A new blow to organized crime in Campania. State Police arrested a 55-year-old from the province of Caserta, believed to be affiliated with the Schiavone faction of the Casalesi clan.
The man, sentenced to over five years in prison for attempted extortion and attempted robbery aggravated by mafia methods, was tracked down and taken to the Santa Maria Capua Vetere prison, where he will serve the remainder of his sentence.
According to investigations by the Caserta Flying Squad , the arrested man wasn't just a simple supporter. Since 2009, he allegedly played an active role in imposing neomelodic singers at street festivals and local television shows.
This was a way to influence the music market and guarantee revenue for the clan. Among the artists forced upon the organizers was the partner of a now-prisoner boss.
The mechanism was clear: a portion of the compensation formally went to the artist, but the bulk of the money was diverted to the clan's coffers or distributed among its members.
A disguised racketeering system, which served to finance the criminal activities of the Casalesi and consolidate their control over the territory.
But that's not all. The man and his accomplices, on behalf of the clan, forced merchants in the Aversa area to pay protection money, forcing them to also purchase promotional items—calendars, pens, diaries, lighters—sold at inflated prices. This was yet another tool of economic pressure and intimidation.
The sector has always been in the sights of the Camorra clans
With the arrest of the 55-year-old, the police reiterate their hard line against Camorra infiltration into local economic and cultural activities. Public entertainment has always been a key sector for the clans, capable of turning even music into a criminal enterprise.
The arrest of the 55-year-old is a very important development, but there should have been more enforcement of music activities. The police must do more to stop these practices and protect traders from extortion.