As we remember from the article Camorra: Myths and Reality, there was no single criminal organization in Naples and Campania. In the 70s of the twentieth century, Raffaele Cutolo tried to create such a community. Vito Faenza, a journalist for the Corriere del Mezzogiorno newspaper, wrote on this occasion:
“You have to understand that the Camorra is not the Sicilian mafia. It does not have a "dome", that is, a pyramidal structure with a top … A real attempt at centralization was made only once during the time of Raffaele Cutolo, in the early 80s. It led to the largest mafia war, in which 273 people died in 1981 alone."
The new Camorra organization
Raffaele Cutolo was born in 1941 in the commune of Ottaviana, which is located about 20 km from Naples. Unlike many of his "associates", Cutolo was not a hereditary Camorrist, but already at the age of 12 he gathered a gang of neighboring teenagers, which hunted for petty theft on the streets and even robbed small shops. He committed his first murder at the age of 21. He was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment, but the appellate court reduced this term to 24 years. He served his punishment in the prison of Pogge Reale (Naples), where he earned a reputation as a "tough guy" by challenging the boss of one of the Camorra clans, Antonio Slavone, to fight at knives. He refused the fight, saying:
"Young people want to die young at any cost."
The boss was soon released and was badly wounded by one of Cutolo's friends who shot Slavone with a shotgun. After this assassination attempt, the authority of the young bandit literally skyrocketed. A group of prisoners formed around him, which became the basis of the New Camorra organization - Nuova Camorra Organizzata.
The "new Camorra organization" was split into two divisions: the Cielo coperto ("closed skies"), which included Camorrists in prison, and the Cielo scoperto ("clear skies"), whose members were at large. It was the Closed Skies activists who became the main recruiters of the New Camorra: prisoners who did not want to join this organization were severely beaten and even died under unexplained circumstances. On the other hand, the Camorrists, who recognized the power of Cutolo, could hope for regular parcels from the outside during their imprisonment, getting a "job" when they were released, and their families received subsidies from the "Clear Sky". And soon under the command of Cutolo was a whole army of seven thousand people.
The Cutolo organization consisted of batterie (rank and file fighters) who were subordinate to picciotti - the leaders of the individual groups. These, in turn, were controlled by "helpers" (sgarristi), who, while Kutoli was in prison, were subordinate to Santisti. This high position was held by Cutolo's own sister, Rosetta. We will talk a little about her in the next article dedicated to the women of the Camorrra.
Rafaelo's subordinates bore the title of "cutoliani" (cutolians) and when they met they kissed his left hand (like a bishop), while Cutolo modestly called himself "king of the Camorra" and said:
“I am the messiah for suffering prisoners, I administer justice, I am the only true judge who takes from the usurers and distributes to the poor. I am a true law, I do not accept Italian justice."
And:
“The Camorrist must be humble, wise, and always ready to bring joy where there is pain. Only in this way will he become a good camorrist before God."
At this time, in prison, he already had a personal chef (prisoner Giovanni Pandico), who served him daily lobster and champagne. As a "prison uniform", Cutolo wore the most expensive brands of clothing and shoes. Employees of the Italian Ministry of Justice later calculated that only from March 5, 1981 to April 18, 1982. Cutolo spent the equivalent of $ 29,000 on food and clothing (the purchasing power of dollars was then significantly higher than it is now). During this time, Cutolo spent another 26 thousand dollars to help the Closed Skies Camorrists.
Cutolo became the prototype for Frank Vulziviano, the protagonist of the 1986 Italian film Camorrist.
The song Don Raffae (performer - Fabrizio De Andre) is dedicated to him, in which the foreman of the carabinieri prison of Poggio Reale complains about his life and claims that the only bright spot in it is communication with prisoner Raffaelo Cutolo:
I consult with don Raffaele, He explains life to me, and we drink coffee with him …
There are a lot of injustices, and what about our authorities?
Shock, resent and promise
Then everyone is sent with dignity.
My brains are already boiling
Fortunately, there is someone who answers me.
This smartest and greatest man
I ask you to explain what is happening in the world."
Raffaelo Cutolo is one of the characters in the book "Gomorrah" written by journalist Roberto Saviano (currently under government protection). In this book, Saviano claims that from 1979 to 2006. the Camorrists killed at least 3,666 people.
In the criminal world, Cutolo was known under the nickname "The Professor", which he received in prison for the reason that the only inmate could read and write.
