Punk philosophy is not unitarian, particularly in the matter of politics. However, there are some traits common to all punk movements, and subcultures, as follows: essential role of individual freedom; non-conformity; anti-authoritarianism; reject of official ethics and esthetics; radicality of principles. Those common traits can be called “punk spirit”. Well, the page is dedicated to the city of Milan, the most advanced and developed metropolis of Italy, because I dream that eventual recipes for inverting the decline of Italy might come from Milan itself. Nevertheless, alas, today the socio-economic and political situation of Milan doesn’t authorize any hope of exerting a guiding role, similar to the one of the 80’s. More precisely, I want to describe what’s up in Milan, below the thick curtain built by official press. I would like to tell it like it is, with a punk spirit.
Talking about the nightlife in Milan, I have found only 1 punk venue, dozens of Chinese karaoke bars, and a dozen of Arabic venues, among which some shisha bars. Despite of a lot of confused and contradictory information, I observe that the market of recreational drugs resembles a lot to the New York of late 60’s. While in New York there was a cartel between Cosa Nostra and the Westies, including hidden pacts with the City administration, in Milan there might be a cartel between the ‘Ndrangheta and the Chinese Mafia, the mob organizations most politically correct, that doesn’t seem to have strong enemies among local authorities. As reported into different press articles, originally not connected, and united by me, the ‘Ndrangheta controls the traffics of cocaine, heroin, hashish, and marijuana, while the Chinese Mafia controls the traffic of synthetic drugs (especially shaboo and ketamine), plus prostitution, gambling, and money laundering, even with financial services.
What about the most recent judiciary investigations in Milan? Some examples, taken from the official press. In the field of recreational drugs, I can remember: a trial against a corrupted policeman, who blackmailed and extorted some common drug dealers, not bound to the chiefs of mobsters; a scandal involving 26 luxury restaurants and nightclubs, and 60 top soccer players, caused by prostitution and ballon drug (nitrous oxide), as a business in the hands of an Italian couple, totally extraneous to the mob cartel of the above. In the field of the relationships of the two local soccer top teams with mobsters, signaled to public attention by the journalist Roberto Saviano around April 2026, I confirm that the chiefs of the organized supporters of Inter FC have included some members of the ‘Ndrangheta, as proven by a homicide occurred between two of them. What about that? A judiciary trial is going on, but chiefly against the organized supporters of AC Milan, the other local soccer team, even if no connection of AC Milan to organized crime has ever been reported, or proven. In the field of the unorthodox praxes of municipal administration, I can cite: a large investigation on urban planning, that’s evidently disconcerting, but for irrelevant and minor topics; an inexplicable investigation on the sale of the old San Siro stadium from the City of Milan to Inter FC and AC Milan, with a known pact of building a new stadium at the same place, beside to the old. In the field of the discussed relationships of Inter FC with the Italian soccer league (FIGC), and with the associated group of soccer referees: an investigation against the former chief of the referees, who has immediately resigned, and some other referees, but for some minor episodes, not previously evidenced by press, and not against the Inter FC (might it be a case of corruption without the corruptor?).
I have a theory about the old San Siro stadium. In my opinion, the municipal administration of Milan might have forced Inter FC and AC Milan to buy the old San Siro stadium, that can’t be demolished because of national norms, and the, not announced, purposes of the procedure were to stop the incoming construction of the new stadium of AC Milan, in San Donato Milanese, and to oblige AC Milan of including Inter FC in the eventual edification of the new stadium, despite of the huge debt and the lack of ownership transparence of Inter FC. Surprisingly, AC Milan has accepted the uncommon proposal of the municipal administration, and the edification is ready to start in the year 2027. So, the judiciary investigation might serve to stop the construction of the new stadium, perhaps unexpected, and not compatible to the edification index and requirements.
I briefly explain the reasons why the ownerships of Inter FC lacks of transparence, and, for that, is prone to be notably influenced by the mob cartel of the above. The 68,55% of the shares of Inter FC has been acquired by Suning Sports, a Chinese holding, in the year 2016. In the year 2025, Suning Sports has not restituted a loan given by the American investments fund Oaktree Capital, that has subsequently exerted a pledge on the 31% of shares of Inter FC. Italian newspapers affirm that Oaktree has acquired the 100% of the shares of the soccer team, although it is impossible, given that Suning Sports has previously “sold” another 30% of its 68,55% of shares to LionRock, a company in Hong Kong (possibly, Suning still controls the majority of shares of Inter FC). About 1 month after the arrival of Oaktree Capital to Italy, Suning Sports has gone to bankruptcy, in another country, and the CEO of Inter FC, Mr. Alessandro Antonello, “inexplicably” resigned. In the second part of the year 2025, Oaktree Capital has been acquired by the Canadian investments fund Brookfield, including the property of the shares of Inter FC. No man of Brookfield corporation results to have officially declared that to the Italian soccer league, and the huge debt of Inter FC has been refinanced by Oaktree (now they say that it is 734 million euro). What has the public accusation in Milan done about that? A scrupulous investigation on Milan AC, whose transparency is total and undisputable, also in adherence of the rules of financial fair play.
In conclusion, punk spirit in Milan is rather scarce. For that, I have posted a mix of punk rock, classic and recent, dedicated to the inhabitants of Milan.
File name is “punk rock for the city of Milan, by Max Look DJ (May 2026)”, 1 hour 21’ and 16” of a punk mix, that blends classic punk and post-punk.
Much more punk for you, the playlist:
Clash – atom tan
Section 25 – program for light
Killing Joke – unspeakable
Jam – precious
Dictators – baby let’s twist
Deviants – first line
Stranglers – always the sun
Lou Reed – walk and talk it
Cabaret Voltaire – sly doubt
Hives – enough is enough
Ivan Cattaneo – superuomo
B-52’s – love shack
Bohicas – to die for
Evan Dando – hard drive
Placebo – twenty years
Blondie – atomic
Ultravox – we came to dance
Mudhoney – I don’t remember
Talking Heads – wild wild life
Bush Tetras – too many creeps
Blue Aeroplanes – spitting out miracles
Blink 182 – Adam’s song
Mark Lanegan Band – name and number
Radio Stars – it really necessary?
Suede – criminal ways
