Michele Zagaria
Italian police officers lead mafia boss Michele Zagaria from a police station in the southern city of Caserta. Zagaria was one of Italy's most wanted fugitives. He was captured hiding in a bunker. Reuters

One of Itay's most wanted fugitives was captured on Wednesday. Italian mob boss Michele Zagaria was found hiding in an underground bunker in Casapesenna, located in his hometown province of Caserta in Southern Italy.

The area is the headquarters of the Casalesi clan oagf the Neapolitan Camorra, according to The Associated Press.

Zagaria, head of the Casalesi powerful clan which controlled a large territory north of Naples, has for years been one of Italy's most wanted fugitives. He has been on the run from authorities since 1995.

Prosecutor Piero Grasso suggested that Zagaria has likely been a nearby fugitive for years, considering mob bosses can only exercise their power if they're in an environment that protects them.

This was the nightmare: We knew he was there, but it was tough to find him, tough to get him out, he told Sky TG24. Finally we did.

How Zagaria's arrest from the bunker played out is remarkable. Police located it long before the arrest, but had to dig around it. Zagaria reportedly watched the digging progress of police via closed-circuit TVs. He ultimately gave up without a fight once police cut off electricity supplying fresh oxygen to the bunker, according to reports.

The government won, Zagaria told police, according to ANSA news agency. It's over.

According to The Associated Press, investigators allege that the Casalesi family runs a lucrative illegal business in transporting and disposing of toxic waste, a murky world explored in the book and film 'Gomorrah.' Other moneymakers for the crime clan are rackets, extortion, drug trafficking, smuggling of illegal migrants and arms.