Licciardi Clan: Extortion of public housing and credit, a raid exposes the Camorra's power over voting.

On the night between December 2 and 3, 2025, the Carabinieri of the Naples Investigative Unit executed a precautionary order issued by the preliminary investigations judge of the Naples court at the request of the DDA, targeting 21 people linked to the Licciardi clan.

Of these, 19 were jailed—five of whom were already detained for other crimes, including the top brass—while two were placed under house arrest. The operation, coordinated by prosecutors Carrano, Loreto, and Sepe under deputy prosecutor Sergio Amato, stems from investigations conducted between 2022 and 2023, based on wiretaps, shadowing, and environmental investigations, which revealed the continued viability of the Alleanza di Secondigliano Camorra cartel.

At the same time, searches were conducted at the homes and premises of suspects at large, on charges ranging from aggravated mafia association to extortion, receiving stolen goods, evasion, and unauthorized access to prison communications—all typical Camorra practices.

The structure of the clan after the arrests

The investigation, called "Malachim," portrays the Licciardi clan as the hegemonic power in northern Naples and its province following the arrest of its historic leader Maria Licciardi on August 8, 2021.

Since then, the regency has passed to Paolo Abbatiello, a lieutenant released from prison on July 10, 2021, who orchestrates a top-down structure with affiliates such as Luigi Esposito, Salvatore Sapio (his nephew and trusted man), Giuseppe Lucarelli, Raffaele Cardamone and others, including Gennaro Cannavacciuolo and Luigi Damasco.

Esposito, who has been under surveillance since March 2022, emerges as a key operative, linked to Abbatiello and supported by his partner Martina Ferrara, while Sapio works with Vincenza Russo to carry out extortion on commission.

The clan maintains alliances with satellite groups such as Sorianiello and Baratto-Esposito in Fuorigrotta, Bagnoli, and Rione Traiano, as confirmed by a March 26, 2021, conversation between Simone Sorianiello, Raffaele Caprio, and Alfonso Sorrentino, in which Esposito acts as a spokesperson for an attack on a relative of Ciro Trambarlo.

Extortion and territorial control

The Licciardi clan imposes its "tax" on both legal and illegal activities, extorting merchants, entrepreneurs, and even cybercriminals, from whom it demands a share of the illicit proceeds.

A case in point is that of a squatter in a public housing unit, forced to pay €16.000 to keep her assigned home, highlighting how control of public housing serves to "steer voter pools" during elections.

Abbatiello delegated debt collection to Esposito and Sapio for third parties, including those unrelated to crime, such as Maurizio Attrattivo and Gianluca Cafarelli, using mafia intimidation to resolve disputes between businessmen. Investigations documented his dominance over neighborhoods such as Bagnoli (Esposito and Giannelli groups) and Posillipo (with Ciro Mendoza as area boss), and relationships with rival but peaceful clans such as the Mazzarella, Amato-Pagano, Balzano ("Abbasc Miano"), and Nola families such as the Russo-Sangermano, Fabbrocino, and Cava.

Gratteri's words and criminal connections

During the press conference at the Prosecutor's Office, attended by Deputy Prosecutor Sergio Amato, General Biagio Storniolo, and Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Bagarolo, Nicola Gratteri described the Licciardis as "paying guests" in their territory, where every activity—legal or illegal—requires their consent.

"Managing public housing is an expression of mafia power: assigning it to loyal families means controlling votes at the polls, more profitable than pure extortion," Gratteri emphasized, comparing them to the Mazzarellas for their dominance over Naples. The investigation also reveals the use of cell phones in prison to stay in touch, as in the case of Alessandro Giannelli (a life prisoner and Western contact), and an episode in 2022-2023 in which debtors turned to the Mazzarellas for help against the Licciardis, receiving only a recognition of the "Camorra peace."

Through Esposito's nephew, Giovanni Strazzullo, dynamics emerge with Matteo Balzano's "abbasc Miano," outlining the balance of power in the Don Guanella district.

During the press conference on the operation against the Licciardi clan, Prosecutor Nicola Gratteri stated: "The Licciardis have a designated territory, like the Mazzarellas, where the citizens are guests. They have to be involved in every activity—legal or illegal.

Managing public housing is a manifestation of mafia power: deciding who gets it means managing power. And it's typical of Camorra behavior. When it comes time to vote, the clan's favored families choose who the Camorra nominates. Managing the territory is more important than extortion money, because it allows them to control blocks of votes.

Deputy Prosecutor Sergio Amato emphasized the pervasiveness of the system: "The clan's branches remained operational despite the repeated arrests of its leaders, a sign of a deeply rooted criminal structure ready to reorganize."

General Biagio Storniolo, provincial commander of the Carabinieri in Naples, emphasized: "The investigation has confirmed mafia influence that goes well beyond the management of illegal activities, extending to social control over the territory and housing dynamics."