Naples - Before magistrates and in the investigation documents, he appears with two nicknames: Michelino or Michele the Little One. But behind that nickname lies a key figure in the Russo clan, the direct heir of one of the clan's two historic founders, Salvatore Andrea Russo, who was sentenced to life imprisonment along with Pasquale Russo.
Born into an artistic family in 1981, Michele Russo has carved out a new role for himself: no longer just the descendant of the family, but the "engineer" who, thanks to his university studies completed in prison and his charisma in the small towns of the Nola area, has become a much-feared figurehead for entrepreneurs and technicians.
The study and the “clean” power of construction sites
Officially, Russo worked as an engineer at a technical office in Nola, on Via Pontano. Right there, by order of the Prosecutor's Office, investigators set up cameras and microphones: they wanted to understand who entered, who they met, and how they moved.
The images leave no doubt: the office becomes a crossroads of internal relations within the clan.
On January 19, 2023, for example, Russo Paolino Felice's Smart Fortwo leaves Nappi, arrives in front of the studio, waits for Michele and drives away with him on board.
On March 3, it was Pasqualino Biancardi's turn, who stopped to talk in the street with Russo and Raffaele Vaiano.
On May 24, cameras recorded a tense meeting: Michele was once again the protagonist, along with Paolino Russo and Giovanni Romano. The ambient footage captures a violent confrontation: accusations, reproaches, and complaints that ricochet for days, even in conversations recorded at Nappi's home.
It's in those exchanges that investigators grasp the truth: Michelino isn't just a mere technician. He is—in fact—the acting chief in the absence of the imprisoned historical leaders.
The new method: no racketeering, you earn by imposing yourself on construction sites
His power doesn't come from guns or racketeering, but from his control of real estate transactions. Russo imposes his presence on private businesses: "They go to him because he's that guy's son," Nappi explains in one of the key wiretaps.
Entrepreneurs seek him out not for his skills, but because showing him off on the construction site means guaranteeing themselves protection: no one would dare disturb the "engineer."
A silent, modern power that turns contracts into a source of income. And the clan's longtime associates don't like it: Michelino, they say, takes everything. He centralizes, controls, decides. And above all, he blocks extortion, when real estate deals promise greater profits.
Internal conflicts: "You're no longer an architect, you want to be a criminal."
The friction becomes explosive. In a wiretap, Antonio Ambrosino blurts out:
"Michele, you can't act good anymore. You're not an architect anymore: you want to be a criminal. If you're an architect, you draw the drawings; you shouldn't get in the way and say, 'I'll take that guy's house.'"
A recurring criticism. Nappi and Romano protest when Michele orders a halt to the extortion demand from a real estate company: he had been involved in the deal as a technician and didn't want a "classic" extortion scheme to disrupt his role.
The system sometimes reaches a compromise: if the Russo firm takes on a job, someone from the clan is then sent to the construction site for a percentage. The engineer's charisma and the affiliates' financial needs are thus balanced.
The new supermarket: "I'll make his teeth fall out"
But the new method doesn't always work. The conversation of December 2, 2022, is significant: Russo Paolino Felice who sWhen he was about to open a new supermarket, Michele exploded: he had convinced himself that he would get a job on the construction site, but instead the entrepreneur had turned to another technician.
"This idiot... I'll knock his teeth out. I did everything wrong," Michelino blurts out, berating himself for having even stopped the extortion just to earn a "clean" profit.
The engineer who gives the green light to criminal activities
Russo's authority, however, remains unchallenged. He is the one who gave the green light to the inclusion of Neapolitan affiliates, close to the Licciardis, for debt collection. He is the one who decides how the proceeds from illegal online gambling will be divided, as emerges from a conversation on April 4, 2023: the profits must also be shared with the inmates and with the father serving a life sentence.
It's him again, in January 2024, filmed in front of the Gioya bar while arguing with the Zoppino brothers: he talks about an argument with "Giovanni" on behalf of the "comrades from Naples" regarding extortion.
From model student in prison to contested leader
From the wiretaps, investigators reconstruct a complex profile: Michelino, the boss's son, studies in prison, earns a degree, and gains a veneer of respectability. But once out, that degree isn't enough to keep him away from the clan's affairs: on the contrary, it becomes a new weapon, a different way of ruling.
A young, charismatic, feared leader. And controversial too: older affiliates disagree with his methods, which are too "modern," too autonomous. But his respect for his family and the fear he inspires secure his position of power.
For investigators, the serious evidence is clear: Michele Russo, born in 81, better known as Michelino, is not just a professional operating on the fringes of the clan. He is a leader, a decision-maker, a key figure.
The founder's son, who spent time behind bars at university, has become the new—and feared—face of the clan's business in the Nola area.
Changes and revisions to this article
- Article updated on 17/11/2025 at 20:23 - Content updated
- Article updated on 18/11/2025 at 08:26 - Article revised
- Article updated on 18/11/2025 at 08:30 - Typo corrected
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