Gym bombing of former boxer Di Napoli: possible links to son's injury in Casoria

UA violent explosion shook the heart of the night in Ostia. Around 3 am, a firecracker was detonated in front of the shutters of a gym owned by Gianni Di Napoli, a former boxing champion and father of Kevin, the Roman boxer wounded by gunshots last July in Casoria, in the province of Naples.

THEdevice caused extensive damage to the facade of the building and to several vehicles parked along the street, but fortunately no injuries were reported. The alarm was raised after a series of calls to the emergency number 112. Firefighters, police and municipal officers intervened on the scene.

The Rome Flying Squad is investigating the incident, under the coordination of the District Anti-Mafia Directorate. The Prosecutor's Office has opened a case for arson aggravated by mafia methods. Investigators are analyzing images from surveillance cameras in the area, in an attempt to identify who planted the device and the vehicle used to escape.

One of the leads being followed by investigators concerns the possibility of a connection with the wounding of Kevin Di Napoli, which occurred while he was in a rehabilitation community in Casoria, where he was serving a sentence.

In the past, the boxer had been involved in the “Grande raccordo criminale” investigation into an alleged criminal association linked to Fabrizio Piscitelli, known as “Diabolik”, leader of the Lazio ultras killed in 2019 at the Acquedotti park. Di Napoli had been accused of acting as a tax collector on behalf of a group close to the Triassi clan, but was acquitted on appeal.

It is not excluded that the bomb attack could be a warning addressed to him. Investigators are also checking whether there are links to similar episodes that have occurred in the area in recent months.

The attack sparked immediate institutional reactions. The mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, condemned the incident: "Whoever thinks they can intimidate or impose their rules with violence will find a firm response from all institutions. Security must be guaranteed, in Ostia as in every other quadrant of the city."

Gualtieri then underlined the administration's commitment to the Roman coast: "Ostia is a territory that requires constant attention. As an administration we are focused on this reality, with concrete actions to strengthen legality, the presence of the State and enhance its extraordinary potential."