Naples - It's not just a story of illegal gambling. It's the story of a second generation inheriting a criminal empire and transforming it, updating it, making it quieter and more profitable than before. It's the story of Gennaro Licciardi, 35, known as 'o Baffone, son of Vincenzo "'o Chiatto," one of the most powerful figures in the Secondigliano Alliance cartel.
The Licciardi family's legacy is a burdensome one: surnames that speak for themselves in northern Naples, that open doors, impose silence and rules, that don't need guns to make things clear.
Yet, in the 461-page precautionary order signed by investigating judge Isabella Isaelli, who yesterday jailed 44 bosses and associates of the Russo clan of Nola and the Licciardi clan of Masseria Cardone, and which dismantles piece by piece the criminal network of clandestine online betting, the new face of the Camorra also emerges: fewer weapons, more servers; less protection money for shopkeepers, more "skins" sold to agencies; fewer back-alley clans, more virtual companies with operational headquarters hidden behind a click of the mouse.
It's a Camorra that invests, diversifies, and, above all, exploits the online gaming business. From the countryside of Nola to the neighborhoods of Naples, it all comes down to a single source: the criminal alliance between the Licciardi clan and the Russo clan, capable of infiltrating the online betting market through clandestine .com platforms, servers abroad, and a network of front agencies.
The Licciardis' new business: betting, .com platforms, and never-ending money.
Reading the documents, it almost seems like a start-up manual, if it weren't for the fact that everything revolves around phantom platforms, fake gaming outlets and a sales network protected by the strength of the name.
A system that, in effect, allowed the cashing in of over-the-counter bets disguised as online activities, with thousands of bets placed every day.
According to the prosecution, it was 'o Baffone himself, together with his uncle Antonio Licciardi and their long-time allies – the Carellas, the Russos of Nola, and the Fabbrocinos of the Vesuvian area – who ran the illegal betting machine: a system that churned out money while bypassing the ADM, the tax authorities, and anti-money laundering regulations.
The platforms have glossy multinational names: goodbet.com, planet365.me, mybet24.com. In reality, they have servers abroad and no oversight. But the issue isn't just the technology. It's who's behind it.
The network of "children of": the empire of the scions
The magistrates speak of "more than ten associates," but it's a blurry picture: in reality, behind this network is the new generation of clans, children, grandchildren, recruits who grew up watching their fathers wage war, and are now old enough to do business.
Among these, Gennaro Licciardi 'o Baffone, described as one of the promoters of the system: he gave directives, decided strategies, managed relationships with the agencies and – above all – guaranteed mafia protection of the entire mechanism.
His name often crops up in the file: when it comes to recovering money; when it's necessary to authorize an operation in territory that isn't his; when it needs to be made clear that behind a request isn't a simple creditor, but the long shadow of the clan.
The leaders
Gennaro and Antonio Licciardi, together with the brothers Luigi and Francesco Pio Carella: the alleged leaders.
They defined strategies, decided how to distribute the network, controlled economic flows.
The technical-operational level
Endri Alla and Mario Maiello: the "masters", responsible for the operation of the platforms and the distribution of skins to the agencies.
Domenico Cavezzi and Giovanni De Maria: technical organizers, responsible for solving IT problems, opening new agencies, and expanding the network.
The PJ Nola network
A separate chapter is represented by PJ Nola, a local cartel linked to the Russo clan.
Ambrosino, Romano, Moccia, Tufano, Vaiano, Silvano, Esposito and Zoppino operated within it, true “commercialists” of an illegal system.
Dozens of game points depended on them, including:
PG Nola 023 by Ammirati
AG Marigliano of Biondi
AG Costanzo of Costanzo
AG Monteforte di Mazzola
PJ Pezone by Pezone
A widespread, silent network, invisible to controls, but extremely profitable.
The Buonocore Knot: When a Money War Breaks Out Even Among Accomplices
But threats don't always work. This is the case of Salvatore Buonocore, who, according to the prosecution, was supposed to pay 88 euros to Domenico Cavezzi for illicit dealings in the gaming industry. Buonocore doesn't pay. He disputes the debt. He opposes it.
And then 'o Baffone enters the scene again. Cavezzi, according to the documents, turns to him directly. Gennaro takes charge of the matter, but passes it on to the Russo clan, who have jurisdiction over the area. The message is the same: paying is a must.
But this time the pressure isn't enough. Buonocore resists, and what was routine for the clans turns into a failed extortion attempt.
A Camorra that changes, but not too much
The picture that emerges is clear: today's Licciardis are no longer the Camorristi of the drug dealing centers or the bombings in Secondigliano. They are criminal entrepreneurs, managers of foreign platforms, administrators of commercial networks that generate more revenue than many legal companies.
Yet, a single line of the ordinance is enough to understand that the method remains the same: threats, intimidation, and the name that weighs like a millstone. Because while gambling goes online, the Camorra remains offline: tangible, territorial, and present. And the sons of the bosses—with 'o Baffone at the forefront—are now its guarantors.
Changes and revisions to this article
- Article updated on 18/11/2025 at 18:45 - Typo corrected
- Article updated on 18/11/2025 at 19:13 - Article revised
- Article updated on 18/11/2025 at 19:57 - Typo corrected
- Article updated on 18/11/2025 at 20:11 - Article revised
Choose the social channel you want to subscribe to