Because of the difficult-to-control border, the area around Gandria became infamous for smuggling. Cigarettes, meat and alcohol were especially profitable due to high Swiss customs duties. (A notable item at the Swiss Customs Museum is a confiscated �submarine� used to smuggle salami).
The year 1935 was the beginning of a new era for Gandria, as tunnels and a new road above the lake shore connected the village to Lugano and Italy.
Merger with Lugano
In 2004, the municipality of Gandria merged with the city of Lugano. Since Gandria became a part of Lugano, needed infrastructure projects have been carried out, including a sewage treatment plant that went on line in August 2010. Work to place electrical lines underground is ongoing
