Vincenzo Santapaola, 38, had been in and out of jail since 1992 on various charges, including the murder of anti-Mafia journalist Giuseppe Fava, ANSA reported Tuesday.

Authorities believe he was trying to revive his father's business.

The younger Santapaola was arrested along with 37 other alleged Catania gangsters and three wives of

Mafia bosses in Catania.

The jailed mobsters included an alleged Santapaola hit man who reportedly killed a crime boss in jail and ate his liver.

"The war against the Mafia is a long war but today we can say that victory is closer," said Costantino Garraffa, the head of an anti-crime group.

Carlo Vizzini, a member of the parliamentary Anti-Mafia Commission, said the "action of investigators and police shows it is possible to beat the Mafia."