Sorrento – The Sorrento Tangentopoli scandal continues to produce legal shockwaves and dramatic twists. This time, Raffaele Guida, the fortune teller known as "Lello the Psychic," reveals a disturbing backstory. He's at the center of the investigation that has engulfed Sorrento's former mayor, Massimo Coppola, and a group of Italian businessmen.
Guida, now under house arrest outside the region, told magistrates of an incident that marked a quantum leap in the pressure he was subjected to: "I had been in prison for a couple of days," he said, "when, returning from the shower, I found a sheet of toilet paper under my pillow. Written on it was: 'Mind your own business, or you'll die.'"
The message with a Camorra flavour
A message with a Camorra flavour , which raises new questions for the Torre Annunziata Prosecutor's Office, which is leading the investigation together with the Guardia di Finanza. Investigators are now examining those held in prison during Guida's detention, attempting to determine who might have had an interest in silencing him. Their focus inevitably widens to include relationships between local businessmen, municipal contracts, and individuals who have faced or are potentially facing legal challenges.
From fortune teller to bribe collector
The investigation stems from a relationship that initially seemed innocuous: that between the mayor and his trusted fortune teller. "Coppola paid me for every session," Guida recalled before Torre Annunziata investigating judge Emanuela Cozzoritorto. "He trusted me blindly. I predicted a brilliant future for him, a major political career."
The reality, however, soon revealed itself to be much more mundane: bribes on public contracts totaling at least €300. Guida, assisted by lawyer Valerio Stravino, made the first admissions on record as early as August 12th, confirming the existence of a consolidated modus operandi. "It works like this, not just here but everywhere," Coppola told me. "The entrepreneurs have to pay."
The “percentage” system
During questioning, Guida explained how the mayor also demanded his "percentage" on operations related to the Covid emergency, such as the supply of masks. He explained the mechanism of the rigged bids: "One, two, three, four, five entrepreneurs were contacted. Coppola said you had to bet on multiple horses to get the result."
These words are corroborated by other investigations: last May, the Finance Police seized €167,000 in cash from the psychic's home, while in December 2024, Coppola was caught with €15,000 hidden inside a panettone. A few months earlier, the mayor was arrested red-handed in a restaurant on the Amalfi Coast: he and an associate had just pocketed €6,000.
When asked by the judge about their total earnings, Guida estimated: “Around 300 euros, 150 each.”
“Brondi” telephones, “canaries” and colour lists
The transcripts reveal textbook details of corruption. Coppola allegedly gave the fortune teller phone cards to insert into Brondi's cell phones, nicknamed "canaries," to avoid potential wiretaps. And again: lists of businessmen, highlighted in two different colors to distinguish the "horses" to bet on in the bidding wars.
A coded language, a structured system, which – according to investigators – goes beyond the borders of the Sorrento peninsula.
The collapse of the "Sorrento system"
The investigation, coordinated by prosecutor Nunzio Fragliasso and prosecutor Giuliano Schioppi, has already caused more than a stir. Coppola, defended by lawyers Bruno La Rosa and Giovanni Pane, answered the magistrates' questions in four hearings, obtaining house arrest. Guida, after crying in front of the investigating judge and apologizing to his family, also proved cooperative.
The picture that emerges is of a fragile system, ready to collapse under the weight of the protagonists' revelations. And the threatening note found in prison by "Lello the psychic" seems to indicate broader interests, external forces that may have played a role in silencing those who knew too much.
Now the Prosecutor's Office wants to understand who is behind that message. Because, as investigators admit, that piece of toilet paper could be the trigger for a new investigation, aimed at delving even deeper into the secrets of the Sorrento Tangentopoli scandal.
Chronicles of Campania
Sorrento System: Nine More Precautionary Measures for Corruption
Sorrento – A new and decisive wave of judicial measures is hitting the city of Sorrento this morning. The military of the…
The article presents a very complex and disturbing situation. Guida's words highlight aspects we may not be aware of. It's important that justice be done to truly understand what's happening in Sorrento.