The Armed Truce of Sanità: The Story of the Repentant Giuliano and the Mediation That Averted War with Cavone

Naples – In his lengthy account to the magistrates of the Naples Anti-Mafia Directorate, Salvatore Giuliano, known as 'O Russo – a collaborator with justice and former liaison figure between various Camorra groups – first reconstructs the internal structure of the clan operating in the Sanità district, traceable to the Savarese-Sequino axis.

His statements are contained in the more than 130 pages of the precautionary order, signed by investigating judge Ivana Salvatore, which three weeks ago led to the arrest of the leaders of the Savarese-Sequino clan from the Sanità district.

According to the informer, Genny De Marino played a key role: not only did he organize operational meetings, but he also maintained relationships with other historic clans, particularly the Mazzarellas, and was ready to take to the streets when the need arose. He was, therefore, both a diplomatic and a military figure.

Armed management was instead entrusted to Sasillo, indicated as the exclusive contact for the military component: he was the one who knew where to find weapons and means for firefights, intervening whenever the clan decided to raise the level of the conflict.

Alongside them, Gianluca, aka 'o pedofilo, oversaw two key activities that fueled the group's coffers: returning horses for stolen scooters in the neighborhood, and drug dealing, supplying the Piazza della Sanità with drugs purchased directly from the Mazzarella family, particularly Salvatore Barile. The ones who personally supplied the drugs, Giuliano explains, were often Gianluca himself and Salvatore Savarese, aka 'o mellone.

And it is precisely 'o mellone who is indicated as the clan's “accountant”: accounting, money management and redistribution of drugs to the drug dealing areas passed through him.

A tension that had been simmering for some time

The story then shifts to one of the most sensitive points of the ordinance: the conflict with the Lepre del Cavone clan, a historic group rooted in the Piazza Dante area.

When Giuliano leaves prison, he finds the situation already compromised. Relations between the two groups are tense, marked by long-standing conflicts that have never truly been resolved. It is in this context that he and his cousins, members of the Giuliano clan, try to build a network of relationships to avoid the worst.

The collaborator clarifies that he sought mediation involving the main representatives of the Health Service - De Marino, Sasillo, Savarese, Giulio Pirozzi known as 'o picuozzo - and the representatives of Cavone, many of whom he knew personally.

But the gravity of the situation only fully emerges during a meeting at the home of Salvatore Barile, the Mazzarellas' point of contact. It is there that Giuliano realizes that the rift between Sanità and Cavone is now deep and that a real rupture has occurred.

The beatings and the beatings: the lit fuse

According to Giuliano, between the summer and autumn of 2020, at least three or four armed clashes took place between the two groups.

One of the most serious incidents stems from the beating of a very young nephew of the Lepres, possibly linked to Masaniello, on Via Salvator Rosa. Immediately afterward, Sanità officers—Sasillo, Sasone, De Marino, and Gianluca 'o pedofilo—are said to have fired shots.

The response was not long in coming. That same evening, Francesco Lepre, son of the sheriff, along with Giuseppe Lepre, opened fire toward the upper Sanità district, in the direction of Materdei. A targeted retaliation, marking the climax of the clash.

Giuliano says he was immediately informed by Genny De Marino and understood that the situation was worsening.

The Forcella Summit: Imposed Peace

The next day, a crucial meeting was held in Forcella, in a house provided by Lucia, a woman not connected to the clan, on Via Sant'Agostino alla Zecca. A "neutral" location, chosen specifically to avoid further tensions.

Around that table sit representatives of all the main citizen groups:
– for the Giulianos, Salvatore Giuliano himself, Alessio Vicorito and Cesare Morra;
– for Health, Savarese 'o mellone, De Marino and Gianluca 'o pedofilo;
– for Cavone, Masaniello, Giuseppe and Luigi Lepre, Francesco Lepre and 'o faggiano;
– for the Mazzarella, Barile, Capuano and Bonavolta families;
– for the Spanish Quarters, Saltalamacchia, Masiello known as Cucù and Boxer.

The meeting, Giuliano says, is chaotic: cross-accusations, recriminations about their clan affiliations, contradictory statements within minutes. But eventually, a common thread emerges.

The Truce and the Final Warning

The summit ended with a forced truce. De Marino and Masaniello were tasked with talking to each other and resolving their differences. But above all, a clear rule was established: anyone who made another mistake would be punished by their own allies.

A sort of “internal judgment” imposed from above to stop a spiral of violence that was damaging everyone's business.

After that meeting, the collaborator explains, no further confrontations or open clashes between Sanità and Cavone were recorded, except for one minor incident involving individuals outside the clans. Until his arrest, Giuliano concludes, the situation remained under control.

An armed peace, fragile, but sufficient – ​​at least for a while – to prevent Naples from finding itself in the grip of another raging feud.