The Kings of the Tunnels: The Chiariello Brothers Lead the "Hole Gang"

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The Kings of the Tunnels The Chiariello Brothers at the Head of the Gang of the Hole 2026 06 11

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A hole in the floor measuring just forty centimeters, blank-firing pistols ready to fire, and impeccable direction between lookouts on electric bicycles and runners on the Beverly. The documents from the North Naples investigation reveal the military logistics of the "hole" professionals.

Awakening in terror

The silence of Via Roma, in Aversa, was shattered in the early afternoon of a scorching July 20, 2022. It wasn't the sound of shattering windows from outside that raised the alarm, but rather a dull, sinister sound coming from below. The documents of the precautionary order signed by the investigating judge of the Court of Naples North, Dr. Fabrizio Forte, now reveal the cold, millimetric precision with which the so-called "Hole Gang" he robbed the well-known “Marotta” jewelry store.

A lightning-fast operation, planned for weeks in detail underground, capable of yielding a monstrous haul of approximately 300.000 euros including jewels, valuables and a very valuable Rolex “Airking” model watch taken directly from a customer's wrist.

The break-in from the sewers and the kidnapping of customers

The technique was the classic, lethal one typical of crime in the Giugliano hinterland: entry through sewer tunnels. The perpetrators of the robbery—including Giuseppe Palumbo and Ferdinando Russo, already convicted in a parallel trial—suddenly emerged from a hole drilled under the floor of the premises.

They wore white full-body protective suits, complete with hoods, overalls, and gloves to avoid leaving any physical marks or fingerprints. In their hands, two blank-firing pistols, identical to the real ones, were used to nip any resistance in the bud. Within moments, owner Gabriele Marotta, his son Alfredo, and a customer, Sergio Fabozzi, found themselves threatened by raised pistol hammers. The violence didn't stop with verbal threats: the victims were immobilized with plastic cable ties and locked in the jewelry store's bathroom, deprived of any possibility of movement while the bandits cleaned out the safes and display cases.

The "poles" on the surface: wireless direction

While the victims' tragedy unfolded inside the shop, outside, the complex logistical machinery of the organization dominated the streets. The magistrates' investigations have shed light on the pivotal role of Francesco Russo. According to the prosecution, the young man had not only actively participated in the grueling excavation operations underground in the days leading up to the robbery, but that day he was the "outside mastermind" of the robbery.

Equipped with an invisible micro-earpiece, Russo was constantly in radio contact with his accomplices crawling through the tunnels, monitoring street activity to give the green light to exit the tunnel. To avoid arousing suspicion, he positioned himself in front of the jewelry store's front door. His presence wasn't mere: he physically blocked the door from the outside to prevent anyone from escaping toward the street and to attract the attention of law enforcement patrols.

The coordinated escape towards Giugliano

Once the bags were filled with valuables, the evacuation plan was put into action. Francesco Russo, receiving the exit signal via radio from inside the premises, hopped on a black electric bicycle and sped off towards Giugliano in Campania. But a bicycle, however fast it may be in city traffic, isn't enough to guarantee impunity on a commuter route.

And this is where the relay comes into play. A short distance away, on Via Selicelle, Domenico Chiariello was waiting aboard a powerful, dark-colored Piaggio Beverly scooter, formally registered to his brother Antonio. The video surveillance cameras analyzed by investigators captured the scene: the scooter pulled up alongside Russo's electric bicycle, and Chiariello turned to ensure his accomplice maintained a steady, steady pace, acting as a shield and a lead rider until they returned to the headquarters on Via San Carlo Borromeo in Giugliano.

The tool den and the failed heists

The picture emerging from the prosecutor's investigations doesn't end with the Aversa robbery. The investigations mapped out a veritable underground crime ring, capable of operating between license plate forgery and professional burglary arsenals. In November of the same year, the Carabinieri raided the Russos' home, finding a white Fiat Ducato van with counterfeit license plates (series BP694IN).

The gang's toolbox was found in the cargo area of the vehicle: mallets of all sizes, masonry chisels, crowbars, hydraulic jacks, a cordless drill with dozens of cutting discs, drills, and even a sophisticated homemade metal tool with iron bars, specifically designed to break down reinforced concrete and vault walls. A complete criminal carpenter's kit, combined with the seizure of 7,65 caliber ammunition and hunting cartridges, demonstrates that the "Banda del Buco" had no intention of stopping before the handcuffs of justice tightened their grip, interrupting their business in the bowels of Campania.

