Click "systems": How the Mazzarella clan hacked Italy

Naples – The more than 900-page precautionary order signed by investigating judge Luca Della Ragione reveals the new frontier of profit for Neapolitan clans: from traditional extortion to digital theft. An unprecedented alliance between the Mazzarellas and the Secondigliano Alliance to dominate the cyber fraud market, involving spoofing, fake Carabinieri marshals, and a multi-million euro business that extends as far as Spain.

Forget the guns, the hashish shipments arriving from Morocco, or the door-to-door extortion rackets collected in the alleys of San Giovanni a Teduccio. The Camorra's new frontier doesn't smell of gunpowder, but it has the antiseptic hum of a server and the reassuring tone of a bank clerk.

The latest investigation by the Naples Anti-Mafia Directorate, crystallized in the more than 900-page precautionary order signed by investigating judge Luca Della Ragione, opens a technological Pandora's box: the Mazzarella clan, historically linked to traditional trafficking, has discovered that a single click can yield as much as a kilo of cocaine, but with infinitely less risk of prosecution. Or at least, so they thought.

The mirage of “zero risk”

During wiretaps and phone calls, the gang's leaders don't hide their enthusiasm. Cyber ​​fraud is seen as the "goose that lays the golden eggs." There's a deep-rooted belief among the bosses: stealing money online isn't like shooting. They believe that justice is slower, the sentences are more lenient, and digital traces are easier to cover than a block of drugs.

This perception of impunity made his associates less cautious. In Ciro Mazzarella's homes, people spoke freely, without the cryptic coded messages typical of mafia environments. "It's a good investment," they said, convinced that the "new frontier" was a free zone.

The Web Pact: When "Systems" Meet

But the real news emerging from the investigation is geopolitical. The "card" business is so lucrative that it has broken down the boundaries of historic feuds. It's not just the Mazzarellas. Their longtime "enemies" are also involved in the affair: the Licciardis of Masseria Cardone and the Continis, the leaders of the Secondigliano Alliance.

Indeed, according to the documents, the Licciardis have assumed a dominant position. They are the "wholesalers" of credit cards and sensitive data. A wiretap from April 2022 describes an almost cinematic scene: at Ciro Mazzarella's home, a nighttime meeting is described where "all the Naples systems" showed up to stock up on "cards." Six different clans, all queuing up to obtain the tools to defraud. The market was saturated, demand was extremely high: "This week, only you had them," the intermediaries boasted.

The perfect deception: "Hello, I'm Marshal Santoro."

The group's modus operandi was a perfectly executed stage machine. The victim would receive a call displaying their bank's real toll-free number (a technique known as caller ID spoofing).

The script was always the same:

The Fake Official: A polite telephone operator (using pseudonyms such as “Marco Bisceglie” or “Sergio Melis”) alerted the victim of an alleged unauthorized access to the account from another city.

Institutional Reinforcement: To break down any defenses, a second actor came into play. The victim was contacted by a fake Carabinieri Marshal or a Postal Police inspector ("Marshal Marco Santoro" or "Inspector De Angelis"). In the background, the scammers even played recorded police radio noises to make the whole thing seem more believable.

The Final Blow: The fake policeman confirmed the danger: "Yes, we're investigating that very branch, trust the official." At that point, the victim, panicked and convinced she was protected by law enforcement, made a "safety" transfer to an IBAN provided by the scammers.

The multinational crime syndicate and the "Spallettis"

The organization wasn't limited to Naples. The Brusco brothers, linked to Michele Mazzarella, had exported the model to Spain, between Madrid and Barcelona, ​​replicating the scheme with the help of local accomplices.

Once the money reached the front men's accounts (often Postepay Evolution), Valerio Ripoli, known as "o' Spalletti," came into play. His job was monetization: quick withdrawals, POS purchases, and cashier's checks. For this "laundry" service, the group paid Ripoli a very high commission, equal to 45% of the stolen sums.

The data black market: 20 euros for a digital soul

Where did they get the victims' phone numbers and tax codes? Here too, the investigation uncovers a disturbing underworld. The data was purchased from hackers or foreign intermediaries: 20 euros for a tax code, 50 euros for a "profiled" phone number. This information allowed the operators to know everything about the victim before even dialing the number, making the scam nearly impossible for the average citizen to detect.

Even a BNL employee was targeted, saved only by the timely intervention of the bank's anti-fraud office. A sign that no one, not even those working in the sector, is immune to the manipulative power of the Camorra 4.0.

 List of suspects

Brusco Emanuele, born in Naples on 01.09.1997 PRISON
Brusco Gennaro, born in Naples on 03.02.2000 (known as Gerry) PRISON
Carrella Angelo, born in Cercola on 23.07.1979 UNDER INVESTIGATION
Ciccarelli Michele, born in Villaricca on July 12, 1967. UNDER INVESTIGATION
Coronella Ferdinando, born in Naples on 12.09.1995 PRISON
Costagliola Umberto, born in Naples on March 23, 1983 PRISON
Crisci Vincenzo, born in Caserta on 02.08.1992. RESIDENCE PROHIBITED IN CAMPANIA
Cuomo Gennaro, born in Naples on 24.05.1986 (known as Spillo or Paciully) UNDER INVESTIGATION
De Carlo Ernesto, born in Naples on 15.04.1985 (known as o' nin) PRISON
Di Martino Carmela, born in Naples on 14.10.1974 (known as Lina)
Esposito Giulia, born in Naples on 16.06.1957 UNDER INVESTIGATION
Evangelista Aniello, born in Naples on 11.04.1989 (known as Nello) PROHIBITED FROM RESIDENCE IN CAMPANIA
Fico Marco, born in Naples on 15.10.1992 UNDER INVESTIGATION
Alessandro Forte, born in Villaricca on October 2, 1981. UNDER INVESTIGATION
Alessandro Gigante, born in Naples on June 24, 1984. UNDER INVESTIGATION
Giuliano Marianna, born in Naples on 04.10.1979. RESIDENCE PROHIBITED IN CAMPANIA
Iavarone Gianluca Francesco Pio, born in Venezuela on 10.10.2001 UNDER INVESTIGATION
Imparato Anna, born in Naples on 03.08.1983 (known as Anita) PROHIBITED FROM RESIDENCE IN CAMPANIA
Raffaele Imparato, born in Naples on 25.07.1990 UNDER INVESTIGATION
Licciardi Antonio, born in Naples on 10.02.1995 (known as o' panzino) UNDER INVESTIGATION
Mazzarella Alberto, born in Naples on 23.02.1988 PRISON.
Mazzarella Ciro, born in Naples on 03.05.1971 PRISON
Mazzarella Michele, born in Naples on 14.07.1978 PRISON
Messina Giuseppe, born in Naples on 27.12.1977 PRISON
Moffa Gennaro, born in Naples on September 21, 2003. UNDER INVESTIGATION
Moffa Nicola Giuseppe, born in Naples on 11/01/2005 UNDER INVESTIGATION
Ostroschi Marco, born in Naples on 04.09.1984 (known as Marco Zanna Bianca) PRISON
Pisanti Antonio, born in Naples on 13.08.1996. PRISON
Quintiliano Salvatore, born in Naples on 18.10.1982 (known as Savio) UNDER INVESTIGATION
Ripoli Valerio, born in Naples on 25.02.1992 (known as Spalletti) PRISON
Dario Urciuoli, born in Avellino on March 13, 1998. UNDER INVESTIGATION
Lucarelli Giuseppe, born in Naples on 16.12.1969 UNDER INVESTIGATION