Naples – No legal consequences for the alleged underboss who aspired to inherit the criminal legacy of the Esposito-Marsicano clan. In the shadow of the Pianura feud, Massimiliano Santagata, 22, accused of attempted murder, was sentenced to three years and four months in prison after a summary trial.
The preliminary investigations judge accepted the defense presented by attorneys Domenico Dello Iacono and Anna Savanelli, upgrading the charge to the less serious type of aggravated assault. The Naples Prosecutor's Office, which had requested an eight-year prison sentence, took a completely different view.
The same sentence was handed down to co-defendant Salvatore Carpentieri. Santagata had already been placed under house arrest a few weeks ago as part of an ongoing proceeding.
The May 4th ambush and the "personal" motive
Santagata, along with Francesco Olgato and Carpentieri himself, was arrested last August on charges of attempted murder, as well as carrying and possession of a firearm in a public place.
According to investigations conducted by the judicial team of the Pianura police station and the Flying Squad, the three are believed to be the perpetrators of the ambush carried out on May 4, 2024, against Luca Battista.
The victim, then under house arrest at his home on Via Vicinale Torciolano, noticed the gunmen's presence from the terrace and managed to escape, taking refuge inside the apartment. The shots struck furniture and household items at eye level. Battista, currently incarcerated in Poggioreale prison, is serving a twelve-year sentence.
According to preliminary investigations, the raid apparently occurred amid intense personal tension: the attack was allegedly motivated by a romantic relationship deemed "forbidden" between Battista and the wife of a man close to the Santagata group. This passionate motive influenced the legal assessment of the facts, ruling out—at least in the trial—the possibility of a mafia-style settling of scores.
The Pianura Feud and the Legacy of the Clans
The context, however, remains that of a western suburb of Naples, marked for years by unstable criminal activity. The so-called Pianura feud has its roots in the disintegration of the Esposito-Marsicano clan, historically dominant in the area, and the resulting competition between emerging groups eager to fill the power vacuums left by arrests and collaborations with the justice system.
A silent war, made of intimidation, failed ambushes, and fluid alliances, in which young talents who grew up in the shadow of the old bosses are at work. In this scenario, Santagata remains a key figure for investigators: despite the downgrading of the charges, he is considered one of the possible masterminds of the new gang that aims to continue the criminal legacy of the Esposito-Marsicanos.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (2)
Munnezz
This article is interesting, but many details are unclear. I don't understand how the sentence could be so low for such a serious crime as attempted murder. I hope there are further developments in this situation.