Naples – "You know who's in charge in Ponticelli. If you don't know, your father does." These are strong words, spoken with the confidence typical of those operating in organized crime circles and accompanied, according to investigators, by a mind-boggling extortion demand: 50 euros in exchange for peace of mind.
On this charge, the Carabinieri arrested Vincenzo Valentino, 37, known in criminal circles as "'o veloce" (the fast one), believed to be linked to the De Micco clan, a dominant group in the eastern suburbs of Naples. He was arrested the day before yesterday on charges of extortion aggravated by mafia methods.
The demand for money and the intimidation
The owner of a well-known wedding and reception venue in the Ponticelli area was allegedly targeted. According to investigators' reconstruction, Valentino attempted to enforce the payment of a particularly large sum, leveraging the criminal influence of the organization in question.
The phrases uttered during the meetings with the victim—explicit allusions to territorial control—were interpreted as a clear message of intimidation, aimed at reaffirming the clan's authority over the area.
The social photo after the arrest
A photo taken immediately after the arrest also quickly made the rounds on social media. In the photo, Valentino appears sitting inside the Carabinieri police car and pointing outward with the middle finger.
Next to him, a relative is reportedly making a half-heart gesture with her hand, a scene that has sparked outrage and comments online.
The precedent with Brumotti and the lynching at Mickey Mouse Park
Valentino's name had already hit the national spotlight in 2023, when he was the subject of threats directed at Striscia la Notizia correspondent Vittorio Brumotti. The journalist had gone to the so-called Mickey Mouse Park to report on drug dealing centers, and was the victim of a veritable lynching.
An episode that shed light on one of the neighborhoods symbolic of criminal dynamics in the eastern area.
The return to the "Bodo" fort
Having been released for a few months, Valentino quickly resumed frequenting Mickey Mouse Park, now considered one of the main bastions of power of the De Micco family, the so-called “Bodo”.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
I'm reading this article and it strikes me as a very serious situation. Organized crime continues to be a serious problem in many areas. More should be done to stop these illegal activities that harm the community.