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Mafioso's holiday ruined by Facebook blunder

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Mafioso's holiday ruined by Facebook blunder
Michele di Nardo was arrested in the coastal town of Palinuro. Photos: Ksayer1/Flickr (L) and BreilD/Wikimedia Commons (R)

Mafia bosses are notorious for being able to evade capture with their extensive underground networks. But one didn't bank on his excited girlfriend posting a Facebook post telling the police where they could find the wanted criminal.

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Michele di Nardo, 34, was arrested in the coastal town of Palinuro in the Campania region at the weekend after his girlfriend jubilantly announced their holiday on Facebook.

“Finally on holiday, woe betide anyone who spoils it,” she wrote on the social network.

Di Nardo escaped a mafia blitz last June, which led to the arrest of 47 people. He is thought to be a boss of the Mallardo clan, which is linked to the Camarra network, Il Messaggero reported. Di Nardo kept a low profile after his counterparts were rounded up.

But like many Italians, the alleged mafioso wanted to spend August at the seaside.

He rented a house on the coast under a false name and headed to a tourist bar to relax, Il Messagero said. But perhaps unbeknown to Di Nardo, his 26-year-old girlfriend was so excited about their holiday she announced the trip on the social network.

Investigators were quick to pick up on the post and arrest the pair, with Di Nardo’s girlfriend charged with aiding and abetting a criminal, Corriere della Sera reported.

At the time of the arrest, Di Nardo had around €2,000 in cash, false identity documents and a pair of tickets to a nightclub in his pockets.

His capture was hailed as a great success by Senator Giuseppe Esposito, who is also vice-president of parliament’s committee for state security. 

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