I worked through Leomar, previously known as Antama, and always received my money. I had no problems with payment.
I was offered a job on a bulk carrier through Leomar. The salary was explained using a scheme where the basic amount was stated in the contract and the remaining part was covered by a confidential additional agreement and paid as a bonus at the end of the contract. I was told that this salary information could not be disclosed to anyone on board, even the master. The arrangement seemed unclear, with one amount discussed verbally and another written in the contract, and I had no guarantee that the full advertised salary would be paid.
I worked for Italian owners for 6 years. There are pros and cons, but overall they are greedy, definitely better than Indians. We often stood next to Sider, and there are vessels that mainly operate in the Mediterranean, often new builds, with Italians, Romanians, and Croats on board. They hire our crew mainly for cement carriers and bulk carriers. Don't expect the vessels to be in great condition. A friend was called for a delivery of a new build for a 2-month contract, but then they put Europeans on board. Regarding the flag, if it's Italian, most of the officers are likely to be Italians, with Romanians and Croats who mostly speak Italian. Sometimes relatives or friends of the owners are on board, but they mainly stay there permanently.