In the Italian city of Prato near Florence, a fierce “hanger war” is currently unfolding. This city, once the largest clothing manufacturing center in Europe, has now become a battleground for Chinese gangs.
According to reports from Agence France-Presse, prosecutor Luca Tescaroli has requested assistance from the Italian government to establish an anti-mafia organization and increase police presence. The conflict has spread to France and Spain, with Chinese gangs even assisting illegal immigrants to enter local clothing factories.
Prato, with a population of nearly 200,000, has the largest Chinese community in Europe. In recent months, several Chinese factory owners and workers have been assaulted, warehouses and vehicles set on fire. The police have stated that gangs are engaged in intense battles to control a clothing hanger and transportation market worth over 100 million euros.
Former investigator Francesco Nannucci pointed out that Chinese gangs operate underground gambling dens, prostitution, drug trafficking, and help Italian mafia in money laundering. He stated, “Controlling Prato means having influence in Europe.”
There are approximately 5,000 predominantly Chinese-owned clothing processing factories in the area, relying on cheap labor to mass-produce garments quickly and evade taxes and fines by swiftly opening and closing businesses. Fabrics are often smuggled from China into Italy, and profits are illegally transferred back to China.
Tescaroli emphasized the indispensability of cheap labor from China and Pakistan for this system. Labor unions have revealed that migrant workers work 13 hours a day, seven days a week, earning only around 3 euros per hour.
Union leader Riccardo Tamborrino said, “This is not an isolated issue but a fully established underground system.”
These factories and showrooms are scattered in industrial areas with trucks shuttling back and forth day and night. Prosecutors have determined that the transportation business is controlled by gang leader Zhang Naizhong, whose deputy Zhang Dayong was shot in Rome in April. Zhang has had operations in France, Spain, and other locations in the past.
Some workers witnessed their companies clearing out equipment overnight and then closing down, accusing the bosses of “secretly fleeing.” The majority of Chinese workers are brought in by gangs and never protest due to fear, as stated by the union.
The “Prato system” is closely tied to globalization, illegal migrant labor, and local corruption. The mayor resigned in June due to corruption allegations.
Although some companies have been forced to sign contracts to improve working conditions, the union stresses that the threat from gang warfare remains a concern for local residents. “They just go to work every day, but they could unwittingly get caught up in gang violence unrelated to them.”
On Monday, Italian authorities announced the arrest of 13 Chinese gang members nationwide in a crackdown operation, with charges including drug trafficking, sexual exploitation, and aggravated robbery.