Former Italian Mafia man arrested in Valencia

ON December 16, Spanish police at the request of the Italian authorities, arrested a suspected member of the Naples based Camorra mafia group, ironically in a pizza restaurant.

The wanted man, 44-year-old Pasquale Brunese, was arrested for possession of cocaine and heroin in his home town in 2008, but he made his escape and moved his entire family and himself to Valencia where he became a waiter at A Mi Manera restaurant.

In his absence, a court sentenced him to nine years and nine months in jail for drug trafficking, extortion, and being a member of an organized crime group, and it was based on this conviction that he was arrested once identified by Spanish police.

In order to comply with legal requirements he was to appear in court in Spain prior to extradition back to Italy.