Caltanisetta, Sicily - The sister of a jailed top mafia boss was among 24 people arrested Monday in Sicily as police swooped on suspected Cosa Nostra-controlled cement works and gambling halls.

The 72-year-old Maria Stella Madonia allegedly served as a go-between for her brother, top mafioso don Giuseppe "Piddu" Madonia who is serving a life sentence in a maximum security prison, the ANSA news agency said.

The businesses, reportedly valued at some 4 million euros (5.3 million dollars), and allegedly run by the jailed boss with the help of his sister and other relatives, are mostly situated in the central Sicilian city of Caltanisetta and the island's souther port of Gela.

Over 100 para-military Carabinieri police took part in the morning raids. (dpa)