People involved and roles:

Francesco RUSSO (under investigation): Operational and coordination role. In the days leading up to the robbery, he participated in excavations and on-site inspections. During the robbery, equipped with an earpiece, he acted as a lookout/lookout, indicating to his accomplices when to exit the tunnel. He guarded the entrance door, locking it from the outside to prevent the victims from leaving, then escaped on a black electric bicycle.

Domenico CHIARIELLO (under investigation): Role in support of the escape. Aboard a Piaggio Beverly motorcycle (registered to his brother Antonio), he met Francesco Russo on Via Selicelle to escort him and ensure his escape towards Via San Carlo Borromeo.

PALUMBO Giuseppe & RUSSO Ferdinando: Material co-perpetrators and accomplices (already tried and convicted separately in the first instance).

Two other accomplices who remain unidentified: The material perpetrators who entered the premises.

List of 17 suspects

1) BELFIORE Beniamino, born in Aversa (CE) on 29.11.1976, resident in Giugliano PRISON
2) CANNELLA Teodoro, born in Naples on 09.04.1970, resident in Giugliano INVESTIGATED
3) CHIARIELLO Antonio, born in Villaricca (NA) on 19.10.1992, resident in Giugliano PRISON
4) CHIARIELLO Domenico, born in Naples on 21.07.1983, resident in Giugliano PRISON
5) D'ALTERIO Giuseppe, born in Giugliano in Campania (NA) on 21.06.1976, resident there UNDER INVESTIGATION
6) DI MATTEO Antimo, born in Naples on 25.04.1976, resident in Giugliano in Campania PRISON
7) FOLINIELLO Antonio, born in Mugnano di Napoli (NA) on 06.10.1988, resident in
Giugliano in Campania HOUSE ARREST
8) GIAPPONE Giuseppe, born in Naples on 25.08. 1976, resident in Giugliano PRISON
9) GIGANTE Simone, born in Naples on 03.12.2001 HOUSE ARREST
10) ACHROUN Giuseppe, born in Naples on 30.11.1992, resident in Giugliano PRISON
11) MARTORI Antonio, born in Pozzuoli (NA) on 17.05.1983, resident in Giugliano PRISON
12) PALUMBO Francesco, born in Mugnano di Napoli (NA) on 21.10.1988, resident in
Giugliano in Campania UNDER INVESTIGATION
13) PALUMBO Giuseppe, born in Mugnano di Napoli (NA) on 12.08. 1989. resident in Giugliano INVESTIGATED
14) SAULINO Giaseppe, born in Naples on 23.07.1998. Resident in Giugliano. HOUSE ARREST.
15) STAPPA Salvatore, born in Naples on 21.10.1996. Resident in Giugliano. UNDER INVESTIGATION.
16) STATERINI Francesco Pio, born in Ancona on 03.07.2004, resident in Giugliano HOUSE ARREST
17) RUSSO Francesco, born in Villaricca (NA) on 02.01.2000, resident in Giugliano HOUSE ARREST

(pictured from left: Domenico Chiariello, Antonio Chiariello, Giuseppe Hachroun, Giuseppe Giappone, and Giuseppe Pio Saulino)

Deepening

The "hole gang" is not an improvised group, but a real criminal war machine.
With lookouts on electric bikes, relays on Beverly and a hole of just 40 cm, they have
orchestrated a perfect robbery at the Marotta jewelry store in Aversa.
A military logistics that makes you think: the precision and organization of this

gangs show how high the stakes are in the fight against crime.

Interesting article, but some sentences seem too sensationalist and poorly mixed with legal jargon; perhaps the journalist was trying to dramatize the story. It would be helpful to have the full transcripts or at least a precise timeline to better understand the sequence.

I partially agree with that interpretation; however, I would like to add that the escape mechanism appears to have been carried out using multiple vehicles, and there are some inconsistencies in the license plates. The technical details on the equipment are repetitive, and some sentences were interrupted without meaning, so it needs to be further verified.

Reading the article, it seems well-reconstructed, but there are many confusing parts: the chronology isn't always linear, and some names are mixed up; the description of the poles and the tunnel seems unclear, and there's no explanation as to how the witnesses were assisted afterward. I'm not judging, just observing.