"Too many alarms, more tools needed," the gang of Neapolitan thieves gave up on the robberies in Fregene

Secure villas, nestled in the lush greenery of Fregene, belonging to families in the film industry, high fashion, and institutional figures. This was the most ambitious target of the gang of thieves busted by the Carabinieri during an investigation that led to 38 precautionary measures being issued by the investigating judge of the Court of Naples North, Dario Berrino, at the request of the Prosecutor's Office.

A high-level criminal scheme, uncovered during the investigation thanks to tailing, wiretaps, and satellite tracking devices. Carabinieri investigators closely followed the movements of some members of the organization, discovering that the gang was considering a major breakthrough: targeting the ultra-luxury homes on the Roman coast.

January 8, 2024: the exploratory blitz in Rome

The date circled in red by investigators is January 8, 2024. On that day, the so-called "Neapolitan battery" set out from Naples in the early afternoon. Aboard the car were MASSIMO Alfredo, MASSIMO Alessandro, and SAVASTANO Antonio, considered the group's operational core.

The destination is Rome. The objective: to meet a key figure, Silvio DE CUBELLIS, a convicted felon of Neapolitan origins who had long since moved to the province of Rome, identified as a potential insider and go-between for local criminal circles.

At 3:15 PM, the group left Naples, reaching the Fiera di Roma area around 6:00 PM. There, they met with DE CUBELLIS, preceded by telephone conversations already monitored by investigators.

The role of the bases and the Roman network

DE CUBELLIS isn't just a companion. According to investigators' reconstruction, he acts as a bridge between the Neapolitan gang and Maurizio MANCINI, the individual believed to be the true mastermind behind the operation.

The group went to Mancini's home at Via Monte Carnevale 402, Rome, arriving around 6:10 PM. After a brief stop, they set off again: the car, tracked by GPS, headed toward the coast.

Fregene, a visit to secure villas and high-tech alarms

At 6:45 PM, the car reached Fregene, in the municipality of Fiumicino. The thieves drove along Via Castellammare, Via Castiglioncello, and Viale della Pineta di Fregene, streets synonymous with luxury, lined with imposing villas and luxury apartments.

From information acquired through collaboration with other units of the Carabinieri, a disturbing detail emerges: many of those homes are linked to wealthy families in the Italian film and high fashion world, as well as to figures with high-ranking institutional roles, including – according to the documents – the current Governor of the Bank of Italy and members of the Fendi family.

A huge potential loot. But also a very high risk.

The coup fails: "Too many alarms, more tools needed." After about a quarter of an hour of reconnaissance, the group turns back. At 7:00 PM, the car enters the Grande Raccordo Anulare and returns to Naples late that evening.

Subsequent wiretaps clarify the reason for the decision: alarm systems were too sophisticated, technologies that couldn't be bypassed with the gang's equipment. MASSIMO Alfredo, considered by his associates to be a highly professional criminal, deemed the job "out of reach," at least at that time.

The decision was clear: postpone. And return only after acquiring new equipment capable of defeating the security systems.

A ruthless and highly specialized organization

The Fregene incident is not an isolated incident, but merely the tip of the iceberg of an organization described by the investigating judge as composed of individuals with "strongly transgressive, highly specialized, and unscrupulous personalities," willing to do anything to achieve their goals.

Not even the presence of vulnerable people stopped the thieves. In one emblematic case, reconstructed by investigators, the criminals complained of a theft in Bagnoli, where they hadn't found "a single euro," but only an elderly, deaf homeowner, alone in the house and unable to acknowledge their presence.

Not even fragility stopped thieves: the robbery at the home of the elderly deaf man

The organization's ferocity is also vividly illustrated by an episode that strikes us with its disarming brutality. In a burglary in Bagnoli, Naples, gang members broke into an apartment despite knowing the owner was inside—an elderly, deaf, and alone man who was unable to understand what was happening.

The wiretaps, recorded in black and white in the investigating judge's order, reveal the thieves' cynicism: after the robbery, the thieves complained about the nonexistent loot, reporting that they hadn't found "not even a single euro," but only that man, who hadn't heard the repeated, violent knocks on the door or the noises caused by the break-in.

A detail that the Prosecutor's Office considers emblematic: the total lack of scruples, the willingness to carry out the theft even in the victim's presence, provided she was deemed incapable of reacting or calling for help. A modus operandi that, according to investigators, confirms the extremely high level of social danger of the suspects.

