A Carabinieri operation, coordinated by the Naples DDA, led to the execution of precautionary measures against 14 people believed to be linked in various ways to three different Camorra clans—Puca, Verde, and Ranucci—established in the area north of the capital, between Sant'Antimo, Sant'Arpino, Casandrino, and Grumo Nevano.
The provision was issued by the investigating judge of the Court of Naples and is based on an accusatory system that reconstructs extortion and attempted extortion, as well as an alleged availability of weapons and a system of territorial control based on the force of intimidation.
The pact between the groups and the common "fund"
The order outlines a framework for collaboration between the three groups: an alliance that, according to investigators, would have included the division of areas of influence and shared management of illicit proceeds.
In this context, investigators place the "hat," indicated as a common fund into which the extortion money would have flowed and which would then have been divided among the gangs.
The episode of December 30, 2017: the request and the threat
Among the incidents reported in the documents is one related to Gigi Finizio's concert scheduled in Sant'Antimo on December 30, 2017. In a conversation, Domenico Ranucci and Antonio Picciulli explained to Arena the terms of the pressure they exerted on the organizers: they allegedly demanded payment of a sum (3000 euros, as reported in the conversation) with the alternative of "putting the stereo on," meaning canceling the live performance and replacing it with recorded music.
In the intercepted account, the two suspects link the threat to something that, according to their version, would have strengthened the grip on the organizers and their entourage: the €30000 penalty that would have been imposed if the artist didn't sing ("because if they don't sing, they pay a €30 penalty, the municipality...").
This is one of the key steps because it captures the mechanism of the claim: leveraging costs and contractual consequences to force payment.
“You have to give us 5000 euros or you'll put in the stereo”:
The same conversation also includes a quote attributed to the extortionists: "Finizio, do you see Gigi Finizio? You have to give us €5000 or put on the stereo..." This is a passage that investigators are using to frame the request as a "protection money" related to the event.
Shortly thereafter, the conversation also discusses the amount that was actually delivered: "How much did he bring? 3 and 5, I think...", "3 and 5." This reference, in the lexicon of the conversation, suggests a delivery of money (indicated in a non-perfectly linear way between the "3000" mentioned above and the "3 and 5" mentioned later), but which is nevertheless described as the result of the threat: "At that point, the singer's entourage was forced to pay the extortion."
The "side" details and the climate of arrogance
In the final part of the dialogue, further details emerge that help define the atmosphere: references to individuals present, to tense moments ("the electricity was even switched off when we pulled the wire..."), and even to goods taken during the incident ("they even took the hams..."). These elements, while not at the heart of the dispute, reveal an internal narrative that describes the episode as a "routine" ("it's always been like this..."), reinforcing the idea—on an investigative level—of a consolidated method.
Other extortions in the area
Investigators believe the episode, linked to the entertainment industry, is part of a broader context of extortionist pressure against local merchants and entrepreneurs, with multiple incidents being reconstructed in the municipalities of the hinterland north of Naples.
The framework described in the order aims to document a system of extortion and territorial control, with roles and dynamics that the District Anti-Mafia Prosecutor's Office believes can be traced back to the three groups indicated.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
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