Bangladesh, Oct. 22 -- Italian police have dealt a significant blow to one of southern Italys most entrenched mafia organizations, arresting three suspected members of the notorious Pesce-Pistillo clan in Andria. The arrests, the result of a year-long investigation, shed new light on the enduring influence of mafia-style extortion rackets that continue to plague small business owners in parts of the country.

Authorities allege that the three men-whose names have not yet been released publicly-operated a violent protection racket that terrorized local shopkeepers through threats, physical assaults, and bomb attacks. The operation, coordinated by Baris Anti-Mafia Directorate and carried out with assistance from the Central Operational Serv...