"Che bella giornata!" Welcome to the only newsletter that strongly believes the modus operandi of Italy is total confusion, "Only In Italy!"

Without further delay...here you go! 

Enjoy the issue, keep writing and Grazie!

Rome - March 9, 2010 - A 'supertomato' created by Italian scientists is the perfect food for helping keep cancer at bay, the head of the World Foundation of Urology said on Tuesday.

Launching Prostate Cancer Week in Italy, Mauro Dimitri said the 'supertomato' created by the Biomolecular Institute at the Naples National Research Center offered a unique blend of nutritional qualities.

"This tomato has nutritional characteristics that are ideally suited for preventing disease," explained Dimitri.

"It has a total anti-oxidant activity superior to all other tomato hybrids normally for sale, both fresh and preserved.

"It has a greater content of the cancer-fighting carotene lycopene and vitamin C than is found in purple tomatoes, and the same anti-inflammatory properties as the San Marzano tomato".

According to Dimitri, these qualities not only make it suitable for fending off prostate cancer but also for reducing the risks of a host of other diseases in which oxidative stress and the subsequent creation of free radicals play a role. These include cardiovascular disease, arthritis, Parkinson's Disease and osteoporosis, as well as cancers of the lung and stomach.

The team of scientists that created the tomato has been at pains to stress that it involved no genetically modified organisms but is a simple blend of two existing varieties: the San Marzano, famed for its taste and anti-inflammatory properties, and the Black Tomato, a purple fruit high in anti-oxidants. The real name of the 'supertomato', Maxantia, is still awaiting registration but widespread cultivation of the bright red, plum tomato has already got under way in Campania.

Speaking at the official unveiling of the 'supertomato' a few months back, Naples Agriculture Councilor Francesco Emilio Borrelli said it was a fruit that combined the best of Campania tomatoes.

"Our supertomato is a natural blend that has fused two genetic heritages to obtain a new variety with high, health-giving properties," he said.

In recognition of its healthy qualities, Campania regional authorities have also backed a commercial deal with local pizza makers. The aim is to encourage local pizzaioli to use the Maxantia on their pizzas as a healthier alternative to regular tomatoes.

In addition to its innately healthy properties, the supertomato also boasts another key advantage over other fruit and vegetables, in that it loses just 20% of its anti-oxidant properties when cooked.

Discussing the dangers of prostate cancer and the launch of the weeklong campaign, Dimitri warned it was the most common tumor among men in Italy, with 37,000 new cases each year, causing 9,000 deaths annually.

"Sta pippa," imagine the Italian dishes that will come out of the kitchens thanks to this 'super' ingredient:

"Big League Bucatini all'Amatriciana"
"Premium Penne with Sausage and Tomatoes"
"Smashing Spaghetti with Tuna, Capers, and Olives"

The Super Tomato! "Bravi!" We're happy to hear the good scientists at the Naples National Research Center are up to groundbreaking work. Let's hope it's true and that they're not super full of crap. Then again, you need a 'super' anything to get through a typical day in bella Naples (yes, here it comes again):

Super espresso coffee (to be fully awake and on maximum scam alert),
Super antacids (after vast consumption of super homemade wine, grappa, fried baccala, and pizza),
Super patience (to overcome the incredible simplicity of mailing a package),
Super reflexes (necessary when taking on the every-man-for-himself traffic),
Super sneakers (to avoid crimes in progress),
Super lungs (to overcome the stupendous aromatic smell of burning garbage).

Rome - March 16, 2010 - A mafia hitman's zeal for social networking proved his undoing, Italian police said Tuesday after using his Facebook account to track him down.

Pasquale Manfredi, a high-ranking member of the Nicosia-Manfredi clan of 'Ndrangheta, was nabbed in his Calabrian hideout while chatting on the social media website.

Calling himself 'Scarface', from the 1983 gangster film starring Al Pacino, Manfredi was an assiduous user and updated his profile regularly, said police. After connecting him to the account, they used it to figure out where he was connecting to the internet. Their investigation led them to an apartment in the town of Isola Capo Rizzuto near Crotone, where 'Scarface' passed the time chatting on his laptop.

Police described Manfredi as a "cold and cruel" assassin suspected of a handful of murders over the past ten years, most notably the 2004 hit on rival clan leader Carmine Arena, who was blown up with a bazooka. He is also accused of arms trafficking and extortion.

This is not the first time Italian law enforcement has used Facebook to track down criminals. Last October, police near Rome arrested a burglar who logged onto the social network during a break-in and sent messages to his friends.

5 biggest mistakes the Mafia makes on Facebook:

1. Avoid pictures: It may go without saying, but prospective mafia bosses or victims do not want to see pictures of you collecting 'insurance money' from store owners or aiming a bazooka at a rival clan member.

2. Complaining about your current job: It could be a full note about how much you hate your hideout, or how much of a nincompoop your boss is, or it could be as innocent as a status update about how your partner's gun always jams at the most inopportune moments. While everyone complains about work sometimes, doing so in a public forum where it can be found by the police, or worse, other organized criminal organizations is not the best career move.

3. Statuses you wouldn't want law enforcement to see: Everyone should know to avoid statuses like "Silvano plans to block more garbage trucks so he can get more cash for that BMW." "Who cares that I didn't dig a grave deep enough?" But you should also be aware of less flamboyant statuses like "Mamma mia, what I would do to my Godfather's daughter." "Can I bury someone in my Farmville garden, LOL?"

4. Being a loser by association: You can't control what your imbecile mafia friends post to your profile, nor what they post to their own profiles or to those of mutual mafia clans. If a victim, boss or the police sees those Friday night pictures your friend has tagged you in where he is setting fire to a warehouse, it reflects poorly on you, even if the picture of you is completely innocent.

5. Sending threats to your victims through Facebook messages: Something along the lines of "I noticed business is picking up and so, we'll be renegotiating your insurance policy" although, your name isn't mentioned in the message and the topic is something your victim is definitely NOT looking forward to. Don't do it anymore if you're one of the ones doing it - cut it out, jackass! You're not Facebook friends yet!