Milan's Homeless Used In Cheque Book Scam

“Did you pick up that dead beat? Do you have a razor to make him presentable?” These are the words of Salvatore P. the ringleader of a group of Milanese con artists who have been giving some of Milan's homeless a not entirely altruistic makeover.

A police investigation has revealed a long running scam operating in Milan whereby 60 year old Salvatore and his accomplices would persuade homeless people to clean themselves up and wear smart clothes then walk into a bank to create a current account with a cheque book facility. In addition to a short back and sides the homeless person would receive 400 euros in cash and several slap up dinners. Salvatore P. would receive approximately three hundred cheque books which he could use to purchase desirable items such as plasma TVs, DVD players, stereos, fridges and designer clothing. These would either be enjoyed by the con artists themselves or sold on to blissfully ignorant buyers netting the gang a profit of around seven million euros.

Milanese police estimate the scam has been running for about seven years. Six people have been arrested and 40 others have been placed under investigation.

Racist Chants Halt Match For First Time

There is optimism that Italian football is effectively clamping down on racism after the Serie A  Inter Milan v Cagliari match was temporarily suspended after Inter Milan's Cameroonian forward, Samual Eto, was targeted by a section of Cagliari fans. Eto was subjected to monkey imitations and the match was stopped shortly after kick off. Fans were reprimanded on the stadium's loudspeakers and the match continued without incident.

Regulations against racsist abuse in football were tightened in 2009 after abuse suffered by Inter Milan's Mario Balotelli at the hands of Juventus fans. The Inter Milan v Cagliary match, however, is the first time a Serie A match has actually been halted.

Inter Milan boss, Rafa Benitez, said “The good thing is that the crowd got the message straight away and thoughts immediately returned to football.” Indeed Samuel Eto went on to score for his team and was later named Man of the Match.

Berlusconi and Son Probe Extends From Milan To Rome

Current Italian Premier, Silvio Berlusconi, and his son Piersilvio, have been placed under investigation along with several Mediaset executives for suspected tax evasion.

The investigation has moved to Rome after the Milanese trial into the pair for suspected tax fraud and embezzlement in the buying and selling of TV and film rights. Berlusconi's lawyer dismissed the Rome aspect of the investigation as inconsequential saying it was “just a minor branch of the one in Milan and was only opened because one of the companies involved is based in the capital. There's nothing new here.”

Piersilvio is Mediaset's deputy chairman and faces trial alongside his father plus Mediaset deputy Chairman Fedele Confalonieri and US film producer Frank Agrama.

Nephenta Nightclub Too Popular For Its Own Good

The owner of the popular Nephenta nightclub will stand trial for violating security regulations are two police raids found the club filled with revellers, thereby exceeding maximum capacity for the building.

The Milanese nightclub is a popular haunt for fashion and media VIPs in the city.

Born To Walk

The second leg of the “Born to Walk” initiative kicks off this month with school children being encouraged to walk to school instead of going by car in an effort to reduce air pollution in the city.

The association of Antismog Parents have encouraged 29 schools to participate and postcards have been sent to residents of Milan to raise awareness about the methods people use to travel around.