Pope Francis, the cool pope who still has some uncool policies, is in Cassano all'Ionio this Saturday to speak on the endemic problem of mafia violence in Italy. After the pope announced his reform agenda last year, an anti-mob prosecutor said Pope Francis might be under threat of attack by the mafia.

The latest terrible fake food scandal from China resulted in more than 900 arrests after criminal meat processors sold the chemical-soaked flesh of rats and foxes as "lamb meat." As more Chinese demand a daily supply of dead farm animals as food, crafty criminals are butchering and processing anything that moves.

Would you like to live inside a hidden bunker in an Italian mansion? A vacancy may open up in one soon! Police in the Italian state of Calbrian had to drag alleged crime-syndicate boss Francesco Maisano out of his during an international bust of 31 suspected mafia goons (or gooni in Italian).

Gossipy mobster Vincent Basciano, better known as Vinny Gorgeous, is going on trial next month for murder and racketeering, but he's upset about his "cold and moist" jail cell in the terrorist wing of Manhattan's Metropolitan Correctional Center. Poor Vinny.

Yesterday the FBI arrested over 100 people around New York for mafia ties and "classic mob hits," and some of them have awesome names: "Jack the Whack, Marbles, Skinny, Jonny Pizza, Junior Lollipops, Jimmy Gooch and Baby Fat Larry."

The FBI says it's begun arresting more than 100 alleged gangsters from six New York and New Jersey mob families this morning in what it calls the largest Mafia round-up in New York history. If you're a mobster, hide now.

Mafia families in Italy were communicating with their imprisoned bosses by texting an unwitting sports show that displayed viewers' texts on screen. One sample: "Everything is OK – Paolo." Come on, guys, at least try to make it about sports.

Jersey Shore guidette Snooki supposedly broke up with her last boyfriend because he was using her for fame. Her newest beau may be doing the same thing. Let's take a look at his online acting profile, shall we?

Italian authorities have arrested over 300 people in a sweep of the Calabrian mafia 'Ndrangheta, on suspicion of murder, drug trafficking and money laundering. Some 3,000 police officers took part and arrests were also made in the US. [BBC]

A jailed Italian mobster says he has evidence that America's sexiest study abroad killer, Amanda Knox, didn't kill roommate Meredith Kercher, after all. He says his brother did it, thereby defying The Godfather by siding against the family. [CNN, via]

The U.S. attorney yesterday called new charges of sex trafficking of minors "a new low for the Gambino family." Worse than nine decades of racketeering, extortion, drug trafficking, money laundering, murder, prostitution, and illegal toxic waste dumping? Well, maybe. [NYT]

Everybody's having fun with Robert Mormando, the gay mafia hitman the world learned about today. It's like The Sopranos! Except he only meant to come out in front of the judge, not a bunch of newspaper reporters.

Gambino family hit man Robert Mormando had something to share in court yesterday. He's gay and he wanted everyone who was at his sentencing for involvement in a 2003 shooting to know it.

Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel, and Gary Coleman are all having relationship issues. Megan Fox: macking on Zac Efron and smack-talking Michael Bay. Liza's mob problems, Twilight's freak fanbase, and celebrity cocaine usage! Presenting your pre-Holiday Friday Gossip Roundup:

Now that gangster heir John "Junior" Gotti has been arrested by the feds once again, how will his three nephews-stars of the reality show Growing Up Gotti-support themselves? CollegeOTR reports that middle son John is in college somewhere, and young diet book author Frank has had some troubles with drugs. That means…

Salvatore "Bill" Bonanno, media hound eldest son of late mob boss Joe "Bananas" Bonanno, died early this morning of a heart attack. Bonanno joined his father's business early, spent years as Joe's adviser, ended up as a subject of a Gay Talese book, then wrote his own cash-in mob memoir, and even "co-produced a 1999…

Village Voice reporter Tom Robbins was subpoenaed yesterday over 10-year-old reporting that he brought to light that impacts the prosecution of former FBI agent R. Lindley DeVecchio—in his story, mob mistress Linda Schiro contradicted her already-given testimony. With their star witness in a shambles, now the entire…