Naples – A large-scale operation conducted this morning by the Naples Economic and Financial Police Unit dealt a severe blow to the Casalesi clan, dismantling an organization specializing in illegal betting.
At the request of the Naples District Anti-Mafia Directorate, the investigating judge of the Court of Naples issued nine precautionary measures, which were executed by the Guardia di Finanza.
The precautionary measures and the accusations
Nine people have been arrested and are being investigated on various counts for criminal conspiracy, illegal gambling and betting, and fraudulent transfer of assets. All the crimes are aggravated by the use of mafia methods and the intent to benefit the clan.
Specifically, six of the suspects were placed in pre-trial detention, two were placed under house arrest, and another was banned from residing in the provinces of Naples and Caserta.
The clandestine network in the Agro Aversano
The criminal gang had extended its influence in the Aversa countryside, in the province of Caserta. Here, the Casalesi clan had installed gaming machines not connected to the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) information network, such as video poker and slot machines.
At the same time, clandestine betting was organized on online platforms not authorized by the ADM, exploiting a parallel system of dedicated websites and gaming accounts for bettors, often with the complicity of authorized agencies that received a percentage of the illegal bets.
The return of the boss and the criminal reorganization
The organization was led by a senior member of the Russo-Schiavone faction of the Casalesi clan . The man, already definitively convicted of mafia association, returned to Casal di Principe at the end of 2021, after being placed under probation in a municipality in Lazio.
His return marked an immediate reactivation of his criminal activities: he reconnected with his clan and began associating with men with ties to the Camorra and criminal records. He quickly reactivated a criminal cell specializing in illegal gambling.
For years, the boss is said to have managed the collection of revenue, including extorted sums, the payment into the common fund, the distribution of "salaries" to members, and the maintenance of relationships with businessmen and politicians, both victims and those in collusion with the clan.
Under his leadership, the syndicate gradually expanded its network of bars and other commercial establishments, installing equipment disconnected from the ADM's computer network, often using front men. This operation demonstrates the criminal organizations' constant ability to adapt to changes in the illicit market, in this case, gambling.
The operation against the Casalesi clan was an important one, but we must also consider that the problem of illegal gambling is a broader phenomenon that must be addressed with long-term solutions.