A large operation coordinated by the District Anti-Mafia Directorate of Naples has shaken the foundations of organized crime in Campania, leading to the execution of 44 precautionary custody orders (34 in prison and 10 under house arrest).
The investigation, conducted by the Carabinieri of the Castello di Cisterna Group and the Naples Provincial Command, uncovered a dangerous and renewed alliance between the historic Russo clan of Nola and the Licciardi family, one of the pillars of the powerful Secondigliano Alliance. At the heart of the pact was the widespread management of illegal gambling and a disturbing infiltration of the local political fabric.
Politics in the crosshairs: votes in exchange for favors
The investigation's ramifications extend to the world of politics. Among those arrested is a candidate in the Monteforte Irpino (Avellino) local elections, accused of running a betting shop on behalf of the clan.
But that's not all: the investigation has shed light on alleged agreements signed between members of the ruling coalition in Cicciano and the opposition in Casamarciano with the Russo clan, aimed at securing votes in exchange for favors. The very serious accusation is that of political-mafia election-rigging.
An "Alarming" Alliance: Gratteri's Words
The prosecutor of Naples defined the picture that emerged as "alarming", Nicola Gratteri. "This investigation is important and difficult," he declared at a press conference, "because it demonstrates how, after years, the Russo clan is once again linked to the Licciardis. It opens up a new scenario in the dynamics and qualitative level of the mafia."
According to Gratteri, this alliance belies the idea of a fragmented and disorganized Camorra. "Suddenly we see the Licciardis turning to the Russos, and this is both significant and worrying, bringing to mind the wars that bloodied the province of Naples, resulting in hundreds of deaths each year."
The betting racket
The economic engine of the new alliance was the management of illegal online gambling and betting operations, an extremely profitable business. The charges brought against the suspects, to varying degrees, are extremely serious: they range from mafia-style association to extortion and attempted extortion, aggravated by the mafia method and the goal of facilitating the activities of the Russo and Licciardi clans.
The investigative work was coordinated, in addition to Gratteri, by Deputy Prosecutor Sergio Ferrigno and Deputy Prosecutor Henry John Woodcock, and saw the commitment on the field of the men of Colonel Paolo Leoncini, Major Andrea Coratza and General Biagio Storniolo.
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