"The mafia wanted to take over Foggia": investigations into Lombardi, Delli Carri, and two other men closed

A gunshot to the captain's car, a bomb planted near the vice president's car, three nighttime arsons targeting club officials. And behind all this, according to the prosecution, was a strategy of tension to force Nicola Canonico , owner of Foggia Calcio 1920 , to resign from the club. The investigation is now concluded, and the trial process is underway for Marco Lombardi , 49, Massimiliano Russo , 50, Fabio Delli Carri, 48, and Danilo Mustaccioli , 48, all from Foggia, all arrested last May 19.

The notice of conclusion of the investigation was signed by prosecutors Bruna Manganelli of the Bari District Anti-Mafia Directorate and Enrico Infante of the Foggia Public Prosecutor's Office. The four are accused of attempted extortion, aggravated by mafia methods, aimed at obtaining the sale of AC Milan. The charges also include illegal possession and carrying of weapons and explosives, damage, and numerous acts of intimidation. Lombardi is alleged to have waged a months-long media campaign against Canonico, posting numerous videos on social media.

An intimidation campaign to bend Canonico

According to the prosecution's reconstruction, the goal was "to force Canonico to resign and sell the club" by exploiting a climate of terror, characterized by attacks and threats attributable, at least in part, to the Sinesi-Francavilla mafia network. The main instigator was Marco Lombardi , believed to be close to top members of the clan, a sort of chauffeur to the bosses , driven by personal resentment after being denied a job at the club as a warehouseman and the firing of his partner. Also well-known to investigators was Delli Carri, who had already appeared in other crime stories in the past, and who was close to far-right circles in Foggia.

Lombardi allegedly orchestrated a two-pronged pressure: violence on the one hand, and public communication on the other, with highly aggressive social media posts and videos targeting Canonico's management. But the most striking incidents are the material acts of intimidation: on June 18, 2023, the shooting of footballer Davide Di Pasquale 's car, parked at the Zaccheria while the team was in Lecco for the Serie B play-off. On January 9, 2024, the attack with a kilo of explosives in Modugno, next to the car of his son Emanuele Canonico , vice president of Foggia and manager of the family club. Then, between March 14 and 16, 2024, the cars of ultras leader Antonello D'Ascanio , general secretary Giuseppe Severo , and general manager Vincenzo Milillo were set on fire.

The goal: to gain power, favors, and control

The motive hypothesized by prosecutors is twofold: a personal work assignment for Lombardi, but also a position of power that allowed him to obtain favors in the management of sponsorships and stadium accreditations, exploiting—according to the prosecution—ties to organized crime. The mafia agenda, investigators reiterate, lies precisely in the attempt to gain power within the sports club for the clan's benefit.

The investigation file, in addition to Canonico's reports, includes wiretaps, testimonies, and statements from informants. Some collaborators with justice, while not directly referring to the blackmail, have reportedly confirmed Lombardi's connection to the Sinesi-Francavilla gang, led by Roberto Sinesi , known as "The Uncle," and his son-in-law, Antonello Francavilla . Two other collaborators with justice include Ciro and Giuseppe Francavilla, now former top members of the criminal group, known as "Capelloni," and Antonello's cousins.

The defense denies all charges: "No mafia involvement, just personal tensions."

All the suspects maintain their innocence. Their lawyers maintain that there is no serious evidence and that the aggravating circumstance of mafia involvement does not apply . For Lombardi, in particular, the case is at most "attempted private violence related to a personal matter," without any broader criminal intent.

In June, the Court of Appeal, referring to the gunshot to the captain's car, partially upheld the appeal by Delli Carri and Mustaccioli's defense attorneys, annulling the precautionary measure for that incident. Now, the matter is up to the prosecutor's office to decide whether to commit the case to trial.

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