Architect From Gentrified Suburb That Used To Be Italian Says The Mafia Is Still Around

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An architect from an Inner city suburb that used to have a sizable Italian community until around 2005 has revealed that the mafia is still known to be heavily involved in the area.

"Yeah see that cafe?" pointed Henry Yates (48).

"One of the local families, also known as the mafia, can be seen meeting up there," he revealed.

Despite the elderly Italian men spending the majority of their lives working in a mechanic, Henry remains confident that the men have underworld connections that run as far as Palermo Sicily. 

"They've been operating around here for decades. Everyone knows about them, but nobody says anything," explained Henry, who moved into the suburb in 2017.

According to Henry, the local Italian community has maintained a powerful presence despite most of its members selling their homes and moving to large McMansions slightly to the west.

"There's a lot of history around here. A lot of stuff the average person wouldn't know about," he continued, pointing towards a former delicatessen that is now a Pilates studio.

Henry claims he first became aware of the organised crime network after witnessing several elderly men speaking Italian outside a social club.

"You can just tell there's something going on. They've got their own little world."

When asked whether he had ever witnessed any actual criminal activity, Henry admitted he had not, but insisted that was precisely how the mafia operated.