Behind the appearance of a normal restaurant business, a double fraud was hidden: two people were caught working illegally at a pizzeria in Pomigliano d'Arco, despite regularly receiving unemployment benefits and a pension.
But for the authorities, the case isn't just another instance of undeclared work. It's a full-blown fraud against the state.
This is what emerged from inspections conducted on August 1st by the Labor Inspectorate, in collaboration with the municipal police, at several commercial establishments in the municipality on the outskirts of Naples.
Inspectors targeted a 26-year-old man from Sant'Antimo, a NASPI beneficiary, and a 74-year-old woman from Sant'Anastasia, a regular pensioner. Both were working without contracts at a well-known local pizzeria, in complete violation of labor and welfare benefit regulations.
Not just “black”, but an organized system
The two were reported to the judicial authorities for the unlawful receipt of public funds. This case raises deeper questions about a system that, from simply underground, risks becoming a structured mechanism for tax evasion and fraud, with more or less direct complicity on the part of employers.
The damage is not only economic, but social: it diverts public resources and undermines trust in institutions, fueling unfair competition that penalizes honest businesses and those who respect the rules.
Fines and suspensions for three businesses
During the same operation, over ten undeclared workers were discovered in various businesses, including, in addition to the pizzeria, a beauty salon and a clothing store. These businesses were immediately suspended. The administrative fines amounted to approximately €38.000.
Among the identified illegal workers is also a foreign citizen without a residence permit, already known to the police for having been reported months ago for the illegal slaughter of wild boars in a private building in Pomigliano.
Extensive checks and urban planning checks
In addition to labor violations, inspections also revealed unauthorized construction in some commercial premises. Structures were modified without permits, often to increase production or service space, in violation of urban planning and safety regulations.
A systemic phenomenon that requires strong responses
The data confirms a worrying trend: in too many cases, undeclared work isn't simply the result of necessity or carelessness, but part of deliberate strategies to circumvent the law, exploit labor, and collect undue public benefits.
The presence of NASpI beneficiaries and retirees employed illegally, often with the complicity of their employers, represents a double insult to the state and to citizens who respect the rules.
Now more than ever, we need to tighten not only controls, but also transparency and digitalization of employment relationships, traceability of contracts, and systematic cross-referencing of databases between INPS, the Revenue Agency, and the Labor Inspectorate.
Because when you steal from jobs and the state, it's no longer just irregularity: it's fraud. And it must be treated as such.
It's incredible how there are people who manage to work illegally and take money from the state. This isn't right and leads to many injustices for those who work honestly. We hope these situations are stopped.