Torre Annunziata – She was much more than the wife of Valentino Gionta, the historic boss of the Oplonti Camorra, imprisoned since 1990. For investigators, Gemma Donnarumma represented the strategic and operational apex of the Gionta clan for years, embodying a rare female leadership in a traditionally male-dominated organized crime syndicate.
From wiretaps and statements by collaborators of justice, it emerges that "Donna Gemma" – as she was known – was not just a symbolic figure, but a true criminal mastermind capable of making independent decisions regarding rackets, alliances, and even murders.
The top role: mind, director and intermediary of the clan
Donnarumma, according to an investigation by the Naples Anti-Mafia Directorate (DDA), which today led to her and 17 other members being arrested, had assumed a representative role on behalf of the clan, establishing herself as a central figure in the Camorra dynamics of the area after her husband's arrest.
It was she, as can be seen from reading the more than 260 pages of the precautionary order signed by the investigating judge Antonino Santoro, who dictated the strategies, who "regulated" the extortions and who replaced the official regents in the relationships with entrepreneurs and affiliates.
According to the charges, she was directly involved in managing the historic extortion operations (the so-called "list" of victims), but also in the creation of a parallel extortion program, independent of the male leadership (particularly Gaetano Amoruso and Pasquale Romito, known as 'o Turco).
And then she imposed "forced" hiring at commercial businesses, as a form of pressure and control over the economic fabric and finally acted as a mediator between free members and prisoners, acting as a link between the "historical dome" and the new blood of the clan.
Relationships with other clans and alliances between women
His diplomatic role with other Camorra groups active in the Vesuvian area was also crucial. He maintained direct relationships with prominent female figures from rival or allied clans, such as Michelina Manzi, wife of Pasquale Gallo (known as "'o bellillo" [the boy] of the Gallo-Cavalieri clan), with whom he allegedly resolved a dispute over a "double extortion" involving a funeral home.
Not only that: Donnarumma was also in direct contact with the female leaders of the Gallo-Limelli-Vangone clan, such as Rosaria Vangone, who personally visited her during the 2022 Christmas holidays to strengthen the alliance.
These relationships, the magistrates explain, were not simple pleasantries, but tools of power and control to avoid friction between clans, resolve disputes and, above all, maintain the Gionta clan's dominion over Torre Annunziata and its economic interests.
Extortion and the “list” of victims
Wiretaps and statements from informants reveal the existence of a "list" of entrepreneurs systematically subjected to extortion, including local businesses.
Donnarumma, disappointed by the lack of initiative from some regents, apparently decided to collect the bribes directly, also thanks to the support of his brother Enrico Donnarumma, who was responsible for liaising with the other affiliates.
In some cases, Gemma allegedly summoned business owners to enforce hiring policies for the families of detained members. In others, she allegedly organized independent extortion schemes against individuals not on the "official list" to ensure a steady stream of income for herself and her imprisoned husband.
"I'm keeping the ones you mentioned... I'll send for him... but it's all fair, because he used to give me the money first!" – he can be heard saying in a wiretap captured in January 2023, while discussing the extortion proceeds and internal tensions within the organization.
The release and the symbolic return
Released from prison on April 26, 2022, her presence in the Torre Annunziata area was perceived by her own members as a sign of strengthening the Gionta clan , not only for its criminal influence, but also for the moral authority it is recognized as having.
According to collaborator Pietro Izzo, even when she wasn't formally in charge, she was the one making decisions about murders, annual extortions, and strategic alliances: "The important decisions were made in her apartment, in her presence."
Symbolic and operational figure
Ultimately, Gemma Donnarumma has never been a secondary figure in the Gionta galaxy. While sometimes adopting a low-key stance, she has always had the power to summon, decide, punish, and mediate. A leading figure, recognized by all, feared by many, and respected by all affiliates, even if only for her surname: Donna Gemma, the silent queen of the Torre Annunziata Camorra.
Chronicles of Campania
Torre Annunziata, Palazzo Fienga, the last symbol of the Camorra has been demolished: the Gionta fortress will become a place of legality.
In Torre Annunziata today, not only is part of an old building being demolished, but one of the most cumbersome symbols of the city is being obliterated.
It's interesting to read how a woman could play such a prominent role in the Camorra, but it's also saddening that organized crime involves people in such complex and dangerous ways. Women should have positive roles in society.