Oct 01 2007
Daughter denies father involved in Mafia
THE daughter of a Scottish restaurateur accused of links to the Mafia in Italy yesterday insisted he is innocent.
Stephanie Schiattarella, 20, spoke out in an effort to secure his release from jail and claims he is a good father.
The young woman was horrified when Ciro Schiattarella, 54, was arrested earlier this year in connection with an alleged £3 million fraud and on suspicion of links to a Mafia boss. He is facing extradition to Italy, and more than 26 years in jail.
The allegations arose after Schiattarella became involved with Antonio La Torre, who is serving a 13-year jail term in Italy and was dubbed “The Don on the Don”.
But Ms Schiattarella, from Aberdeen, claims her father only knew La Torre through his ex-wife.
She said: “We’re family friends but the Italian authorities find association through anything. Even if you’re just seen speaking to someone who’s supposed to be Mafia, they think you’re involved. Now people are left thinking that I’m part of the Mafia.”
She added: “I love my dad. I think he’s a very honest, trusting person.”
Schiattarella, who served in the Italian navy, moved to Aberdeen from Naples in the 1970s to work as an offshore diver.
He later moved into the catering industry and earlier this year he opened up a restaurant, in the city centre, called Ciro’s.
In July he was detained on a European arrest warrant and has been remanded in custody since then.
He is currently in Saughton prison in Edinburgh, where he is awaiting an extradition hearing.
Ms Schiattarella, who is studying childcare and early education, was also left with the burden of running her father’s restaurant. He asked her to take over following his arrest, but mounting debt has made it impossible for her to continue.
Italian authorities now want to question the restaurateur about allegedly taking over the running of La Torre’s food import business after he was jailed last year.
La Torre, who ran two restaurants in Aberdeen city centre, was arrested last year after Italian authorities accused him of running a branch of the Sicilian Mafia, the Camorra, from Scotland. Police claim money from illegal deals was brought into the country and invested in legitimate businesses.
Ms Schiattarella, who has a sister in London, described her father as an honest man who worked hard to keep his business going.
She said: “He was very proud of Ciro’s. It was just starting to pick up.
“Once it was up and running successfully, he would have been able to just sit back.”
Ms Schiattarella heard of her father’s arrest from a waitress who worked at the restaurant.
She added: “I was just shocked. He came into the restaurant at the same time as the police.
“They asked him who he was and arrested him. They had a warrant, but couldn’t say what it was about.”
Schiattarella was so shocked by his arrest he had an anxiety attack and was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for a check-up.
His daughter added: “I managed to see him at the hospital that night. They were checking his lungs, his heart and his chest, but it was just the stress of everything.
“No-one knew what was going on so it wasn’t as though we could speak about it. He knows himself that sometimes he does trust people a bit too much, but that’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
Her comments came days after the estranged wife of La Torre broke years of silence to protest her husband’s innocence. The Aberdeen restaurant owner was extradited to Italy last year to serve a 13-year prison sentence which had been imposed by a Naples court in his absence for a range of crimes, including racketeering, extortion, robbery and the production of counterfeit money.
Gillian La Torre, who has been married for 25 years to La Torre, said: “I believe he is innocent.”
Daughter denies father involved in Mafia - PAMELA OWEN - Last updated: 01-Oct-07 00:48 BST - http://news.scotsman.com/aberdeen.cfm?id=1571472007
