Leave the Latte, Take the Cappuccino
In the underground world of criminal organizations, having an edge on information can mean the difference between being able to spend ill-gotten gains, or having to spend a decade behind bars. But rather than bribes or other unscrupulous means of persuasion, mafia bosses in Italy just opened up a cafe.
An Offer They Can’t Refuse
Seems a bit strange right? Consider the phrases pillow talk, water cooler talk, bar talk, and cafe talk. People like to talk, especially when doing something mundane! We discuss this in a previous blog post here. Understanding this, mafia leaders in Italy decided to open up a coffee shop directly inside the courthouse where their own were being prosecuted!
He Knows a Guy and a Cafe
Prosecutors, lawyers, and even police officers shared intimate details of mafia-related cases with the staff at the cafe. Most of them being only prompted with casual conversation. There was no need for bribes, threats, blackmail, or violence. Just a happy smile, a cup of warm coffee, and of course, recording devices in every corner. Such a seemingly innocent plan sure brewed up tons of trouble for Italian authorities. Thus, it became clear that years and years of case building against top crime figures in the country may have already been compromised. It’s not clear how much information was collected by the illegal entities, but it was enough to warrant the closure of the cafe shop.
By John Toledo
