municipal councilOther

  Background

  Italian authorities acted after allegations that the municipal administration had been infiltrated by mafia interests associated with the Lo Presti family.

  Action taken

  The President of the Italian Republic dissolved the municipal council.

  Aftermath

  Bardonecchia became a prominent northern Italian example of alleged 'Ndrangheta penetration of local government.

  Source

1. 1Lo Presti 'ndrinaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Attacco finale al clan Lo Prestilastampa.it