As an italian, i'm a bit amazed that BBC wrote an article about this, and also that someone posted here on HN.
As someone already pointed out, reminds me of the forgotten employee tale, except this guy is probably mafia.
This would explain also why a lot of the other managers involved were happy to forget about him for so long.
Do you think that managers in Calabria actually check if the threat came from an actual 'ndrangheta affiliate or not? I think it's simply a matter of "looking dangerous" and the idea (probably correct) that reporting to the police is much more risky than just doing nothing. Anyone who has little to lose can behave in the same threatening way where there is no repercussion to be feared.
What do you mean? I hope you don’t seriously think that there is a mafia entity that is going around chasing people who casually claim to be part of it. Except for the higher-ups, the mafia is just a loose social network of people who don't mind using intimidation for personal gain. You don't even need (or want) to claim you're part of it, just act as if you're dangerous. The only risk you have (apart from that of the proper authorities) is that of trying to intimidate someone who is even better connected in that social network than you are.
Absolutely, that is the case.
> Except for the higher-ups, the mafia is just a loose social network of people who don't mind using intimidation for personal gain.
You are not right.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%27Ndrangheta - tightly organized, hierarchical organization that controls about 3% of Italy's GDP and ruthlessly enforces its dominion with brutal turf wars.
"The criminal density of Calabria [region where the 'ndrangheta comes from], when comparing the numbers of official affiliates to the population, is of 27%. [...] The percentage is worrisome not only because more than 1/4 of the population is involved, in different ways, in criminal activities; but also because around these groups always gravitate thousands of "white collar workers", many of whom beyond suspicion." [1]
So 27% of the population is involved directly, even more are involved in a supporting/ collateral role. Do you really think that they all know who is who and that they're all enrolled in a precise hierarchical structure? Do you think that in this kind of environment to threaten someone you need a certificate? You might not be part of one of the families (because the 'ndrangheta is mostly families), but you might be good friend of someone who is, you might have done some job for them and know them casually. With those percentages, almost everyone who is local can probably claim to have some connection with someone who you'd not want to anger.
I remember this funny little anecdote by some anti-mafia investigator in Italy (though he was concerned with Camorra, the Neapolitan version of it): "When some prominent local mafiosi arrive in Naples with the ferry boat, before disembarking they remove their golden Rolex watches from their wrists, because they know that otherwise they'll be robbed". This is the climate.
[1] https://www.parlamento.it/parlam/bicam/14/Antimafia/document.... (page 4)
It's almost certainly a not a "imma bust a cap in yo ass" threat and more along the lines of a "people higher than you and me in the org chart tacitly condone this behavior and your career is gonna be a dead end if you narc on me" type of threat.
> la procura della Repubblica di Catanzaro scrive nell’inchiesta che una persona molto distinta si presentò nell’ufficio della dipendente minacciandola in modo velato, e facendole capire che la sua incolumità e quella della sua famiglia erano a rischio
“The public prosecutor in Catanzaro writes in the filing that a well-dressed person walked into [the witness’s] office and made veiled threats, suggesting her health and the one of her relatives were at risk.”
Well-dressed man speaking softly of physical violence - clearly the guy wanted to appear connected to the local ‘ndrangheta ras.
[0] https://it.sputniknews.com/italia/2021042010438566-15-anni-d...
Everyone knows threats of "bad things will happen to your career if you do this" outnumber "bad things will physically happen to you" at least 1000:1.
I challenge you (or anyone) to come up with a reason why my assumption was unreasonable using only the information provided by the BBC article submitted.
In several comments throughout here I have described from experience with accuracy how these kinds of phantom employees exist and the nature of the organizations that provide the conditions for them to exist. I get that portraying government as anything but pure unadulterated competency at every level is not ideologically acceptable to many here but unfortunately that is the reality. Nevertheless, even in highly dysfunctional corners physical threats of violence are not the norm.
Do you seriously think that this flew under the radar for 15yr because he made threats? No, it was because the organization was dysfunctional in many ways and his behavior was not far enough out of line to cause problems back when he did it.
I hope you one day inherit management responsibilities in the kind of organization that has this kind of dysfunction sprinkled throughout it.
it is true however that between arrest and initial prosecution the justice system in italy is very trigger happy (whether people stay in jail is a different story) and it makes a good story for the press. there are examples elsewhere where law enforcement is a lot more magnanimous. not defending this case at all but in general this might partially explain why italy is more on the spotlight than other places.
In the USA, wasted money mostly goes to execs and shareholders rather than workers, but I doubt the scale is less. From today's news...
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/21/us/politics/emergent-john...
> Federal Inspectors Fear More Vaccines Were Exposed to Contamination
> Last month, up to 15 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine had to be discarded at Emergent’s factory in Baltimore. A new report says problems were not fully investigated and other doses may be compromised.
> …Though the government gave Emergent a $163 million contract in 2012 to ready the Baltimore plant for mass production in a pandemic, the site remained largely untested, and the company did not meet a requirement for demonstrating its rapid-response capabilities… Nonetheless, the government went on to award Emergent a $628 million contract last June…
>… In another finding, the F.D.A. regulators wrote that the Bayview building “is not maintained in a clean and sanitary condition.” Nor is it “of suitable size, design and location to facilitate cleaning, maintenance and proper operations,” they said.
> …Throughout 2020, its founder and chairman, Fuad El-Hibri, cashed in shares and options worth over $42 million, and the company’s chief executive, Robert Kramer, was recently awarded a $1.2 million cash bonus.
https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2012/0430/Greek-islan...