Naples – Massimiliano Esposito, known as 'o scognato, and Luigi Bitonto, known as provolino, considered top organized crime figures in the Phlegraean Fields area, will be sent directly to the Assize Court without a preliminary hearing.
The two are accused of being among the perpetrators of the brutal murder of Antonio Ivone, which occurred in August 2000 in Bagnoli, and will be tried starting next September 12th.
The decision was taken by the preliminary investigations judge of the Court of Naples, Fabrizio Finamore, who signed the decree judgment The court immediately ordered the two alleged killers to be sent for trial before the Second Section of the Assize Court. The defendants will be represented by lawyers Roccio Maria Spina, who is assisting both, and Claudio Davino, Esposito's legal representative.
A long legal affair
The measure comes at the end of a complex judicial process. In recent months, the Court of Review The Court of Cassation had annulled the pre-trial detention order against the two defendants, but the Prosecutor's Office appealed the decision, and the Court of Cassation, upholding the appeal, ordered a reassessment of the case. In March 2025, the judges of the Supreme Court reinstated the pre-trial detention order for both defendants, paving the way for an immediate trial.
It now remains to be seen whether Esposito and Bitonto will choose to face the trial with the ordinary procedure or opt for the abbreviated trial, a strategy that, in the event of a conviction, could guarantee them a reduction in their sentences.
The repentants' story: "Ivone killed for control of Bagnoli"
The real breakthrough in the investigation, conducted by the Naples Flying Squad, came last year thanks to the statements of two collaborators of justice, Marco Conte and Raffaele Giogli. Conte detailed the composition of the group that allegedly participated in the murder: “I, Massimiliano Esposito, Luigi Bitonto, Massimiliano De Franco (later deceased), Pietro Esposito known as Pierino (also deceased) and Raffaele Giogli”.
According to the reports, the motive for the murder was linked to Massimiliano Esposito's desire to establish himself as the absolute leader of the Phlegraean Fields area by eliminating potential rivals. Antonio Ivone, in fact, was believed to be close to Rodolfo Zinco, who was linked to the Rossi clan, a historic enemy of the Esposito group.
“Massimiliano,” Conte continues, “wanted to hit Zinco, but when he couldn’t find him, he ordered them to hit Ivone, who was sitting in front of a kiosk on Via Tertulliano.” It was there, according to the prosecution, that the decision to kill was made. Bitonto, according to the accounts, coordinated the group: “He signaled Giogli and Pietro Esposito to come closer and pointed out Ivone to them. Then he turned to me and said he was ready to cover the escape.”
According to the informants' reconstruction, the shooter was Massimiliano Esposito, followed by Giogli, whose gun, however, jammed. During the attack, a relative of the victim was also grazed, and Giogli fired a shot at him, but did not injure him.
The trial is set for September 12th
With the charges formalized and the serious evidence gathered, Massimiliano Esposito and Luigi Bitonto will now have to defend themselves in court against one of the most serious charges under the penal code: aggravated homicide using mafia methods. The trial, scheduled for September 12th, promises to be complex, but it could mark an important chapter in the long and bloody history of the Camorra in the western neighborhoods of Naples.
It's sad to know that there are people willing to commit such violent acts. Justice must take its course, and we hope the truth comes out for the good of all. This case is deeply thought-provoking.