Naples – The alleged murderer of 15-year-old Emanuele Tufano, killed by mistake by “friendly fire” during a drive-by attack on young people in the Mercato district on the night of October 24, 2024, was ready to defend himself and arm himself.
Article Key Points
This is what emerges from some video call recordings acquired by investigators with the mum of the one who is considered the leader of the group of baby criminals from the Sanità district.
Over the course of five conversations, the woman warns the boy (he is one of nine adults in prison) “They're looking for you to split you up, because of Emanuele.” In the group, in fact, he is considered the one who fatally shot Tufano. Then, speaking with other friends, he tells them that they are looking for him 'from inside the
Healthcare… or system within Healthcare”.
The young man's reaction is alarming: he doesn't talk about running away, but about arming himself to defend himself, declaring that he is willing to be "beaten up for satisfaction", but also ready to react with violence, "beating them up" if necessary. “Where they do something bad”
The climate of strong tension, silence and complicity of the relatives of all the members of the Sanità district group certainly did not help the investigators. It is no coincidence that Emanuele Tufano's murderer has not been identified with certainty even if his name is mentioned during two intercepted conversations. And therefore there is no order against him.
In recent months, the Sanità district has been the epicentre of a spiral of violence between groups of armed youths, triggered by the murders of Emanuel Tufano, 16 years old, and his twenty year old friend Emanuel During. Tufano died in October 2024 under so-called “friendly fire” during a layoff, while Durante was allegedly killed as internal revenge by those who held him responsible for the tragic mistake.
The investigations of Carabinieri and the Naples Flying Squad, under the coordination of the District Anti-Mafia Directorate and the Juvenile Prosecutor's Office, have revealed a disturbing picture: young people with close ties to organized crime, equipped with firearms, capable of acting with coolness and determination, even with a spirit of defiance.
A behavior that, according to investigators, confirms the high risk of repetition of the crimes and the current dangerousness of the suspects. Reinforcing this scenario are the images and messages exchanged via chat between some of the protagonists of the story: photos with guns in hand, pride in owning weapons and interest in new purchases, in a climate of total insensitivity to the gravity of the events.
The shocking sentence: “Health and the Market have never been able to see each other”.
Among the characters involved, also Joseph Auricchio, who in a dialogue with the mother of another person under investigation lets himself go with an emblematic comment: “Health and the Market have never been able to see each other”. A phrase that sums up the hatred between the warring factions. For the magistrates, the armed raid that led to Tufano's death must be interpreted as an action aimed at imposing territorial domination, even at the cost of shooting and killing.
In this context the name of also emerges Gennaro De Martino, the only adult in the Market group. Son of Salvatore De Martino, alias “cap and warrior”, killed in a Camorra ambush in 2021 in Ponticelli, Gennaro already shows a well-defined criminal profile. Arrested in 2023 for resistance and injuries, he attempted to escape from the IPM of Airola during a fire and, subsequently, escaped from the prison by digging a hole in his cell.
The investigation then paints a devastating picture: armed baby bosses, internal feuds, revenge and a parallel justice system that is played out between minors and young adults, in an urban context where weapons seem to have become the only recognized law.
Article published on May 13, 2025 - 07:10 pm
