Naples – Miraculously, 22-year-old Ciro Basile survived, having been grazed in the buttock by one of several bullets fired at him during the night between Saturday and Sunday on Via Santa Maria Ognibene, in the Spanish Quarter, in the area known as the “Parrocchiella.”
A real ambush, not just a simple intimidating attack: at least eight, perhaps nine shots fired by a commando unit that had entered into action with the clear aim of killing.
The young man's quick reflexes saved his life. Treated in the emergency room of Pellegrini Hospital, he was discharged with a ten-day prognosis. But heavy shadows are gathering around that ambush.
A designated target, not a bystander
Investigators—the Carabinieri of the Naples Central Company—are convinced that Basile wasn't there by chance. The armed action, given its nature and intensity, leaves little room for doubt: the 22-year-old was a specific target.
And it is here that the episode intertwines with a broader and more delicate investigation into the low-intensity feud that has been raging for months in the Spanish Quarter and the Piazza Carolina area, between armed baby gangs and emerging groups ready to compete for space and criminal reputations.
Basile's name in the wiretaps
Ciro Basile's name appears in the documents of the investigation that, two weeks ago, led to the arrest of the group linked to Vincenzo Giovanni Percich Lucci, known as "Jhonny," the young leader of a youth gang of gunmen from the Spanish Quarter, and the youths from Piazzetta Carolina, the protagonists of two cross-examinations that occurred last December.
In particular, what caught the investigators' attention were some authorized wiretaps carried out inside a Fiat 500X used by Percich himself.
The conversation between Johnny and his mother
On December 18, 2025, at 12:47 PM, investigators intercepted a particularly significant conversation between Johnny Percich and his mother. The young man recounted learning from a third party the identity of the person who allegedly participated in the shooting that took place outside his home in Vico Caricatoio on the night of December 12.
"A guy told me that these guys from Piazza Carolina... he actually told me their names," says Percich. And he names them: PB, Mario Puggillo (the only adult in the group), and MC. The mother adds, claiming she even recognized the voice of one of the participants.
The direct accusation: "It was Ciro Basile"
Two days later, on December 20th, at 13:17 PM, another wiretap marked a turning point. Johnny's mother, speaking to her nephew inside the car, said she was convinced that Ciro Basile was the one who shot in Vico Caricatoio.
Strong words, full of anger and suspicion: the woman claims to have recognized the young man's voice during the shooting and accuses him of being responsible, fearing retaliation and consequences for her son Johnny.
An accusation that, although never supported by objective evidence, contributes to fueling a climate of tension and suspicion surrounding Basile's name.
Johnny's U-turn: "Basile is a stranger."
But the situation becomes even more complicated on December 25th. In a new intercepted conversation, Johnny contradicts his mother and firmly reiterates Ciro Basile's innocence in the events at Vico Caricatoio.
According to the young man, the real perpetrators were once again the boys from Piazza Carolina, in particular MC, indicated as the main person responsible for the spread, together with Puggillo and PB. A belief that Percich claims to have developed also because — according to him — it was the same people interested in admitting it.
A name that returns, a revenge that arrives
It is against this backdrop of conflicting accusations, acknowledged rumors, denials, and unresolved resentments that the ambush on Via Santa Maria Ognibene unfolded. A settling of scores that, for investigators, could represent yet another chapter in a simmering war between armed youth groups, ready to strike to reassert their dominance in the area.
Basile, never formally investigated, had already indirectly ended up on the investigation's radar. And now someone has decided to turn words into bullets.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
The article discusses a complex and worrying situation in Naples, where violence appears to be on the rise. It's difficult to understand how such incidents can occur, and what can be done to stop them. Young people deserve a better future.