Naples at this time continued to be a major transshipment base for sending and receiving smuggled goods; the seaport of this city was widely used by Sicilian mafiosi. But Cutolo and his sister managed to negotiate with them.
Cutolo's influence was so great that in 1981, while in prison, he mediated negotiations with the terrorists of the "Red Brigades" who kidnapped a member of the regional government of the Campaign, Ciro Cirilli. These negotiations were crowned with success: Cirilli was released, although a ransom was paid for him. As a payment, Cutolo received the right of appeal, at which he managed to obtain a commutation of the sentence.
From all other Camorra clans, the Cutolo organization required the Imposta Camorra Aggiunta (Camorra Sales Tax) to be paid on all smuggled goods. It was this “tax” that became fatal for Nuova Camorra Organizzata.
Nuova Famiglia ("New Family")
In 1978, Cutolo had a dangerous rival - Michele Zaza, nicknamed Pazzo ("Crazy"), a native of the Mazzarella clan.
First, in 1978, he created the Onorata fratellanza ("noble brotherhood"), and in 1979, the Nuova Famiglia. One of the “foremen” of the “New Family” was Umberto Ammaturo, the lover of Assunta Marinetti, “Madame Camorra”, whom Roberto Saviano called “a beautiful avenger and a murderer” in the book “Gomorrah”. It will be discussed in the next article.
The main reason for the "uprising" of Zaza was the same "sales tax": in the first three months of the introduction of these levies, he had to pay Cutolo 4 billion lira (approximately 3,931,239 US dollars).
1980 to 1983 The New Family waged a war against the New Camorra Organization, in which hundreds of people were killed (more than 400, including random people) - and won. In 1993, Rosetta Cutolo surrendered to the authorities.
Sentenced to life imprisonment (more precisely, to nine life sentences) Raffaele Cutolo is still alive. Since his only son died in the "War of the Camorra", he decided to acquire a new heir (or - an heiress), and in 2007 there was a message about the birth of his daughter, who was artificially conceived.
Arrested in 1993, Michele Zaza died a year later in prison at the age of 49. After his death, the Nuova Famiglia he created disintegrated, but Michele Zaza's own clan "Mazzarella" now controls four communes in Campania and four districts of Naples. One of his heirs and successors, Chicho Mazzarella, fled Italy to Colombia in 2006, and then settled in Santo Domingo, where he bought a villa that became the headquarters of his clan, which continued to operate in Campania. They managed to arrest him only in 2009.
Sacra Corona Unita
It was Raffaelo Cutolo who became the founder of the Apulian criminal community Sacra Corona Unita. Many people translate this name as "Union of the Holy Crown", but corona in southern Italy is also a Catholic rosary. According to Cosimo Capodechi, who agreed to cooperate with the investigation, it is precisely the beads that are meant: this is an allusion to the fact that the SCU members are "".
It all began with the fact that during the period of the greatest power of Nuova Camorra Organizzata, Raffaele Cutolo decided to organize its branches in Puglia as well. He appointed Alessandro Fusco as his confidant in this province. However, as we know, the war soon began with Michele Zaza's Nuova Famiglia: Cutolo was not up to Puglia. But the seeds had already been thrown into the fertile soil. Another person took up the baton to create a new criminal organization. It was Giuseppe Rogoli - not a Camorrist, but a member of one of the families of the Calabrian Ndrangheta.
According to the most widespread version, Rogoli received the “blessing” for the creation of the new structure in Trani prison on the eve of Christmas 1981. However, the police say that this happened only in May 1983.
So, like Cutolo, Rogoli took over the new structure while in prison. But if his own sister was in charge of the affairs of the head of the New Organization of the Camorra in his absence, Rogoli had to confide in a certain Antonio Antonico, who decided that leading the “mafia” (more precisely, “a mafia-type organization”) was not a tricky business, and he was not bad with him himself. will cope. Rogoli's supporters repulsed an attempt at a "raider takeover" in a small war. However, it was not possible to preserve the unity, and therefore, in addition to Sacra Corona Unita, firmly established in Bari, Brindisi and Taranto, in Puglia there are groups Rosa dei Venti, Remo Lecci libera, Nuova Famiglia Salentina, who "conquered" the city of Lecce for themselves, as well as the Sacra Corona Libera youth gangs. There are 47 criminal clans in Puglia.
Since the Apulian clans are quite young, they do not have such strict family ties as in the criminal communities of other provinces. Nevertheless, in their rituals, they try to imitate the "older sisters" - the Mafia, Camorra and Ndrangheta, furnishing them with even more theatricality, and the oaths are taken without fail "on blood." Joining a gang, a candidate swears only for himself, moving to the next level, he renounces all his relatives up to the seventh generation, candidates for the highest posts swear by their immortal soul.
