Maria Concetta Riina has started her own business, selling so-called “Uncle Toto” products, which are supposed to celebrate the late “boss of bosses,” responsible for an estimated 150 murders. Her husband, Antonio Ciavarello, is currently under house arrest for fraud, and she had to launch her business to raise money after the police seized their savings.
“We want to sell some Zu Totò brand products. We’re starting with coffee capsules, we’re doing this pre-sale so we can collect orders and cash to get us going, seeing as they seized everything from us without reason,” the couple wrote on their website, which was later removed.
Riina’s business move has sparked outrage across Italy; the mayor of San Pancrazio expressed his indignation with the initiative, calling it “an unacceptable provocation that the community would not put up with,” as cited by La Repubblica.
Salvatore Toto Riina, nicknamed the Beast for his brutality, died of cancer at the age of 87, last month. He had been in police custody since 1993, serving 26 life sentences for being behind the deaths of hundreds of people.
READ MORE: Arrivederci: The Rise and Fall of the Sicilian Mafia 'Beast' Toto Riina
