Camorra, “aunt” Antonietta Virenti decided the protection money at the stalls

They feared her. She was a veritable female boss. She had inherited the sceptre from her late husband. She had decided that a maximum of 10 euros a day could be extorted from the stalls. And yet, a Mazzarella clan representative demanded 70 euros. An excessive sum.

But how could a direct message be sent to boss Michele without causing repercussions? It had to be told to the "aunt," Antonietta Virenti , 64, a female boss arrested today by police following a precautionary custody order signed by investigating judge Tommaso Perrella, which led to the arrest of 25 suspects. Virenti is the wife of Vincenzo, known as 'o pazzo' (the crazy man), who died in prison in November 2018, and the mother of Michele Mazzarella , the clan leader of the Forcella area of ​​Naples , and the mother-in-law of Marianna Giuliano , daughter of boss Luigi , the famous "Lovegino" or O Rre di Forcella, who has been a collaborator with justice for several years.

The conversation was intercepted in a wiretap between Massimo Ferraiuolo, the man who ran extortion rings and criminal activities for the gang in the Central Station area, and Gaetano Gemei, two other recipients of the precautionary measure. The gang leader and his underling are talking in a car on April 25, 2019.

Massimo Ferraiuolo : “I end up going there and things get messed up, I go to my aunt first and then…”. Gaetano Gemei : “(Pasqualino Salvia, ed.) How many does he keep? Go to Ciro Mazzarella”. Massimo Ferraiuolo : “He must keep ten of his”.

Antonietta Virente is charged with mafia-style criminal association "as the leader, promoter, and leader of the clan." According to the warrant, the woman was able to manage the clan in her son's absence.

"At the top of the gang for over twenty years, aided by her nephews Salvatore Barile and Ciro Mazzarella," the investigating judge wrote, "she is the one making the most important decisions ." Extortion was rampant at every stall in the Maddalena counterfeit market, also known as the Duchesca. And a relentless code of silence.

Out of 200 stalls, only one complaint was filed, and that was from a non-EU citizen. This was because, as the charges reveal, those who refused to pay were savagely beaten. "When I get back, you give me the back pay," were the threats directly from clan members to those who didn't pay. And even the illegal parking attendants paid up. Almost half of the proceeds were collected. The gang's tax collectors were Giovanna Romaniello and Maria Tella Marzano . "The extortion proceeds flowed into a common fund that, when necessary, was used to pay the salaries of prisoners and their families," the investigating judge explains in the order.

Meetings with the Montescuro clan in the hospital mortuary

The pages of the ordinance also contain the stories of Maurizio Ferraiuolo , a former collaborator of justice and brother of Massimo , one of those arrested in the raid and who in the meantime became the gang's top man in the Forcella area: "I always had support in the hospital... where I slept when I had to escape searches by the authorities or was in danger due to internal feuds... I remember having held some meetings...".

On September 24, 2012, he reported that Camorra summits were held in a downtown hospital and that weapons were also hidden. The meetings were held on the hospital premises, including in the mortuary, like those that followed in an attempt to end the armed conflict between the Mazzarella clan and the Montescuro clan.

Minister Piantedosi: “Let’s give citizens back spaces of legality”

This morning's operation by the State Police in Naples, coordinated by the local District Attorney's Office, "once again demonstrates the extraordinary commitment of the judiciary and law enforcement agencies against criminal organizations attacking the economic and social fabric of the Neapolitan capital."

This was stated by Interior Minister Matteo Piantedos , commenting on the execution of 25 precautionary detention orders against as many people considered seriously suspected of mafia-type association, extortion, and weapons possession, and linked in various ways to local gangs.

“We must continue with determination to give concrete answers to the Neapolitan community and fight the criminal associations that try to control the territory by imposing their power with extortionate demands to the detriment of commercial activities,” underlined the head of the Viminale, highlighting that “operations like these are fundamental to allow citizens to reclaim those spaces of legality and security necessary for the growth of a healthy economy and for a peaceful coexistence free from conditioning.”

Attorney General Riello: “Difficult to restore confidence in the State”

"There's certainly a lot of fear about reporting. Clearly, the signals need to be stronger because it's not easy to find the courage to report in environments so rife with crime," said Naples Attorney General Luigi Riello . "This speaks volumes about the perceived burden," he added. "The judiciary and law enforcement are doing a lot, but the situation in Campania is very serious, and restoring people's trust in the state is a very demanding task."

(in the photo from left Antonietta Virenti, Gaetano Gemei, Salvatore Ferraiuolo, Maurizio Virente, Enzo Barattolo, Massimo Ferraiuolo, Antonio Tubelli)