Released from the 41-bis regime, he attempts to reclaim his territory: Andrea Autiero, boss of the Casalesi, has been arrested.

Gricignano d'Aversa – Twenty-five years in prison, most of which were spent in maximum isolation under the 41-bis regime, had not affected his sense of belonging. As soon as he was released, Andrea Autiero, 65, known as "o scusut," the historic leader of the Russo-Schiavone faction of the Casalesi clan, reportedly picked up right where he left off: imposing the law of racketeering and terror to reassert the Camorra's hegemony over Gricignano di Aversa, Aniello De Luca also ended up in handcuffs.

His journey was interrupted yesterday, when the Carabinieri of the Caserta Provincial Command executed an emergency arrest warrant issued by the Naples District Anti-Mafia Directorate, coordinated by Deputy Prosecutor Michele Del Prete.

Bullets fired at businesses and the mayor

The Carabinieri's investigations have shed light on a series of violent incidents that in recent weeks had plunged the local community back into the dark atmosphere of the 1990s. Autiero is accused of two serious gunfire-related raids in Gricignano di Aversa: the first targeting a tobacconist, the second targeting a gas station owned by the town's mayor's family.

Targeted attacks, carried out with the typical brazenness of the Casalese "old guard," were designed to send an unmistakable signal to the area's productive and institutional fabric: the boss was back and ready to collect the bribe again.

The Shadow of the Crime on Commission

But the picture painted by the Neapolitan DDA reveals even more disturbing aspects. In addition to the extortion raids, the 65-year-old faces a serious charge of attempted murder: the former leader of the Schiavone-Russo faction is alleged to have planned and executed the attack on a local woman, a commissioned raid orchestrated to cleanse with blood a slight or a disagreement that had developed within local circles.

During the search conducted upon the arrest, officers found and seized €6.000 in cash and a €1.000 bank check, believed to be the likely proceeds of extortion schemes against local merchants.

Return to prison in Santa Maria Capua Vetere

Defended by lawyer Cristina Mottola, Autiero was transferred to the Santa Maria Capua Vetere prison pending a hearing by the Preliminary Investigations Judge to validate his arrest.
The operation by the Anti-Mafia Directorate (DDA) and the Carabinieri nipped in the bud the attempted reorganization of the extortion network in the Agro Aversano, demonstrating how state pressure remains extremely high even in the face of the return of historic organized crime figures to the area.