Italian police have arrested the man said to be the new head of the Sicilian Mafia, along with 45 associates.
The dawn raid in Palermo netted 80-year-old jeweller Settimo Mineo. He was reportedly elected Cosa Nostra godfather at a Mafia meeting in May.
Italian media describe him as the successor to Toto Riina, who died in jail a year ago. The Mafia suspects are accused of extortion, firearms offences, arson and other crimes.
The Sicilian Mafia – the Cosa Nostra – managed to rebuild its leadership, known as the Cupola, after it had not met for years, reports say. The godfather is also known as the “capo dei capi” – or boss of bosses.
Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Salvini tweeted that it was “an extraordinary intervention” by the Carabinieri (the paramilitary police), “who have dismantled the new ‘cupola’ of Cosa Nostra”.