Caivano – An envelope containing a 9x21 caliber bullet was handed over during Sunday Mass to the parish priest of Parco Verde, Father Maurizio Patriciello. This intimidating act shocked the Caivano community and brought renewed attention to one of the neighborhoods that has become a symbol of the fight against the Camorra.
The person who brought the bullet to the church was Vittorio De Luca, 75 years old, already known to the police and father-in-law of a prominent member of the Ciccarelli clan. The man was stopped by the priest's escort and a Carabinieri patrol guarding the exterior of the parish of San Paolo Apostolo. He had mingled with the faithful queuing to receive communion when he attempted to hand over the envelope.
De Luca was arrested by the police of the Caivano Company and the Investigative Unit of Castello di Cisterna, with the support of the State Police. He will have to answer for aggravated stalking using mafia methods against Don Patriciello, who for years has been on the front lines against clans and toxic fires in the Land of Fires.
The man defended himself by saying: "They sent me there but I can't say who did it otherwise they'll kill me."
This isn't the first time the 75-year-old has been involved in an incident in the same church. In June 2024, he was arrested with a knife sticking out of his pants, an incident for which he was charged at large and given a verbal warning.
The intimidation comes just hours after a "stesa" that took place on Saturday evening in the Parco Verde neighborhood, when men on scooters fired numerous gunshots in the street.
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The case immediately sparked reactions and expressions of solidarity. From Kazakhstan, where he is on an official visit, President Sergio Mattarella expressed his "closeness and solidarity following this serious act of intimidation."
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the act "cowardly and criminal, committed in the most sacred place and moment," assuring her that "the State is with you, and we will never take a step back."
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi announced a short visit to Caivano and ordered stricter protection measures for the priest. Tomorrow, the matter will be the focus of an extraordinary meeting of the Provincial Committee for Public Order and Security.
Messages of support also came from Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara, Health Minister Orazio Schillaci, and Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli, as well as political leaders Matteo Salvini and Giuseppe Conte, Metropolitan Mayor Gaetano Manfredi, and Roberto Fico, candidate for president of the Campania Region.
The episode brings to the fore the climate of tension in Caivano and Parco Verde, for decades a clan stronghold and one of Europe's largest drug dealing hubs, now the focus of a recovery plan coordinated by the government's special commissioner.
But it also demonstrates how fragile the balance still is in an area marked by deep wounds and by a criminal organization that never stops sending out signals of defiance.
Comments (1)
The De Luca case is deeply troubling for the Caivano community, but it's not surprising given that organized crime has always held strong control over the area. We hope the authorities can take effective action to stop these intimidations.