Nola: Money laundering operations of the "Returning Horses" gang discovered

Nola – A structured criminal organization, believed to be responsible for a long series of car thefts and extortion using the so-called "return horse" technique, has been dismantled following a comprehensive investigation coordinated by the Nola Public Prosecutor's Office and conducted by Carabinieri officers from the Castello di Cisterna Company.

The operation led to the arrest of eight people: four in prison and four under house arrest. The following are held in jail: Gennaro Corvino, 43, from Castello di Cisterna; Agostino Galasso, 44, from Marigliano; Angelo Pio Esposito, 23, originally from San Giuseppe Vesuviano and resident in Mugnano del Cardinale; and Francesco Grassi, 33, from Marigliano.

Michele La Gala, 36, of Nola; Nunzio Boccia, 59, of Striano; Giosuè Esposito, 50, of Brusciano; and Stanislao Emolo, 30, of Marigliano, were placed under house arrest. The investigating judge denied the request for a ninth person, for whom the same precautionary measure had been requested.

The suspects—who are presumed innocent until a final sentence is reached—are considered seriously suspected, on various counts, of criminal conspiracy aimed at theft and extortion.

According to investigators, the gang had made the parking lots of local hospitals and clinics their preferred target: people who were often frail, hospitalized or caring for family members, and therefore particularly vulnerable.

The investigation, launched in February 2024 after a victim reported it, has led to the reconstruction of at least 56 car thefts. In six cases, the thieves activated the "return horse" mechanism, demanding money from the owners to return the car. However, in only three incidents did the victims actually pay the extortion.

During the investigation, the Carabinieri arrested four people in flagrante delicto, seized seven stolen vehicles that had already been "recycled" with cloned license plates, and identified several compliant repair shops used to dismantle and resell the spare parts. Cars not returned to their owners were dismantled and the components re-marketed through illegal channels, often without the knowledge of the end customers.

The gang's operational area also extended to the Ottaviano area. Among the victims were long-term patients of local healthcare facilities, confirming the particularly serious social impact of this type of crime.

According to investigators, the group was already known to law enforcement, and some of those arrested had been arrested together on previous occasions. This picture, according to the Prosecutor's Office, paints a picture of a stable organized crime group, capable of systematically managing thefts, extortion, and receiving stolen goods.

List of those arrested

In jail

• Gennaro Corvino, 43 years old, born in Naples and resident in Castello di Cisterna

• Augustine Galasso, 44 years old, born in Naples and resident in Marigliano

• Angel Pio Esposito, 23 years old, originally from San Giuseppe Vesuviano and resident in Mugnano del Cardinale

• Francesco Grassi, 33 years old, born in Naples and resident in Marigliano

Under house arrest

• Michael The Gala, 36 years old, from Nola and resident in Marigliano

• Nunzio Boccia, 59 years old, from Striano

• Joshua Esposito, 50 years old, from Brusciano

• Stanislaus Emolo, 30 years old, from Nola and resident in Marigliano