Knowing well their "comrades in arms" from the neighboring provinces, Rogolo and his people at first acted cautiously and tried not to cross their path. First, they took control of the production of wine and olive oil in Puglia, and only then, in cooperation with the Albanians, they began to "work" with drugs and weapons, as well as in the field of organizing sexual services. There were also useful contacts in other regions of Italy. Sacra Corona Unita cooperates with the Campanian clan of Di Lauro on drugs, with the Calabrian families of Pesce-Belocco, Terano and Pyromallo - in the organization of gambling business in Italy and abroad.
Currently, the annual turnover of Sacra corona unita is estimated at 2 billion euros. Branches of this organization also appeared in Modena, Mantua and Reggio Emilia. Outside of Italy, its positions are especially strong in Albania, but a presence is also noted in Spain, Germany, Great Britain and the United States.
Let's go back to the story of the Campanian Camorra.
Other Camorra clans
In 1992, Carmino Alfieri created another major Campanian criminal organization - Nuovo Mafia Campana, but was soon arrested, and this group also disintegrated.
The Casalesi clan had a great influence in Naples, uniting three criminal "families" - Schiavoni, Zagaria-Iovine and Bidognetti. In 2008, the Casalesi clan even tried to buy the Lazio football club. On behalf of the Camorra, through a dummy Hungarian firm, the negotiations were conducted by the former striker of this team, Giorgio Chinali, who himself had previously been accused of extortion.
The same clan “sentenced to death” the journalist Roberto Saviano, the author of the book “Gomorrah”.
In 2010, the "Nemesis" police operation was carried out against the Casalesi clan, which the Minister of the Interior Roberto Maroni announced
"The most significant anti-mafia operation ever carried out in the history of the Italian Republic."
They say that then they managed to confiscate currencies, property and valuables worth 2 billion euros (this is the annual turnover of the entire Sacra Corona Unita). As a result, according to General Antonio Girone of the Carabinieri, Casales
"There were difficulties with paying salaries to subordinates."
In June 2011, he was forced to resign from the post of Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance, Nicolo Cosentino, who was accused of being
"Casalesi's main partner in government structures."
The leader of the Casalesi clan, Michele Zagaria, who has been hiding from justice for 16 years, was arrested in December 2011. This operation was attended by 300 police officers who cordoned off the village of Mascagni.
It was about this "cartel" that the series "Camorrists Clan" and "Undercover." Arrest of Zagaria ".
Despite the losses incurred, the Casalesi clan survived, and in December 2015 a new operation was carried out against it, which ended with the arrest of 24 people and the confiscation of a shopping center worth 60 million euros.
A billion euros were confiscated in May 2011 from the Polverino clan. And the Mallardo clan lost 600 million euros at the same time - 900 real estate objects, 23 companies and 200 bank accounts were arrested.
The Giuliano brothers, from the clan that controls Naples' historic district of Forcella, were friends and patrons of Diego Maradona, who played at the local football club.
Salvatore Lo Russo testified in 2011 that Maradona asked him to find his Golden Ball (obtained in 1986), stolen from a traveling museum. The Camorrists found the kidnappers, but they had already melted the trophy. But the Argentine was returned seven expensive watches (actually, they brought eight, but one turned out to be "extra"). Lo Russo also admitted that he supplied Maradona, who was playing in Napoli at that time, with cocaine (as well as 12 of his teammates). At that time, Antonio had nothing to hide: during the police operation, his clan lost 100 million euros. It is curious that the co-owner of three pizzerias of this "family" was the defender of the Italian national team Fabio Cannavaro (recognized as the best football player in the world in 2006). It remains a mystery whether Cannavaro himself knew about such business partners. Mario Ballotelli from Manchester City and Ezequiela Lavessi from Napoli were summoned in September 2011 as witnesses in the case of Marco Ioria, who is suspected of laundering money from one of the Neapolitan bosses of the Camorra, Vittorio Pisani.
At present, according to Vito Faenza, which we have already quoted, there are about 83 large criminal "families" "with 7 thousand branches" operating in the Campania. Their main sources of income are drug and arms trafficking, cigarette smuggling, racketeering, illegal migrants, and control over prostitutes. The Camorra clans are now working closely with the Albanian "families" to organize drug trafficking and trade in "human goods".
