Fugitive mobster caught after 16 years

Michele Zagaria, on the run since 1995, was found in an underground bunker in Casapesenna, in his home town province of Caserta in southern Italy, headquarters of the Casalesi clan of the Neapolitan Camorra.

Anti-mafia prosecutor Piero Grasso said it was likely Zagaria had spent his years as a fugitive nearby since mob bosses “can only exercise their power if they’re in an environment that protects them”.

He said: “This was the nightmare: We knew he was there, but it was tough to find him, tough to get him out. Finally we did.”

He noted that the Casalesis’ well-known infiltration of local businesses and politics was similar to that of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra.