Roman Gladiator Impersonators Face Off With Police In Italian Capital

An Ancient Racket: Fake Gladiators Face Off With Police In Rome

ROME - Thesedays, in the center of Rome, tourists might just see a real gladiator fight. The modern-day Roman tough guys -- long a photo-op attraction for visitors in the eternal city -- have been busy trying to escape from a local police crackdown.

Last week, police arrested 20 people accused of threatening visitors, as well as other insurgent wannabe-gladiators trying to invade the tourist-packed turf. For months, tourism agencies had denounced members of seven Italian families --- many of them with a long list of criminal records --- for trying to monopolize the gladiator business.

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot