Naples - They admitted the charges. All nine, almost the entire new leadership of the Amato-Pagano clan, chose to confess, hoping for a further, and not a foregone conclusion, reduction in their sentences.
Among them were Debora Amato, daughter of the famous Aunt Rosaria Pagano and the late Pietro Amato, and then Enrico Bocchetti, the first to stand up in court yesterday morning and admit the charges.
The strategic move took place yesterday morning, in the bunker courtroom of the Naples Court, before preliminary hearing judge Federico Villano, during the trial which is being held under an abbreviated procedure.
A total of 56 defendants are on trial, having been jailed during a major raid in December 2024. The charges, contested on various grounds by the District Anti-Mafia Directorate, range from classic Camorra association to drug trafficking, which has always been the main business of the historic clan based in Secondigliano, Melito, Mugnano, and Arzano.
The University of Crime and Tax Bonuses
But the investigation uncovered much more. Investigators reconstructed a sophisticated criminal network, capable of tapping into new markets. The prosecutor's office targeted the monitoring of judicial auctions and an alleged attempted evasion of tax incentives.
Alongside the new businesses, the traditional racket remained intact, explained with an almost academic approach. A sort of "university of crime," as investigators called it, where adults taught minors the techniques of extortion: what to say, when to speak, how to instill fear in order to take home the "pizzo" money.
The strategy of confession
The move by the nine defendants, who effectively admit their guilt, has become a common practice among the Amato-Pagano family in recent years. The goal is clear: to obtain a sentence reduction in addition to that already afforded by the fast-track trial. This defense strategy, however, is not always rewarded by judges, who evaluate the authenticity and completeness of the admissions.
The new regency of the clan
The investigation paints a detailed picture of the clan's internal reorganization following the arrest of its longtime bosses, many of whom were held under the 41 bis regime. Since 2021, senior figures with direct ties to the founders have assumed control.
According to the prosecution, the coordination had been entrusted to Gennaro Liguori (husband of Raffaele Amato's niece "cl.
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A key role was allegedly held by Debora Amato, 34, daughter of "aunt" Rosaria Pagano and the late Pietro Amato. According to the DDA, she managed the drug trafficking coffers in 2021, after Liguori's arrest. Leadership subsequently passed to her husband, Domenico Romano.
Supporting the top brass was a group of long-time affiliates tasked with serving as territorial regents and coordinating illicit activities, including Antonio Pompilio, Carlo Calzone, Maurizio Errichelli, and Vincenzo Nappi (the latter later killed in an ambush on January 23, 2023).
The "VIP Mesates" and cell phones in prison
Among the most significant aspects of the investigation is the "mesate" system: actual monthly salaries for the top brass. According to statements by justice collaborator Salvatore Roselli, the sums for prominent family members—such as Raffaele and Cesare Pagano, Rosaria and Elio Amato—amounted to approximately €8.000 per month. Lower sums were paid to other affiliates.
The money, collected and distributed by people with no criminal record, was also delivered to prisoners and their families, through a widespread network managed by men and women of the clan.
The investigation also shed light on the systematic use of cell phones within prisons. The devices were used not only for communication between inmates, but also to organize the smuggling of narcotics into penitentiaries.
During the investigation, a vehicle rental company was seized, believed to be a crucial logistical base for the criminal group's activities.
THE INVESTIGATED
1. AMATO Debora, born in Naples, 34 years old
2. AMATO Monica, born in Naples 36 years old
3. ARUTA Giuseppe, born in Naples. 29 years old
4. BARBIERI Raffaele, born in Naples, 35 years old
S. BOCCHETTI Enrico, born in Naples, 28 years old
6. CALZONE Carlo, born in Naples, 45 years old
7. CAPASSO Raffaele, born in Naples 52 years old
8. CASE Carmine Raffaele, born in Naples, 51 years old
9. CICALESE Emanuele, born in Naples 29 years old
10. DE CICCO Alessandro, born in Naples 34 years old
11. DE LUCA Luciano, born in Naples 33 years old
12. DE ROSA Domenico, born in Melito di Napoli 57 years old
13. DE STEFANO Emanuele, born in Naples 45 years old
14. DEL BONO Antonino, born in Naples, 34 years old
15. DELLA GAGGIA Francesco, born in Naples, 44 years old
16. DIANO Gennaro, born in Naples, 20 years old
17. DIANO Luigi, born in Casavatore, 42 years old
18. ERRICHELLI Maurizio, born in Naples, 39 years old
19. FORINO Gessica, born in Aversa (CE), 28 years old
20. FURIANO Pasquale, born in Napo, 29 years old
21. GALLUCCI Gennaro, born in Naples, 52 years old
22. GRANDELLI Maurizio, born in Naples, 41 years old
23. IACOMINO Rosario, born in Naples, 44 years old
24. IMPARATO Vincenzo, born in Naples, 25 years old
25. JEVREMOVIC Ilaria, born in Naples, 31 years old
26. LIGUORI Gennaro, born in Naples, 42 years old
27. MANGIAPILI Vincenzo, born in Villaricca, 38 years old
28. MARINO Cosimo, born in Naples, 40 years old
29. MARRONE Antonio, born in Mugnano di Napoli, 50 years old
30. MINALE Antonio, born in Naples, 59 years old
31. ORTA Stefano, born in Melito di Napoli, 54 years old
32. PADREVITA Silvio, born in Mugnano di Napoli, 30 years old
33. PANDOLEI Antonio, born in Naples, 32 years old
34. PETITO Francesco, born in Naples, 36 years old
35. PEZZELLA Gactano, born in Casavatore, 69 years old
36. POMPILIO Antonio, born in Naples, 57 years old
37. PRAGLIOLA Cristofaro, born in Mugnano di Napoli i, 44 years old
38. PUGLIA Alessandro, born in Naples, 44 years old
39. RASTRELLI Assunta, born in Caivano, 67 years old
40. RICCIO Alfonso born in Mugnano di Napoli, 36 years old
41. RINALDI Francesco, born in Aversa, 31 years old
42. ROMANO Domenico, born in Naples, 35 years old
43. SANGUINETTI Concetta, born in Melito di Napoli, 41 years old
44. SARNATARO Salvatore, born in Naples, 24 years old
45. SILVESTRI Salvatore, born in Naples, 41 years old
46. TARANTINO Nicola, born in Naples, 22 years old
47. TRONCONE Carlo, born in Naples, 37 years old
48. TUTINO Luigi, born in Naples, 40 years old
49. TUTINO Raffacle, born in Naples, 37 years old
50. VASTARELLI Arturo, born in Naples, 6 2 years
51. NAPPI Emmanuele Giuseppe
52. PAGANO Angel
53. SARNATARO Teresa
54. DUSK Anna
55. VALLIFUOCO Vincenzo
56. GREEN Mariarosariaflkas
Comments (1)
The article highlights the strategy of defendants who confess to obtain reduced sentences. It's interesting to see how the clan reorganizes and exploits auction control systems and tax incentives. This situation is very complex.