Italian Mafia Fugitive On Run For 20 Years Caught After Appearing On Google Maps
Police have been able to catch an escaped mafia henchman who has been on the run for 20 years and it's all thanks to Google Maps.
Convicted murderer Gioacchino Gammino was miraculously spotted on Google Maps outside a grocery shop in Spain.
According to The Telegraph, the 60-year-old was living a quiet life in the region and found work as a chef before setting up his fruit and veg shop.
Gammino used a fake name and was largely successful in escaping sight from Italian police up until, of course, they discovered the image in the town of Galapagar north of Madrid.
The mafia henchman, who changed his name to Manuel, was shown chatting to someone outside the street corner store called El Huerto de Manu - Manu's Garden.
The big breakthrough came when detectives investigated the nearby restaurant, Manu's Kitchen.
And incredibly, on the eatery's Facebook page, there was a photo of the fugitive who was dressed in chef whites.
Despite it being 20-years since he was last seen, a distinct scar on his face remained and authorities were able to confirm the man's identity.
On the menu was 'Cena Siciliana' – Sicilian supper, which was possibly a reference to his past life.
Gammino was arrested on December 17 and reportedly completely baffled after being caught.
"How did you find me?" he reportedly asked the police, whilst adding: "I haven’t even phoned my family for the last 10 years."
The mobster will be sent to an Italian jail to serve a life sentence and has been convicted of a range of crimes, from murder to drug trafficking and mafia association.
It is believed that Gammino was on the Italian interior ministry's list for the country's most wanted fugitives, as well as Gammino being a part of a mafia family from Agrigento in Sicily, which was prominent in the 1990s.
He was first arrested in 1984 and was investigated by high-profile anti-mafia prosecutor Giovanni Falcone.
The prosecutor was assassinated by the gang in 1992 after they blew up his car.
Gammino was charged with murder in 1994 and after going on the run, was captured in Barcelona three years later.
He then escaped a prison in Rome in 2002 and authorities were on the lookout ever since his recapture.
Topics: World News
Anish Vij