A former mafia boss, Jean-Pierre Maldera, was shot dead Wednesday morning on a highway near Grenoble, France.
The 71-year-old, known for his ties to the Franco-Italian mafia that dominated the southeastern city in the 1980s, was killed after a shootout while driving in his car. Maldera succumbed to injuries following the attack.
The assassination took place as Maldera was shot from another vehicle, which quickly fled the scene. Authorities found the remains of a scorched getaway car a few kilometres away.
Maldera, along with his brother Robert, who disappeared in 2015 and is believed to have been killed, was previously imprisoned for extortion, money laundering, and other crimes but was released in 2005 due to legal complications.
The Maldera brothers were central figures in the infamous “Maldera clan,” which was dismantled in the 1980s after significant criminal activities in the region.
