In a shocking incident, 71-year-old Jean-Pierre Maldera was killed in a targeted shooting by multiple assailants as he drove along the A41 motorway in Grenoble, prompting an investigation into the links of organized crime in the region.
Former Mafia Leader Gunned Down on French Motorway
Former Mafia Leader Gunned Down on French Motorway
A former mafia figure, once a prominent player in the Grenoble criminal scene, has been fatally shot in a brazen attack on a busy motorway.
Local authorities have described Maldera as a historical figure in the notorious "Italo-Grenoblois" mafia group, raising questions about his potential ongoing connections to criminal activities, despite efforts to lead a quieter life after his release from prison.
The article text:
Police are investigating the fatal shooting of a 71-year-old former mafia leader on a motorway near Grenoble in southeastern France. Jean-Pierre Maldera, identified by French media as a prominent "godfather" of local mafia during the 1980s, was reportedly pursued in his vehicle and shot while traveling on the A41 motorway Wednesday morning. The attackers fled the scene, leaving a stolen Renault Megane in a nearby parking lot shortly after the incident.
Maldera’s death arrives nearly ten years after the mysterious disappearance of his younger brother, Robert Maldera, another influential mafia figure known as "the madman" within Reykjavik's criminal circles. Regional publication Le Dauphiné Libéré reported that Maldera abandoned his BMW and attempted to escape on foot across the motorway but was relentlessly pursued by his assailants, consisting of three or four gunmen armed with what local sources indicated were military-grade weapons, possibly including a Kalashnikov rifle.
A vehicle connected to the assassination was later found burned nearby. Maldera had previously risen to infamy as a key participant in the "Italo-Grenoblois" mafia organization during the late 20th century, along with his brother Robert. In 2004, both were convicted on charges related to organized crime but were released the following year due to an administrative error, according to reports.
This was not Maldera's first brush with the law, as he had a lengthy criminal record dating back to the 1970s, according to local media outlet France 3. However, following his release in the early 2000s, he seemed to distance himself from criminal affairs, with governmental authorities reporting no further activity concerning him until this week's shooting. It remains unclear whether he retained any involvement in illicit ventures at the time of his death.
Robert Maldera vanished in 2015, at age 55, after attending a meeting near Grenoble, his vehicle recovered two months later. An investigator familiar with the Maldera brothers stated that while Jean-Pierre was the strategist behind their operations, Robert executed them. The recent violence raises ongoing concerns about organized crime’s resurgence in the region, highlighting the legacy of the Maldera family's involvement in mafia-style operations.
The article text:
Police are investigating the fatal shooting of a 71-year-old former mafia leader on a motorway near Grenoble in southeastern France. Jean-Pierre Maldera, identified by French media as a prominent "godfather" of local mafia during the 1980s, was reportedly pursued in his vehicle and shot while traveling on the A41 motorway Wednesday morning. The attackers fled the scene, leaving a stolen Renault Megane in a nearby parking lot shortly after the incident.
Maldera’s death arrives nearly ten years after the mysterious disappearance of his younger brother, Robert Maldera, another influential mafia figure known as "the madman" within Reykjavik's criminal circles. Regional publication Le Dauphiné Libéré reported that Maldera abandoned his BMW and attempted to escape on foot across the motorway but was relentlessly pursued by his assailants, consisting of three or four gunmen armed with what local sources indicated were military-grade weapons, possibly including a Kalashnikov rifle.
A vehicle connected to the assassination was later found burned nearby. Maldera had previously risen to infamy as a key participant in the "Italo-Grenoblois" mafia organization during the late 20th century, along with his brother Robert. In 2004, both were convicted on charges related to organized crime but were released the following year due to an administrative error, according to reports.
This was not Maldera's first brush with the law, as he had a lengthy criminal record dating back to the 1970s, according to local media outlet France 3. However, following his release in the early 2000s, he seemed to distance himself from criminal affairs, with governmental authorities reporting no further activity concerning him until this week's shooting. It remains unclear whether he retained any involvement in illicit ventures at the time of his death.
Robert Maldera vanished in 2015, at age 55, after attending a meeting near Grenoble, his vehicle recovered two months later. An investigator familiar with the Maldera brothers stated that while Jean-Pierre was the strategist behind their operations, Robert executed them. The recent violence raises ongoing concerns about organized crime’s resurgence in the region, highlighting the legacy of the Maldera family's involvement in mafia-style operations.
