Mafioso Antonia Lopez’s niece shot dead in Italian nightclub

Although Lopez herself is believed to have no criminal past, she did have ties to one of the largest crime families in the region.

One of her uncles, Ivan Lopez, was murdered three years ago, shot dead near his home in the nearby port of Bari while riding a scooter.

Another uncle, Francesco Lopez, became a “pentito” or turncoat and collaborated with the police and detectives.

The Lopez brothers are members of the Strisciuglio clan, who are at war with the rival Parisi-Palermiti clan.

Four other men in their 20s were injured in the shooting, including Eugenio Palermiti, an alleged member of the Palermiti clan.

His father is serving a life sentence for murder and grievous bodily harm, while his grandfather has been the gang’s leader for years.

Authorities now fear the conflict will escalate and that revenge will be taken for Lopez’s killing.

A specialized anti-mafia unit is investigating the murder.

Michele Emiliano, the governor of Puglia, said: “This is yet another clash between criminal gangs fighting for control of nightclubs and drug trafficking.”

Michele Picaro, a MEP from the region, said: “We have reached the point where people’s safety is seriously compromised, even in places of entertainment and relaxation. Our cities must not fall into the hands of criminal gangs.”

Mafia gangs in Puglia once made their money smuggling cigarettes from Albania, just across the Adriatic Sea. Today, they focus on drugs and invest the proceeds in legitimate businesses in the region.

The clans in Puglia are less well-known than their more famous counterparts in southern Italy, such as the Cosa Nostra in Sicily and the Ndrangheta in Calabria.