A well known West Belfast family have claimed the Provisional IRA has
ordered two of their members to leave the area or else face "blood on the
streets".
The Notarantonios, from Ballymurphy, said two senior members of the IRA's
Belfast Brigade had delivered the threat against Francisco Notarantonio jnr
(18) and his cousin Billy (21).
The alleged threats follow a long-running dispute between the Notarantonios
and a west Belfast drug-dealer. The family are appealing to the Government
for help. The threatened men's grandfather, Francisco Notarantonio snr, was
shot dead by loyalists in 1987.
The intended target was originally Freddie Scappaticci, whom it later
emerged was the senior Provisional IRA informer, Stakeknife. British
intelligence fed the UDA misinformation to target Notarantonia snr (66), a
retired taxi driver who had been in the IRA in the 1940s, and so save the
life of Scappaticci, a valuable agent.
Francisco Notarantonio snr's widow, Edith (76) told the Sunday Tribune:
"After what our family has been through, I didn't think anything else bad
would happen to us. Nobody has the right to put out my grandsons."
Edith Notarantonio said she had asked Sinn Féin three times for a meeting
with Gerry Adams: "I even went down to Sinn Féin offices in Sevastopol
Street the other day to see if I could talk to him because he was a friend
of my husband's. I want all this trouble to stop."
The family has a long history of involvement with various wings of the IRA.
Some members have been imprisoned for the Provisionals. However one nephew,
Joe O'Connor, the Real IRA's West Belfast commander, was shot dead by the
Provisionals five years ago.
A Sinn Féin spokesman said: "It's well known there is a dispute going on
between a number of families in Ballymurphy. Several people have been
assaulted and properties and cars damaged. There is no suggestion
republicans are in anyway involved in this. Sinn Féin wants to see the
situation resolved."
Kathleen Notarantonio, Francisco jnr's mother, said: "The Provos ordered my
son and my nephew out on 29th August. We said they weren't going.
"We were then told our house would be picketed if they didn't go. A few
days later we were told our whole family was barred from local pubs and
clubs. We don't mind that but we're worried about what they'll do to the
boys."
Kerry Notarantonio, an aunt of one of the threatened men, said: "Two senior
Provos arrived at my door on Wednesday night and said if Billy and Francisco
didn't leave there would be 'blood on these streets and some of it will be
from your family'.
"The IRA is meant to be on ceasefire. It still has an iron grip on this
community. It shouldn't be exiling anybody. We want the Irish government
to see if they can help."
The Notarantonios showed the Sunday Tribune a letter from police stating
police that an unnamed individual planned to kill Billy Notarantonio in
Belfast city centre nine days ago. The family believe the attack would have
been carried out by an associate of the drug-dealer.
