The Shadows of San Siro: How Milan’s Ultras Became Kingpins

Tickets, parking spots, food vendors, drug sales - the criminal economies around football in Italy are worth millions. And, increasingly, they are worth killing over.

Names to Remember

• Luca Lucci: Leader of A.C. Milan’s Curva Sud ultras group, arrested for trafficking over two tons of drugs and facing charges of criminal conspiracy, extortion, and mafia association.

• Andrea Beretta: Leader of Inter Milan’s Curva Nord ultras group, jailed for the murder of ’Ndrangheta heir Antonio Bellocco and now cooperating with authorities.

• Antonio Bellocco: Member of the Bellocco clan of the ’Ndrangheta mafia, killed by Beretta during a conflict over profits from ultras’ criminal enterprises.

• Vittorio Boiocchi: Former leader of Curva Nord, murdered in 2022, with his death remaining unsolved amid ties to drug trafficking and mafia rivalries.

The ongoing investigation into the complex criminal ties between the ultras groups of A.C. Milan and Inter Milan and the ’Ndrangheta mafia in Italy continues to reveal shocking new evidence.

On November 18, Italian authorities announced that Luca Lucci, the leader of A.C. Milan’s Curva Sud ultras group, is facing charges for trafficking over two tons of drugs in collaboration with the ’Ndrangheta mafia. These new accusations follow his September arrest, which already included charges of criminal conspiracy, extortion, and mafia association.

On the other side of Milan’s football divide, Inter’s Curva Nord leader Andrea Beretta has reportedly decided to cooperate with authorities. He was jailed in September for the sensational murder of ‘Ndrangheta boss Antonio Bellocco. Fearing for his life and family amid mafia retaliation threats, Beretta’s testimony could expose more details about the murky relationships between ultras and organized crime. It may also help solve the murder of former Curva Nord leader Vittorio Boiocchi, killed in 2022 under mysterious circumstances.

The Curva Nord of Inter Milan in the San Siro stadium. Source: Oscar Federico Bodini.

So what does this tell us about how ultras are evolving?

Milan’s ultras have grown far beyond their roots as football fanatics. Over the past two decades, both Curva Sud and Curva Nord have become powerful criminal networks, generating millions of euros through illicit activities.

Lucci transformed Curva Sud into a business-driven organization branded as “Banditi.” His group controlled lucrative stadium rackets, including ticket scalping, extorting food vendors, and selling counterfeit merchandise. Outside football, members of Curva Sud worked with the ’Ndrangheta to manage nightclub security and promote concerts.