24 hours after the murder of Antonio Bellocco in Milan, investigators have uncovered a lead connected to Inter Milan’s organized fan base. Both the victim, Bellocco, and the perpetrator, Andrea Beretta, were well-known figures within the “Nerazzurri” supporters.
The murder appears to have been a settling of scores near the Testudo gym, a popular spot for Inter fans.
According to investigators, and based on Beretta’s spontaneous statements, although he otherwise exercised his right to remain silent, Bellocco allegedly shot Beretta with his own gun, though it’s unclear if he intended to kill or merely intimidate him, wounding Beretta in the process. Beretta retaliated with a knife: “After he disarmed me, he started shooting. I pulled out the knife and struck him 7 to 10 times. I had no choice but to defend myself.”
Both Beretta and Bellocco were already known to law enforcement. Beretta, 49, a long-time leader of the Curva Nord Ultras, has a criminal record that includes “theft, robbery, kidnapping, drug offenses, violence and threats against public officials, assault, and threats,” prompting the Milan court to previously deem him a serious social threat.
Antonio Bellocco, heir to one of the most powerful ‘Ndrangheta families from Rosarno, long established in northern Italy, had climbed the ranks within the Inter fan base in recent years. He was a significant figure, with his family becoming involved in various Milanese businesses. His rise within the Curva hierarchy may have been part of his family’s aim to infiltrate the business of “stadium affairs.”
In his spontaneous statements to investigators, Beretta claimed that Bellocco had “demanded a share of the profits” from a store in Pioltello, Milan, that “sells Inter Curva merchandise,” which Beretta himself managed. Bellocco had reportedly gone as far as threatening him and his family, pushing Beretta to bring both a gun and a knife to the meeting that ended in violence.
Investigators are looking into the relationship between the two and the illicit activities linking organized fan groups and crime. Bellocco’s involvement in the Curva Nord reportedly came after the murder of the historic Inter Ultras leader, Vittorio Boiocchi, in October 2022. Andrea Beretta had been Boiocchi’s right-hand man.
