Naples – Just sixteen years old, but already immersed in ruthless criminal dynamics, dangerous acquaintances and a macabre fascination with death.
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A chilling background story emerges from the chats of the group of baby camorristi from the Sanità district frequented by Emanuel Tufano, the sixteen-year-old killed by friendly fire during a "stesa" in Piazza Mercato on the evening of October 24, 2024.
Together with eleven other peers, Tufano took part in that night of violence, but his disturbing intentions went beyond a simple “prank”.
In the 106 pages of the precautionary order signed by the GIP Alessandra Cesare, which led to the arrest of sixteen baby camorristi of the Health District and Market Square (with the sole exception of the nineteen year old Francesco Zerobio, who turned himself in yesterday in the Secondigliano prison), disconcerting details emerge about the mentality of these very young people.
Yesterday the only fugitive Francesco Zerobio turned himself in
The section dedicated to “chats” reveals the existence of numerous Telegram groups dedicated to the black market of “dark web”, where weapons, drugs, cloned credit cards and counterfeit money were dealt.
But the deepest horror lies in a significant conversation between the victim, Emanuele Tufano, and Francesco Esposito said little piece, dated February 28, 2024. Extracted from a chat whose messages had been deleted by Esposito (except one, commented by Tufano and then recovered), the conversation reveals an unheard of violence.
Esposito informed Tufano that “GDM” (identified by investigators as Gennaro De Martino (of the Market group) had a gun pointed at his face that night, and Emanuele's response was chilling: he considered that gesture a “loss of dignity”.
After all, there is no doubt that the Sanità group was armed that night. The images from the cameras are eloquent: they immortalize the moment in which Mattia Buonafine delivers a blatantly gun to minor FPF., under the eyes of all twelve members of the group.
Immediately after, riding six scooters, they set off in a noisy and bold procession towards the city center, displaying arrogant confidence, without protective helmets and eager to assert their strength on the territory. The mutual awareness of possessing weapons and the belief that they could react violently to any "external attack" made them bold and ready for battle.
The investigations also reveal that these “armed raids” were nothing new for the Sanità group, as confirmed by MV's ex-girlfriend, in a conversation with her new partner AF (of the Mercato group), explaining that “they” they did these “rounds” every evening.
And a group chat with Esposito emerged from the victim's cell phone, Zerobio and three other subjects, where the participants proudly discussed their familiarity with weapons. In an even more disturbing passage, Emanuele Tufano asked Esposito if he had a steady hand, and the latter, answering affirmatively, emphasized his "experience".
But it is another message taken from the same chat that freezes the blood: Emanuele Tufano manifested his clear and disconcerting desire to shoot someone, driven by the morbid desire to “look into his eyes as he dies”.
This terrible confession, combined with the awareness of the risks by the members of the group themselves (as admitted by the minor MV to his mother, reporting that Emanuele was “knowing that he was coming to hang out with us… and he knows that we fight with people”), paints a picture of a very young criminal group without scruples and with a disturbing propensity for extreme violence.
Awareness of parents of young baby camorristi
also the mothers of the youngest protagonists of that night seemed aware of their armed conduct, without showing any opposition, as emerges from environmental interceptions. A deafening silence that underlines a normalization of violence in difficult family contexts.
With this fearless and armed attitude, that night the Sanità group advanced as far as the rival territory of Piazza Mercato, almost attracted by the awareness of danger, looking for an opportunity to test their strength and strengthen their criminal power.
According to the reconstruction by the Prosecutor's Office, that evening the Sanità group moved through the city streets armed and determined, going as far as to enter a neighborhood controlled by a rival group, also armed. A real “expedition” which, rather than avoiding danger, seemed to seek it, with the aim of measuring its ability to react and consolidating its power.
The boys from the Sanità district opened fire
The clash was not long in coming: when the boys from Sanità met those from the Market – who were behind them and were showing their weapons – they opened fire. Three guns fired bursts first into the air, then at man height, as confirmed by the young minor witnesses FA and AP, both arrested in the investigation. The boys from the Market returned fire with two weapons, seeking shelter from the bullets.
The witnesses' accounts match other reconstructions. In a conversation with her boyfriend F. A, the girl reported what she had learned from her ex, speaking of a warning launched by one of the members of the Sanità shortly before one of them opened fire. Also Joseph Auricchio, in an interview with AS, said he was among the last of the scooter procession and found himself face to face with his opponents: “The four of us met face to face… he pointed at me,” would have reported.
A night of madness and violence that tragically marked the fate of two very young lives.
Article published on May 10, 2025 - 09:20 pm
The article describes a very serious and worrying situation, young people involved in acts of violence and crime make us reflect on how society is changing. It is important to intervene to prevent similar tragedies in the future and protect young people.