The Evening Standard on 5th December published an article saying that in 2009, Italian and British authorities closed a £100 million betting firm operating out of west London. Paradisebet – by the time of the arrests, nothing more than an empty shell stuffed with debts – was accused by prosecutors of hiding the ill-gotten gains of the Martiradonnas, a family linked to the Sacra Corona Unita crime syndicate from the city of Bari. However, what was not reported was that the Martiradonnas were later acquitted in the Italian courts and their gambling empire simply moved to Malta. Now Vito Martiradonna, 70, and his 3 sons, Michele, 49, Francesco, 45, and Mariano, 37, have been arrested in Italy on charges of money laundering, fraudulent gambling activities and of “aiding a mafia-type association”. It appears the operation effectively reappeared as a Maltese company, Centurionbet – and on paper, the Martiradonnas had no affiliation with the new owner, and have previously denied being involved.
