As much as 110,000 tons of rotting trash have accumulated on streets since collection stopped Dec. 21 and locals are becoming militant, Euronews.net reported.

Prosecutor Raffaele Cantone blamed the Camorra, a regional branch of the Mafia, for the situation.

"The Camorra has been involved in the business of waste disposal since the 1980s and they have allowed a huge amount of toxic waste to accumulate," he said. "The industry is hugely profitable -- we're talking about millions of euros."

City officials announced they would begin burning the garbage but residents argued it would release carcinogenic dioxins. The city then said it would reopen an over-full suburban landfill on Monday but residents formed a human chain to block its entrance, the report said.

Police were called and three people suffered minor injuries in ensuing scuffles.