Chinese mafia conflict escalates in Italy's fast fashion hub of Prato
Italian prosecutors request national support as crime escalates in Europe's top garment manufacturing hub
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Rising mafia violence in Prato's fast fashion sector
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Following the April shooting of Zhang Dayong in Rome, law enforcement has linked the violence to an ongoing conflict in Prato, a central hub in Italy's fast fashion industry. Prosecutors describe the situation as a 'hanger war' among Chinese mafia groups, competing for control of apparel transport and hanger production, an estimated €100 million ($115 million) market.
Prato prosecutor Luca Tescaroli has requested intervention from Rome, including the deployment of an anti-mafia division and additional resources for law enforcement and judicial offices. He has warned that the conflict has become a significant criminal enterprise with reach into France and Spain.
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Tescaroli stated the Chinese mafia in Prato also "promotes the illegal immigration of workers of various nationalities," supporting its labor demands.
Illegal labor and tax evasion fuel fast fashion output
Prato's apparel industry includes approximately 5,000 small-scale, mostly Chinese-run knitwear and textile subcontractors. The sector, central to Italy's fast fashion economy, has long faced scrutiny for labor and safety violations, tax evasion, and customs fraud.
Investigators report that many factories smuggle fabric from China and avoid duties, while profits are funneled back through illegal transfers. To minimize costs, operators rely on immigrant labor from China and Pakistan. Tescaroli has described this labor pool as "essential for its proper functioning."
Union representatives estimate some workers earn €3 per hour, laboring up to 13 hours per day, seven days a week. Riccardo Tamborrino of Sudd Cobas stated the system is 'not just one or two bad apples, but a well-oiled system,' characterized by rapid factory closures and reopenings to evade regulation.
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Francesca Ciuffi, also of Sudd Cobas, added, 'Police complaints from attacked workers ended up in a drawer, never reaching the court.'
Key mafia figures and transnational operations
Prosecutors have identified
Zhang Naizhong
as a central figure in Prato's criminal underworld. Described in a 2017 court document as 'the leading figure in the unscrupulous circles of the Chinese community,' Zhang allegedly holds a monopoly on apparel transportation across Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, and Germany.
Zhang Dayong, shot and killed in Rome alongside his girlfriend, was identified as Naizhong's deputy. His murder followed a series of fires targeting company warehouses in Paris and Madrid.
Francesco Nannucci, former head of Prato's investigative police, said the Chinese mafia also runs betting operations, drug trafficking, and prostitution, and acts as a financial conduit for Italian criminal groups. 'To be able to command in Prato means being able to lead in much of Europe,' Nannucci stated.
Naizhong was acquitted of usury charges in 2022, in a trial disrupted by missing documents and the lack of qualified translators. Authorities believe he may now be in China.
Corruption and labor organizing amidst unrest
The industry operates amid reported corruption involving both local officials and law enforcement. In May 2024, the second-in-command of Prato's Carabinieri was accused of providing entrepreneurs, including Chinese businessmen, with confidential information from police databases. In June, the city's mayor resigned during a separate corruption probe involving vote trading.
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Trucks continue moving garments day and night through Prato's industrial zones, where warehouses and showrooms bear names such as 'Miss Fashion' and 'Ohlala Pronto Moda.' Pakistani and Chinese workers load fabrics and apparel for distribution across Europe.
On a recent weekday, Pakistani workers picketed outside a shuttered factory that had agreed to provide legal contracts days before. Muhammed Akram, 44, witnessed the factory owner removing equipment at night. 'Sneaky boss,' he said.
Union organizers note that Chinese workers, often brought to Italy by mafia networks, rarely participate in strikes due to fear of retaliation.
Despite organizing efforts that have secured contracts at more than 70 companies, Ciuffi said such progress does not protect individuals from mafia violence. 'People who wake up in the morning, quietly going to work, risk getting seriously injured, if not worse, because of a war that doesn't concern them.'
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