Salerno, “La Fabbrica delle Meraviglie” robbed: symbolic loot

Salerno – A severe blow to the heart of Salerno's commerce. Overnight, the "La Fabbrica delle Meraviglie" store on Via Mercanti, in the historic center of Salerno, was the scene of a burglary that left behind shattered windows and a bitter sense of helplessness.

The business, opened just a few months ago by the entrepreneur Giuseppe Guarino, is a twin of the more established Neapolitan shop in via Giuseppe Verdi, a few steps away from Town Hall Square.

The thieves, after having smashed the windows, looted what they found, taking away a loot that is defined as more “symbolic than real”, given the modest amount of money in the cash register.

The episode is not only an economic damage, but a real affront to the image of a business that, with its products and colors, represents a point of reference for adults and children, a place of "sweetness and joy".

The incident triggered a reaction from Cna Salerno, the association to which Guarino is associated and in which he holds managerial roles. The new president Antonio Citro and the secretary Simona Paolillo sent a joint letter to the highest local and regional authorities, including the Prefect, Police Chief, Public Prosecutor, Mayor, Assessors and the President of the Campania Region Vincenzo De Luca.

“This act is not only a theft, but a real attack on the image of beauty and positivity that distinguishes our territory,” wrote the leaders of the Cna. Emphasizing how the episode, which hit a recently opened but already successful business in Naples, “raises significant alarm,” the association called for a strong signal of closeness and solidarity from the public system toward entrepreneurs like Guarino, who “invest and bet on the beauty and future of our city.”

“We cannot allow crime to threaten the work and passion of those who, like Giuseppe, have the merit of contributing to the vitality and decorum of the historic center,” the letter continues. “We must unite to defend the values ​​of legality and serenity, so that those who invest in Salerno can do so without fear.”

The episode at the “Factory of Wonders” is not an isolated one. Just a few weeks ago, the same Cna in Salerno suffered a theft in its new headquarters, with a thief filmed by internal cameras while taking a backpack. An episode reported to the Police Headquarters, with images of the person responsible spread on social media, but which has so far not led to the identification of the culprit.