On the eve of the Winter Olympic Games, Italy is grappling with a troubling revelation: an attempted mafia infiltration in Cortina d’Ampezzo, one of the event’s key venues. A recent police operation has exposed connections between organised crime, violence, and the pursuit of lucrative public contracts.
According to the Venice prosecutor’s office, two brothers from Rome — allegedly linked to Lazio’s notorious ultra group, the Irriducibili — were arrested for attempting to illegally secure contracts tied to Olympic construction projects. Investigators claim the pair had established a “mafia-style” system of control over drug trafficking and nightlife in Cortina, extending their criminal reach into the multimillion-euro Olympic infrastructure business.
As reported by Al Jazeera, the suspects boasted of their ties to Fabrizio Piscitelli, the slain former leader of the Irriducibili who was murdered in a Rome park in 2019. Their reputation within violent football circles allegedly helped them portray themselves as power brokers in the capital’s underworld. Prosecutors say they used intimidation to dominate local venues, issuing threats such as: “We’re mafiosi — don’t mess with us.”
The prosecutor’s office describes how the extortion methods went beyond verbal threats and included several violent episodes. Notably, an event organiser was dragged into a forest, beaten and held at gunpoint, while a man with drug debts was locked in a car boot and threatened with death. In addition, two rival dealers were assaulted for operating without permission. These actions, investigators say, were part of an attempt to consolidate their authority in Cortina.
The group’s pressure even reached the political sphere. According to the prosecutor’s report, in 2023 the mafia brothers tried to extort Cortina’s then councillor, Stefano Ghezze. They sought to force a meeting through an employee to allegedly exchange votes for Olympic contracts, but the councillor refused. As the investigating judge noted, the mafiosi threatened the politician with reprisals. Communications intercepted by investigators revealed the tone of the threats received by the politician. In text messages quoted by Il Dolomiti, one suspect wrote that “This is Cortina, we’re in charge here.”
As a result, one of the brothers is in pre-trial detention and the other under house arrest. Five more people were charged with aggravated extortion, though not detained. Cortina Mayor Gianluca Lorenzi expressed his support for law enforcement and the Venice prosecutor’s office. In statements to Il Dolomiti, he said that “Cortina has reacted, shown unity and proved it has the right defences against this kind of violence (…). When you stand strong together, the system cannot break through.”
Investigations indicate that the mafia’s reach may extend far beyond Cortina. Data from Italy’s Interior Ministry reveal that 169 workers, 57 companies, and 70 construction vehicles linked to organised crime networks have been identified on Olympic-related projects in Trentino as well. The financial allure of these ventures is evident: according to estimates by the CGIA artisans’ union, drawing on Bank of Italy data, Italy’s mafia generates roughly €40 billion annually — a figure underscoring the capacity of criminal organisations to penetrate legitimate sectors such as construction.
The budget for the Milano-Cortina Games has ballooned from an initial €1.36 billion to nearly €6 billion. For authorities, this surge in funding makes Olympic projects an attractive target for infiltration. In response, the Interior Ministry and the Anti-Mafia Investigative Directorate have intensified oversight of public tenders and contracts to prevent recurrences of incidents like the one in Cortina.
Meanwhile, the Venice prosecutor’s office continues to gather evidence to determine whether the arrested brothers maintained links with other criminal groups operating in central or northern Italy. Though the operation is viewed as a preventive success, officials caution that the threat of infiltration remains as long as major construction projects are underway. With just 117 days until the Winter Games open, Italy is racing to ensure that the event proceeds without being overshadowed by the spectre of organised crime.
