Naples – There's a precise moment when the criminal landscape of Naples changed, returning to a past that seemed buried under handcuffs. It was June 12, 2019. That day, the prison gates opened to let Gennaro De Luca, known to all as "Gennaro 'o Muntato," pass through.
Twenty-two years of detention have not dented his charisma or authority. On the contrary, his release coincides with a power vacuum left by longtime bosses Edoardo Contini and Patrizio Bosti, locked in the 41-bis regime.
The latest investigations by the Flying Squad and the Carabinieri, coordinated by the Naples Anti-Mafia Directorate (DDA), crystallize what analysts are calling the "new course": a mafia restoration rooted in ancient roots but aiming for very modern objectives. This is precisely what is set out in the more than 1200-page precautionary order, signed by investigating judge Fabrizia Fiore on March 3, which resulted in the arrest of 39 members of the Contini clan, with 126 others under investigation.
The geography of command: the viceroys of Vasto and “Connolo”
The power map drawn by investigators leaves no room for doubt. The Contini clan is a multi-centered organization that breathes through its historic neighborhoods.
In the Vasto-Arenaccia neighborhood, the clan's leader is Gaetano Girgenti, aka "Core e Fierr." Nearby, in the Sant'Alfonso neighborhood, known locally as "'à Connolo," the reigns supreme are held by the Russo brothers: Gennaro, Giovanni, and Antonio, known as "I Suricill." It is to them, and in particular Gennaro Russo—described as a criminal with extreme investigative savvy—that De Luca is said to have entrusted the core business of drug trafficking.
The connection between "'o Muntato" and the Russos is not only strategic, but also blood and lead: in 2005, they were sentenced together to over 22 years for the Mele and Annunziata murders, open wounds from the war of the late 1990s. Closing the circle are Borgo Sant'Antonio Abate, under the aegis of Carmine De Luca ("Zezzella"), and the Amicizia and San Giovanniello districts, the beating heart where it all began with the founder "Edoardo 'o Romano."
Invisible Extortion: "There's No Point in Shooting When Everyone Knows Who We Are"
What emerges from the documents of investigating judge Roberto D'Auria is a sophisticated, almost state-like criminal strategy. Unlike the young "children's gangs" or emerging clans that rely on beatings and bullets to assert their existence, the Continis practice subtle pressure.
It's a violence that doesn't need to be shouted out. Their power is "immanent": a shopkeeper in Vasto already knows who to turn to, already knows how much he has to pay. There's no need to point a gun; a whispered word is enough. However, when efficiency declines, the clan intervenes. This happened with the replacement of Gaetano Girgenti, deemed "not very effective" in debt collection, with Francesco Laezza, who was charged with "approaching" the victims, such as the owners of supermarkets and restaurants between Via Casanova and Via Cairoli.
The Anti-State in Hospitals: The Alliance's Black Welfare
But the investigation lifts the veil on something even more disturbing: the ability of the Secondigliano Alliance (the cartel uniting Contini, Licciardi, and Mallardo) to infiltrate the city's vital nerve centers. Not just drugs and racketeering, but a monopoly that spans everything from gas stations to jewelry, from clothing to online gambling.
The most alarming data concerns hospital facilities. According to the prosecution, some of Naples' most important hospitals were used as private offices for the clan: safe places to hold summits between fugitives, to receive victims of loan sharking, or to manage mafia power under the cover of the white wards. A criminal "welfare" that guarantees monthly payments to the families of imprisoned members, while maintaining their loyalty to the cause.
The “Glocal” of Secondigliano: a unitary structure
Investigators warn against considering the clans as separate entities. The Alliance is a "superstructure" that resists raids. Despite the arrest of 126 members in June 2019, the organization has regenerated.
The document defines it as a "glocal" structure: fiercely rooted in the local area but capable of projecting its capital throughout Italy and abroad (global). A farsighted vision that dates back to the 90s, when Eduardo Contini realized that a truce between large corporations would be more effective than a war. Today, that armed peace has become an economic empire that manages entire industrial sectors like a legitimate monopoly.
Weapons in the garage: power ready for use
Although reluctant to use lead, the Continis are not unarmed. The seizures at the "Iole" garage in Casoria and the arrests of figures like Pietro Lucarelli of the "Stadera" gang—found in possession of submachine guns and even a bomb—prove that the arsenal is ready. Peace is merely a corporate choice; war remains a technical option always on the table for those at the top.
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Interesting and thoughtful article, but the explanation is somewhat confusing. The facts seem to be summarized too quickly, lacking detail and context. There are many names, but it's unclear who's in charge, and the evidence seems poorly explained. I hope the investigators continue their work.