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April 23, 2009
Italy fears mobsters will profit from quake
Some warn that crime clans with connections to cement companies, debris-removal firms and other businesses could enrich themselves from the estimated $16 billion in reconstruction projects.
By FRANCES D’EMILIO
Associated Press Writer
. AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino
Firefighters on April 13 check destroyed buildings in central L’Aquila, Italy, a week after a deadly
earthquake damaged thousands of buildings
ROME — Even before all the debris from Italy's latest devastating earthquake is cleaned up, investigators fear that organized crime is poised to profit from contracts worth billions of dollars to rebuild schools, hospitals, courthouses and homes.
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