The arrests, which came after two years of investigations, covered a range of charges, including mafia affiliation, drug trafficking, extortion and attempted murder.
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said several alleged mafia bosses were among those arrested and described the sting as a "very hard blow to Cosa Nostra". Over 50kg of drugs were also seized.
The fact that mafia bosses were trying to reorganise and rebuild the criminal network as soon as they were released from prison shows “the extraordinary resilience” of Cosa Nostra, said John Dickie, an expert on Italy’s various mafia groups.