Mario Balotelli tours Italian city with Mafia bosses

Last updated : 05 June 2011 By Daily Mail

Balotelli, 20, was seen in the company of mob chiefs named as Salvatore Silvestri and Biagio Esposito, according to a leaked secret internal police memo.

The player - who moved from Inter to Manchester City last season - is noted for his high incident private life which has included several nightclub bust ups and numerous parking tickets.

Who's a naughty boy, then? Balotelli's actions are sure to cause consternation at Eastlands

Balotelli is not suspected of any wrongdoing and is said by his agent to have visited the drug infested estate at Scampia in the crime ridden southern port city of Naples to 'satisfy his curiosity'.

Naples is home to the local Mafia known as the Camorra and its members have been involved in a bloody war over the control of drug rackets in Scampia which has left dozens of people dead.

The area was also the setting for the hard hitting 2008 crime film on the Camorra known as Gomorrah which showed youngsters being initiated into clans by being shot at while wearing bullet proof vests.

In another striking scenes two young upstarts who upset mobsters by setting up their own sideline drug deals were gunned down and then buried by a bulldozer on a beach.

The leaked memo emerged as part of the ongoing investigation into a betting scandal which is currently rocking Italian football but which does not involve Balotelli.

Italian job: Balotelli's agent has neither confirmed or denied the claims

He is said to have visited Scampia - an area much like Manchester's Moss Side - a year ago while in the city for a prize giving Golden Goal competition, which he failed to show up for.

His snub was similar to that of Manchester City's fans last month when he failed to show up for the open top bus parade after they won the FA Cup and he was named Man of the Match.

The leaked police intelligence document read: 'The noted Inter footballer Mario Balotelli was seen in Scampia with two known mobsters Salvatore Silvestri and Biagio Esposito.

'The information came from a trusted source and who later revealed that Balotelli after being shown around the area went to a residence where pictures were taken of him with Silvestri and Esposito.'

Balotelli's agent Mino Raiola said: 'I'm not confirming or denying anything but only because I don't know what really happened.

Blue boy: Balotelli isn't afraid of confrontation

'What I can tell you for certain is that Mario has nothing to do with any type of criminal activity. If, and I repeat if, Mario went to Scampia it was probably because he was curious to see what this sad area is really like. He certainly didn't know that the people who the police say were with him, were mobsters.

'There are lots of hangers on in the world of football and it is difficult to know just who these people are and what I want to underline is that Mario has nothing to do with this current betting scandal.'

It is not the first time that Balotelli's curiosity of criminal activity has got the better of him - last October he and his brother Enoch were questioned after they drove into a women's prison near Milan 'just to see what it was like inside'. ?Tevez: Man City fate is in my hands, but when I go I'll never come backSickener for Fabio as Hart slips into the Green zone with double blunderReal play hardball over Adebayor after baulking at ?14m asking priceAll the latest Manchester City news, features and opinion?

?Explore more:People: Mario Balotelli Places: Milan, Manchester

Source: Daily Mail

Source: Daily Mail