Several Facebook groups glorifying top Mafia bosses have been suspended after Italy’s anti-Mafia movement urged thousands of people to infiltrate their pages.

Mafia investigators have accused Facebook of turning some of the country’s vicious mobsters into internet idols, by allowing them to maintain their own pages from their cells.

Some 5,000 fans had become members of the group “Riina, the boss of the bosses” on the social networking site, supporting Salvatore ‘the Beast’ Riina, who is currently serving 12 life sentences for murder.

Before the group disappeared from the site on Thursday, members had written messages calling Riina a “man of honour” or a “misunderstood” boss before virtually kissing his hand as a sign of respect and admiration.

His successor Bernardo Provenzano, who currently heads the Sicilian mafia, is also said to have a Facebook profile, with fans honoring “someone who tricked the state for 40 years” and others calling for him to be made a saint.

Relatives of mafia victims are outraged, while critics of Facebook have pointed out that it is odd for the site to ban images of breastfeeding women, yet seemingly turn a blind eye to some of Europe’s ruthless criminals.

(Via France 24)