Ruminations: Tarnished Rome

Exploring Rome's Parks ... WantedinRome.com

"Rome's historic parks are a disaster and whoever tries to change things risks ending up having to have a police escort."
"I got into the car and turned the key in the ignition but without starting the engine."
"I heard a strange noise after activating the windscreen wipers and immediately sensed an anomaly so I got out and saw the plastic under the wipers tampered with, slightly raised and under the panel I noticed something strange..."
"I notified the police and called the security."
Prince Marco Andrea Doria, Public servant in charge of Rome's public parks, historic villas

Rome, bomb in the car of the councilor Marco Doria, the prosecutor: “Attempted murder” Italy24News

Mr. Doria has been the recipient of a number of threats. Although never self-identifying the threat sources, this senior public official believes he knows from whom they are sent. Public servants who, in the prosecution of his employment obligations, have found reason to resent the type of supervision he brings to his job. He had, as an example, denounced idle public works employees. And made it clear that he would be on the track of illegal rubbish dumping and theft of statues.

That the prince has taken action in response to council gardeners who fail to show up for work they are paid to do yet take on work for private clients to earn additional money, has not increased his popularity level among the blue-collar workforce. Prince Doria views his position as authorizing him to make a clear effort to clean up the city of Rome's public parks while recognizing that in the commission of his duty he is endangering his own life.

The most recent plot to avenge themselves against this man whose code of honour and work ethic includes facing diversity and forging on nonetheless to root out corruption -- occurred when he parked his vehicle, a Smart car, on a Rome street, only to discover when he prepared to drive off with the vehicle that there was a bomb hooked up to his car.

Exploring Rome's Parks ... WantedinRome.com

It was a home-made device, defused by a police bomb squad. Discovered by Marco Andrea Doria in mid-week. Forewarned is forearmed and with the threats he has received, he was obviously sufficiently astute to be aware when a situation seems unusual enough to warrant extra care. He attributes the attempt to assassinate him to disgruntled council employees.

The device was found to have consisted of a gas canister full of explosive powder and metal bolts connected to the car's engine. In the past Rome council officials let it be known that tractors and mowers meant to maintain parks were vandalized repeatedly, and the suspicion has fallen upon companies whose normal contracts were not renewed, the contracts awarded elsewhere, when Virginia Raggi, current mayor of Rome, was elected in 2015.

Three-quarters of Rome's four hundred council-employed gardeners refused to dirty their hands, opting rather for desk jobs. Rome is recognized as one of Europe's greenest capitals, thanks to its network of large parks, but those parks have been neglected for years. Gardening teams in the city's employ have been notorious for absenteeism. Some employees claim wages but barely bother to tun up for work; a reflection of systemic corruption dubbed the "green mafia".

Prince Doria focused on tackling illegal squatting in historic buildings in the capital, along with park management abuse. Prior to the attempt to assassinate him with the use of a car bomb, an unexploded mortar round had been left on his car hood; a dead hawk dangling from his wing mirror, and most dreadfully his pet dog, Diablo, died after eating a sausage packed with nails. Just too many 'coincidental' episodes not to suspect a sustained drive to silence the man.