Camorra: The Mazzarellas' alliances before the clash with the Continis

The Neapolitan criminal landscape has been, and still is, a constant succession of alliances and betrayals. The Mazzarella family's history is a prime example, with strategic agreements that evolve according to convenience and emergencies.

The alliance with the Misso

One of the strongest alliances was with the Misso , a neighbouring clan that controlled neighbouring areas such as Sanità, via Duomo, Forcella, Porta di San Gennaro, Materdei, Fontanelle, part of Foria and Piazza Cavour.

In 1999, with the release from prison of “o 'Nasone”, a historical exponent of the Misso family, a convergence of interests occurred: Misso, Mazzarella and Sarno found themselves having the same enemies, namely the Secondigliano Alliance (in particular the Licciardis, the Continis and the Lo Russos).

The rivalry with the Continis

Well before Misso's release in 1999, the Continis were already engaged in a bloody feud with the Mazzarellas . This clash led to the killing of Gennaro Mazzarella's father. Over time, however, an agreement was reached with the Secondigliano Alliance, a sign of the dynamic nature of the criminal relationship.

The conflicts with the Mauro (called Alesi)

The Mauro family, known as the "Alesi," was repeatedly banned from the Market area. Despite their solid criminal standing, strong connections, and family ties to the Contini family, their presence in the Market was not tolerated by the Mazzarellas, who demanded exclusive control of the illicit activities. This heightened conflict culminated in a serious armed clash in Piazza Mercato on May 18, 2002.

The Historic Center under the control of the Mazzarella family

Recent case law confirms the Mazzarella clan 's continued influence over key neighborhoods such as Forcella, Mercato, Maddalena, Rione Luzzatti, the "Connolo" district of Poggioreale, and San Giovanni a Teduccio. These are joined, by extension or consolidation, by areas such as Via Tribunali, Via Duomo, San Gaetano, and the Sant'Alfonso district.

The history, the changes in criminal alliances, the conflicts between the Mazzarella clan and its rivals are contained in the more than a thousand pages of the precautionary order signed by the investigating judge Gianluigi Visco and which last week led to the imprisonment of 57 bosses and members of the gang.

Rulings such as number 3095/2010 (confirmed by the Court of Appeal in 2012) have certified the clan's operations in these territories, highlighting the role of figures such as Alfonso and Gennaro Mazzarella (born in 1972), Paolo Ottaviano, Giuseppe Del Prete, Biagio Rapicano Aiello, and Salvatore Zazo.

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