The investigation's numbers: 150 robberies and a black market for gold

The investigation allowed us to reconstruct approximately 150 criminal events:

40 home burglaries committed,

3 attempted thefts,

92 unsuccessful attempts,

8 recipes,

3 scams using the mirror technique.

The total profit amounted to 105 thousand euros, including jewels, gold, silver, luxury watches, and cash.

The groups operated with two or three lookouts outside, using altered or universal keys, capable of opening any lock. When necessary, the safes were pried open with a flex and loaded onto the cars.

Modified cars, disguises, and a series of thefts

To evade security, the gang used rental cars, modified with secret compartments to hide tools and stolen goods. In some cases, the thieves disguised themselves as delivery drivers for well-known home delivery companies, blending in with the crowd.

Each group, often family-based, was able to plan and execute dozens of thefts a day, studying the victims' habits and cashing in on the loot in a matter of hours thanks to a trusted fence, who ran a veritable black market for gold from his home, with prices updated daily.

Arrests and stolen goods recovered

During the investigation, 13 arrests were made, 9 charges were filed, and approximately 30 euros in stolen goods were recovered.

For the investigating judge, pre-trial detention is the only measure capable of stopping such a structured, mobile, and dangerous criminal organization, capable of striking unchallenged between Naples, Rome, and the Lazio coast.

A well-established, ruthless, and borderless system, aimed straight at the heart of the country's most exclusive residences. Until the intervention of the Carabinieri.

(In the photo, from top left: Alfredo Massimo, Maurizio Cangiano, Salvatore Cangiano, Ciro Fabiano, Enrico Parisi, and Angelo Michelini; bottom left: Aniello Di Napoli, Mauro Caiazzo, Dario Marra, Lucio Russo, Roberto Micillo, and Gennaro Rizzo)

The complete list of suspects

Giuseppe Agerola, born in Naples on January 11, 1983;

Salvatore Autiero, born in Naples on December 23, 1982;

Antonietta Caiazza, born in Naples on January 17, 1968;

Mauro Caiazza, born in Naples on March 21, 1971;

Pasquale Caiazza, born in Pollena Trocchia (Naples) on 26 July 1994;

Maurizio Cangiano, born in Mugnano di Napoli on 23 February 1982;

Salvatore Cangiano, born in Naples on 26 April 1973;

Luigi Cavuoto, born in Naples on June 28, 1975;

Antonio Corduas, born in Naples on 1 October 1990;

Aniello Di Napoli, born in Naples on December 26, 1988;

Carmine Di Napoli, born in Naples on January 26, 1956;

Salvatore Di Napoli, born in Naples on 28 October 1960;

Michele Esposito, born in Naples on January 6, 1984;

Ciro Fabiano, born in Naples on 20 July 1958;

Gennaro Grammatico, born in Naples on December 5, 1981;

Giuseppe Grammatico, born in Naples on February 4, 1977;

Gennaro Guarracino, born in Naples on March 11, 1978;

Maria Pia Iovine, born in Naples on November 7, 1998;

Antonio Leporanico, born in Naples on March 8, 1949;

Pasquale Maglione, born in Naples on February 16, 1977;

Sara Marino, born in Naples on March 3, 1981;

Emanuele Marotta, born in Naples on 30 July 1993;

Dario Marra, born in Naples on November 19, 1987;

Alessandro Massimo, born in Naples on 6 September 1996;

Alfredo Massimo, born in Naples on January 10, 1966;

Vincenzo Massimo, born in Naples on May 9, 1991;

Angelo Michelini, born in Naples on January 31, 1988;

Roberto Micillo, born in Naples on 13 October 1996;

Maurizio Minichini, born in Naples on 4 December 1975;

Vincenzo Moccia, born in Naples on 19 October 1975;

Paolo Monaco, born in Naples on May 31, 1964;

Enrico Parisi, born in Naples on 7 December 1988;

Pasquale Pisa, born in Naples on 13 September 1992;

Gennaro Rizzo, born in Naples on September 11, 1980;

Alessandro Russo, born in Naples on August 8, 1990;

Lucio Russo, born in Naples on 21 April 1971;

Ivan Sperati, born in Naples on 21 June 1983;

Ciro Talotti, born in Naples on February 2, 1983.