Naples – There's no peace in the city's "high society." A new judicial tsunami is hitting the heirs of the Cimmino clan, the gang that for decades held the hilltop neighborhoods of Vomero and Arenella in check.
Following the massive 2021 raid that decapitated the organization's top brass, the District Anti-Mafia Directorate closed the loop on a new line of investigation, bringing eight defendants before Preliminary Hearing Judge Rossetti yesterday morning, charged with various counts of mafia association, extortion, and receiving stolen goods.
The investigation, a continuation of the mothership that dismantled the criminal group linked to the Secondigliano Alliance four years ago, saw its first procedural skirmishes and a division of the legal proceedings yesterday.
Salvatore Arena (defended by lawyers Giuseppe Milazzo and Immacolata Romano), the alleged regent Andrea Basile and Alessandro Desio (assisted by lawyers Antonio Abet and Andrea Lucchetta) have chosen to face the public debate, risking full sentences.
Riccardo Alfano, son of Giovanni Alfano, instead opted for a plea bargain, agreeing to a sentence. All the other defendants—including Maria Emanuela Cimmino, Vincenzo Desio, Andrea Mangione, and Carlo Federico—opted for the expedited trial, which guarantees a reduction of one-third of the sentence if convicted. The defense team also includes lawyers Claudio Davino and Rosario Marsico.
The operational bases and the hierarchy
According to the Prosecutor's Office's reconstruction, despite the arrests and the recent disappearance of the repentant boss Luigi Cimmino, the clan never ceased to operate. At the helm of the reorganization were Andrea Basile and Alessandro Desio, operational minds capable of identifying new businesses and managing the joint fund.
Logistical support would have been crucial to territorial control: Carlo Federico would have provided the car rental company on Via Rossini, while Andrea Mangione would have provided his garage on Via Simone Martini. These were veritable headquarters where criminal strategies were planned.
The Lace Map: From Bingo to Bistro
The investigation documents reveal a widespread and suffocating extortion system. The clan's tax collectors targeted historic and prominent businesses in the Vomero area.
Among the contested episodes, the extortion at the Bingo hall in Via Annella di Massimo stands out: Basile and the Desio brothers allegedly forced the person responsible to pay 15 thousand euros between April and September 2019.
Not just cash, but also labor charges. This is the case of the Terrazza Merliani Bistrot: Alessandro Desio allegedly demanded a €20 bribe, an amount later "discounted" in exchange for his sister's employment at the restaurant.
Even large-scale retail trade has not been spared: Alessandro Desio and Salvatore Arena are accused of extortion against Decò Globus Supermercati, which was forced to pay 9 euros (out of the 10 initially requested).
The months to the heirs
The investigation also sheds light on the clan's internal welfare system. Riccardo Alfano and Maria Emanuela Cimmino (daughter of the late boss Luigi) are accused of receiving stolen goods. They are accused of receiving monthly payments of so-called "monthly payments" of one thousand euros: money that the Anti-Mafia Directorate (DDA) clearly deems to be the product of the clan's illicit activities and the blood shed for control of the clan.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
The article presents a complex and worrying situation, but I wonder if justice really has any chance of stopping this mafia that seems to be growing stronger. The people of Naples deserve a future without fear.