Caivano – Carabinieri raided Caivano's Parco Verde, where the remains of the historic Ciccarelli clan, active in the area with a dense extortion network, were dismantled.
The one arrested was the alleged clan leader Domenico Ciccarelli, 52, nicknamed “Caciotta”, brother of the more well-known Antonio Ciccarelli, known as “Tonino 'a munnezza”, a dominant figure in the neighborhood for years.
The charges, to varying degrees, include extortion aggravated by mafia methods and Camorra-style criminal association. The alleged offences relate to a recent period, from December 2024 to July 2025.
The operation was conducted by the Carabinieri of the Castello di Cisterna Investigative Unit, led by Major Andrea Coratza, who for months had been monitoring the activities of the criminal cell, which remained at large after previous high-profile arrests.
The arrests, validated in recent days, had not yet been officially announced, but the news had been circulating for some time in the neighborhood, where the operation took place in broad daylight and under the eyes of residents.
According to investigations, Domenico Ciccarelli assumed control of the illicit activities after the arrest of Antonio Angelino , known as "Tibiuccio," another well-known local criminal, who was arrested two years ago in Castel Volturno. Also arrested recently were Giovanni Barra and Roberto Maugeri, considered key players in a new criminal cartel linked to Angelino.
Ciccarelli's arrest could now reopen the criminal underworld of Caivano, where organized crime is seeking a new balance after the fall of some historic figures. According to investigative sources, extortion remains the clan's main source of income, and part of the rackets were allegedly entrusted to Barra and Maugeri's group, through a veritable "list" of merchants and businesses to target.
At the moment, investigators explain, only "loose cannons" and minor figures remain in circulation, some of whom have contacts outside the area. Meanwhile, companies in the ASI area of Caivano, bordering Pascarola, remain excluded from the extortion ring. These companies—at least according to the documents—were not on the list of those "obliged to pay the protection money."
The investigation is coordinated by the Naples District Anti-Mafia Office.
Six other affiliates were arrested along with “Caciotta”:
Ciro Ciccarelli
Bruno Ciccarelli
Rita De Luca, Domenico's wife
Antonio Esposito
Angelo Ferraiuolo
Vincenzo Zampella
Chronicles of Campania
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