Naples – They are no longer the “Girati” of the past, the ones who in 2011 sparked the internal split between the Di Lauro and Amato-Pagano clubs to conquer a piece of sky above the Vele di Scampia.
Today, Vanella Grassi is a mature criminal enterprise, with a steely pyramid structure, a diplomatic network that reaches as far as Spain, and an internal welfare system that knows no crisis. The latest precautionary measure, which disbanded the clan's leadership between 2019 and 2024, paints a picture of a clan capable of regenerating itself despite decades of arrests and collaboration with justice.
At the heart of the investigation is a mafia-style organization. But much more emerges from the folds of the files: an unlimited supply of weapons, ironclad control of the territory between San Pietro a Patierno and Secondigliano, and a capacity for intimidation that stifles any desire for legality.
The Triumvirate: The Return of the Colonels
The watershed date is May 6, 2020. On that day, almost simultaneously, the three men who would have taken over the reins of the clan were released: Gaetano Angrisano, Antonio Coppola (known as “Mille Lire”) and Giuseppe Corcione (known as “Ciccio 'o macellaio”).
According to revelations from justice collaborator Salvatore Roselli, the new regency's first act was a diplomatic mission. Angrisano and Corcione traveled to Mugnano to introduce themselves to Marco Liguori, then the leader of the Amato-Pagano clan.
"Gaetano Angrisano introduced himself as the head of Vanella," the informer recounts, "and immediately made it clear that Antonio Coppola was the same as him, they were on the same level." It was the birth of the new triumvirate. To seal the alliance, a lunch was organized at Lotto O, a summit between the leaders of the two clans to divide business and spheres of influence.
The drug dealing squares: the monopoly of the Sails and the drones
The company's core business remains drug trafficking. Vanella Grassi controls the key drug-dealing hubs: Lot G, Lot P (the infamous "Smurf Houses"), and Lot M (the Sails).
The investigation documents the technological evolution of drug trafficking. In Secondigliano prison, drugs no longer enter only through traditional methods. Between July and December 2023, the group led by Nico Grimaldi, under the protection of Vanella, used drones to deliver doses directly to cells. This system, coordinated by Grimaldi's mother, Rita Pitirollo, demonstrates the clan's ability to infiltrate even maximum-security facilities.
Camorra Welfare: 6.000 Euro Monthly Payments
What holds the clan together isn't just violence, but the "common fund." The Vanella Grassi guarantees its members, whether free or incarcerated, a fixed salary: the "mesata." It's a meritocratic system in reverse: the higher the rank, the bigger the paycheck.
Prosecutors, including Luigi Esposito and Luca Chianese, have revealed staggering figures. The clan's leaders earn €6.000 a month. For the family of historic leader Salvatore Petriccione (known as "Totore 'o marenaro") alone, the clan pays €24.000 a month, divided between the clan leader, his sons Gaetano and Salvatore Jr., and his son-in-law Gaetano Angrisano. This enormous financial commitment serves to ensure "criminal loyalty" and prevent further defections or collaborations with the state.
The internal “Cold War” and the rise of Iazzetta
Not everything went smoothly, however. The indictment reconstructs extremely high tensions between Gaetano Angrisano and Paolo Esposito (nicknamed "Paoluccio 'o Porsche"). Esposito allegedly even attempted to have Angrisano killed so he could take his place.
In this climate of suspicion, the figure of Fabio Iazzetta emerges. For years, he was the man in the shadows, managing the Vele and Puffi squares alongside Luigi Rosas ("Gino 'o Zuppone"). Iazzetta bided his time, hoping that the arrests of the bosses would open the way for him. His official appointment came on December 13, 2023, following the spectacular arrest of Angrisano, captured during his son's birthday party. Salvatore Petriccione Junior, directly from prison, handed Iazzetta the command: "At that point, there was no one left out with the surname," the informants explain.
The Spanish trail and the insult to the Calabrians
The investigation also has an international dimension. Angrisano had traveled as far as Spain to establish contacts with major drug traffickers, particularly Simone Bartiromo (nickname "Jet").
But the episode that best describes the firepower and arrogance of the Vanella Grassi is the Casavatore robbery. In April 2023, clan associates robbed 20 kilos of cocaine from two Calabrian couriers linked to the powerful 'ndrine of Locride (the Nirta and Romeo clans). When the Calabrians, through the Contini clan, demanded the return of the cargo, Angrisano forcefully refused. An act of defiance that could have sparked a war between cartels, but which demonstrated that the Vanella felt strong enough to fear no one, not even the giants of the 'Ndrangheta.
A family-based clan
The order closes the loop by underscoring how the Vanella Grassi clan's strength lies in blood ties. The family ties between the Angrisanos, Petricciones, and Coppolas aren't just emotional bonds, but the backbone of an organization the Supreme Court has repeatedly characterized as one of the most dangerous in Campania. With weapons stored in the Lotti basements and a slew of drug dealers ready to be "paid," the clan continues to exert its overwhelming criminal power, despite relentless pressure from the Anti-Mafia Prosecutor's Office.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
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