World

Naples mafia nabbed in Christmas flowers racket

Jingle bells, it's the mafia! Italian police on Monday arrested four suspected mafia members who were forcing shopkeepers to buy Christmas flowers for up to 100 euros each to raise money for jailed mobsters.

17.12.2013

(AFP) Jingle bells, it's the mafia! Italian police on Monday arrested four suspected mafia members who were forcing shopkeepers to buy Christmas flowers for up to 100 euros each to raise money for jailed mobsters.

The red poinsettia plants - a traditional Christmas gift in Italy - usually sell for three or four euros and business owners who did not buy them at the vastly inflated prices faced retribution, the police said.