Herculaneum –The organization dedicated to the drug dealing, with base between Herculaneum and Porticoes and ramifications up to Naples and the Sorrento Peninsula, dismantled at dawn yesterday by the Carabinieri of the Torre del Greco Company, also had a drug refinery at its disposal.
Article Key Points
The investigation led to the arrest of 12 Guests, while one suspect was subjected to a ban on residing in the province of Naples. Overall, 41 subjects are under investigation, with 67 charges and over 500 drug dealing incidents contested.
A million-dollar business involving drugs and racketeering
The organization had set up a structured and capillary system: homes transformed into laboratories for refining cocaine into crack, underage pushers recruited to deal drugs in the alleys of Ercolano and a bribe collection system imposed on drug dealers.
According to investigators, the group's top management was led by Vincenzo Papillo called Vicenzo 'the devil by the brothers Ciro and Raffaele Bifolco, With the collaboration of Rose Guardavaccaro, called Rosella, Raffaele's wife.
The Shadow of the Camorra: The Ascione-Papale Clan
The investigation, coordinated by District Anti-Mafia Directorate of Naples, has also brought to light possible links with the camorra, especially with the clan Ascione-Papal, even though the defendants were not charged with the aggravating circumstance of mafia.
The investigative activity, conducted between 2021 and 2023, allowed us to identify 14 different drug dealing areas, unmasking a well-organized and structured network on multiple levels, with well-defined roles: area bosses, drug dealers, drug custodians, accountants and even chemists those in charge of processing narcotics.
One of the key points of the investigation was the discovery of a crack cocaine refinery in via Pugliano, dating back to 2022.
Wiretaps and a repentant reveal the mechanisms of the system
The investigations were based on thousands of wiretaps, shadowings and seizures. The contribution of a justice collaborator, John Montella, known as “Giovannone”, former drug kingpin, who revealed the names of the main suppliers of the drug dealing areas: Vincenzo Papillo and Raffaele Bifolco.
The structure of the criminal organization was highly sophisticated: in some circumstances the drugs were delivered to your home or moved through itinerant drug dealing squares. Payment was also made with prepaid card transfers, to reduce the risk of checks on pushers.
Threats and violence for territorial control
The investigation also revealed extortion incidents against drug dealers who were supplied by the group. The Preliminary Investigations Judge, Nicoletta Campanaro, described the group as a structure organized with a "business" model, based on threats and intimidation to maintain control over drug dealing.
One of the most emblematic cases concerns a attempted extortion to the detriment of a district manager of the historic center, forced to pay almost 3.000 euros of debt.
The arrested
Here are the names of the 12 people who ended up in prison:
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Ciro Bifolco (21/06/1973, Torre del Greco)
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Raffaele Bifolco (20/11/1976, Naples)
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Francis Bowl (19/05/1990, Torre del Greco)
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Charles DeMaio (31/10/1985, Torre del Greco)
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Salvatore Del Prete (11/07/1985, Torre del Greco)
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James Esposito (10/08/1990, Massa di Somma)
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John Guide (28/01/1982, Torre del Greco)
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Salvatore Gargiulo (08/11/1989, Lanusei)
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Anthony Madonna (06/02/1990, San Giorgio a Cremano)
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Vincenzo Nocerino (25/07/1996, Torre del Greco)
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Salvatore Oliviero (07/01/1983, Torre del Greco)
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Vincent Papillo (30/07/1974, Naples)
The investigation dismantled one of the largest drug dealing networks in the province of Naples, putting an end to a drug trafficking network that supplied the entire Vesuvian area and the Sorrento Coast.
(in the photo Vincenzo Papillo and Ciro Bifolco)
Article published on 1 April 2025 - 07:29
The article reports a serious situation in the region, with arrests and drug dealing networks dismantled. It is important to continue fighting against drugs and organized crime, but more support is needed for the young people involved.