An Italian court on Saturday sentenced 70 members of the powerful mafia group, the ‘ndrangheta, during the first stage of a massive trial tackling organized crime.
Judge Claudio Paris convicted the first batch of 91 defendants at expedited trials behind closed doors in a specially-designed courtroom in the Calabrian city of Lamezia Terme.
A total of 355 suspects, including accused ‘ndrangheta Mafia leaders, will be judged during cases that could last two years or longer, court officials said.
