What should have been a story of pride and music turned into a legal storm. In Cotronei, in the heart of the Crotone Sila, the Crotone Prosecutor’s Office has closed the investigation into the “Rock Museum” project dedicated to Steven Tyler, legendary leader of Aerosmith. Fifteen people, including local administrators, municipal officials and entrepreneurs, ended up under investigation for a long list of crimes: ideological and material forgery, aggravated fraud to obtain public funds, electoral corruption, extortion, extortion and attempted undue inducement to give or promise benefits.
The investigation, coordinated by the prosecutor Domenico Guarascio and conducted by the Carabinieri of Petilia Policastro under the direction of the prosecutor Matteo Staccini, was born after the warning sent by Steven Tyler through the cultural association named after him, chaired by his cousin Nino Grassi. The singer, who had signed the project after a concert in Rome, had asked that the museum be built in the historic Bevilacqua palace, in the Gria district, where his grandfather Giovanni Tallarico lived.
Instead, the municipal administration decided to move the intervention to another area, effectively distorting the original project. The work, financed with 1.3 million euros as part of the “Borghi” regional tender, was relocated to a basement without the necessary urban planning and landscape authorizations. The decision triggered the disappointment of the musician and, subsequently, the checks by the judiciary.
The suspects and the accusations
Among those under investigation are the current mayor Antonio Ammirati, the former mayor Nicola Belcastro, several councilors, managers and entrepreneurs.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, false documents were produced to justify the moving of the museum’s headquarters. In the resolution of July 2021, the then mayor Belcastro and the manager Urso declared that the owner of the historic building had refused to sell it for economic reasons, a circumstance which is not supported by any negotiations or official correspondence.
The alternative area was identified in a private property, for which the Municipality recognized an expropriation of over 118 thousand euros. However, according to the investigators, fundamental documents such as the declaration of public utility, the opinion of the Superintendence and a definitive technical project were missing.
Irregularities and vote exchange
The investigation also revealed alleged episodes of electoral corruption and vote-swapping linked to the management of funds and contracts linked to the museum. Some administrators and officials allegedly used the promise of positions and jobs as an instrument of political pressure. At the same time, documents would have been falsified to avoid the revocation of regional funding and justify the delays in the works.
The broken dream of the “Rock music village”
The museum was supposed to tell the story of the Tallarico family, with a gallery of memorabilia and musical instruments donated by Steven Tyler himself. The singer had promised to participate in the inauguration with a free concert together with his daughter Liv, as a sign of gratitude towards the land of his ancestors. But relocation, delays and administrative irregularities have dampened any enthusiasm.
Giovanni Tallarico, the frontman’s grandfather, was a musician who graduated in mandolin from the Royal School of Naples, who emigrated to the United States at the beginning of the twentieth century, where his sons formed the band “Tallarico Brothers”. A musical legacy that Tyler would have liked to celebrate in the village of his ancestors.
Today, however, the project lies abandoned and the Municipality of Cotronei is overwhelmed by an investigation that highlights a mix of local politics, bad management and waste of public resources. What was supposed to be a symbol of cultural rebirth has become a court case destined to make noise far beyond Calabria.
The response of the Mayor of Cotronei
We receive and disseminate:
We will continue to love and value the history and figure of Steven Tyler, who due to his roots is one of the most illustrious sons of Cotronei
The mayor of Cotronei, Antonio Ammirati, states this in a note, explaining:
There is an ongoing judicial investigation into the Rock Museum. We are calm and confident in the judiciary, convinced that it will re-establish the truth of the facts. In the meantime, it is important to understand whether the investigation started on Tyler’s initiative or not, as the Municipality does not have the power of attorney. Above all, it is necessary to underline some solid facts that have not yet emerged. The administration that I am honored to lead had already found the museum relocated to the new site and then proceeded to carry out the work, as was our precise duty. The work is therefore finished, contrary to what has been widely said and written around. Also in recent days, and before the conclusion of the investigations in question, we had started the acquisition of Palazzo Bevilacqua, i.e. the ancient residence of Tyler’s family, which the property is selling to us free of charge, obtaining the approval of the City Council on October 28th, in the belief that this is useful and necessary.
We therefore believe we are on the right path, both on a political and legal level, having not committed any irregularities but having done everything possible in full compliance with the rules, Tyler and the community. We are therefore sure that the correctness of our actions – concludes the mayor of Cotronei – will be recognized in all offices.
Carabinieri.it
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