Teenage street gangs, whose members are the personnel reserve of more serious structures, trade in theft and robbery.
By the way, some researchers claim that the famous phrase "wallet or life" appeared in Naples. Emigrants from the Italian Campaign brought it to the United States, where it became famous and spread all over the world.
Roberto Saviano claims that initially the bosses of the Camorra were sharply negative towards migrants from Africa. Back in the 80s of the twentieth century, one of the "dons" of Naples - Mario Luisa, ordered to burn alive a kindergarten teacher who rented an apartment to a Nigerian family. However, the profit from participating in the organization of illegal migration was so great that soon Luise was killed by his own subordinates, and the new boss ordered to organize the largest printing house in Italy for the production of fake passports.
Moreover, the tolerance of the current Camorra reached the point that one of its families was headed by Hugo Gabrele, who dressed like a woman, used makeup and demanded to call himself Kitty. He was arrested in 2009, and the police specifically noted that this was the first time they encountered a transvestite Camorrist.
The Camorra is also engaged in the production of counterfeit products (it was in the shopping centers that belonged to the Neapolitan clans in the 90s that for some time “branded” clothes and shoes were actively purchased by “shuttle traders” from all countries of the former USSR). Already familiar to us, Roberto Saviano testifies in the book "Gomorrah":
“The outskirts of Naples turned into one big factory, a real center of entrepreneurship … The clans created enterprises for the production of textiles, for sewing shoes and leather goods, capable of independently producing clothes, jackets, boots and shirts, identical to those of the major Italian fashion houses. Real professionals, top-class specialists, who have served for decades in the best Italian and European high fashion houses, who have seen the best examples of it, worked for them … Not only the work itself was impeccable, but also the raw materials, which were either purchased directly in China, or sent directly from the houses fashions for clandestine factories that won this order in an illegal auction. The clothing produced by the Secondigliano clans was not a typical counterfeit product, a gimmick, a pathetic imitation, a copy passed off as the original. It was "not real". Only the smallest thing was missing - the permission of the holding company, its brand, but the clans received this permission without asking anyone."
But what Saviano said later - in an interview:
“Italian haute couture is sewn by illegal workers who earn 60 euros a month in countless small factories in Campania. Semi-finished products for production are imported from China, and then the “Made in Italy” tag is sewn onto them. I knew one of the workers who saw a satin dress he had sewn on TV on Angelina Jolie: she came in it to the Oscars. Madonna's shoes for Evita are made in Muniano, near Naples."
Of his hometown of Casal di Principe, Saviano said:
“44% of the population have convictions under Article 416.2 -“ties with criminal gangs”. All local bosses are the sons of big landowners and construction entrepreneurs, all have studied abroad at the best universities in the world. A real petty bourgeois Camorra."
And further:
“Death is not an occupational risk, but an integral part of a lifestyle. Every newbie says to himself: "I want money, women, a good life and die like a man."
In Casal di Principe, a forty-year-old is already considered old. There are many 20-year-olds in the cemetery. This year (2007) alone, seventy people have been killed by the Camorra."
When asked, “is it possible to live in Naples and not have contact with the Camorra?” Saviano replied:
"Only if you do not earn anything at all or you gaze at the heavens all day."
There are also legal sources of income: services, construction and waste disposal. Roberto Saviano claims to be trash
"It brings in no less than cocaine, but the business itself is quite complicated, only the largest clans are engaged in it."
Chiara Maraska, a journalist for the Corriere del Mezzogiorno newspaper and an activist of the Anti-Camorra movement, who placed government orders for the construction of real estate on a par with the drug trade, agrees with him:
"The garbage business is no less profitable than the drug trade or construction on the basis of government orders."
So, according to Italian law enforcement officers, the Casalesi clan we have already mentioned intended to participate in the restoration of buildings destroyed by the earthquake on April 6, 2009 in the settlements of the province of Abruzzo. Antonio Iovine, one of the bosses of this clan (and one of the heroes of the Saviano book), in the province of Caserta was engaged in construction, cement production, and garbage collection. At the same time, he was included in the list of 30 most dangerous criminals in Italy and was on the wanted list for 14 years. He was arrested in 2010.
From time to time "garbage wars" start in Naples: Camorra announces an increase in the prices for garbage collection; while negotiations are underway, landfills are sprouting on the streets of Naples. Therefore, Naples is one of the dirtiest cities in Europe.
In this photo we see Naples during one of the "garbage wars":
And here trash is burning on the streets of the Campanian city of Afragola:
