"I'm in charge at Berlingieri now": Antonio Feldi 'o Tufano arrested

Naples – He barely had time to breathe in the fresh air of freedom. Just 72 hours after walking through the prison gates on August 6th, Antonio Feldi, 38, known in organized crime circles as "Tony Tufano," is back in action, using his usual methods.

Arriving at a historic bakery in the Berlingieri district of Secondigliano, he allegedly demanded a holiday bribe: "I'm here now," he shouted at the owner, accompanied—according to investigators—by ostentation and the threat of a gun.

The extortion demand was no small feat: €1.500 in cash as a "Ferragosto" bribe, coupled with the surreal demand that they even get the keys to the business's warehouse.

The trap of the agents disguised as workers

A field investigation interrupted the alleged extortionist's raid. When Feldi returned to the shop to collect the requested sum, he wasn't met by the compliant businessman, but by members of the Organized Crime Unit of the Naples Flying Squad (led by Director Mario Grassia and Deputy Commissioner Giuseppe Sasso) along with colleagues from the investigative team of the Secondigliano Police Station (led by Deputy Commissioner Tommaso Pintauro).

Camouflaged among the local workers and disguised as laborers, the police stopped and intervened at the crucial moment, placing Feldi in irons, charging him with extortion aggravated by mafia methods. The 38-year-old, represented by lawyer Michele Caiafa, is now in custody pending validation.

The profile of "Tony Tufano": local crime and previous convictions

Antonio Feldi fits into the complex underworld balance of power in northern Naples. Considered a key figure for a historic group based in the Berlingieri district, the 38-year-old boasts ties and contacts with the galaxy of Secondigliano clans.

His recent criminal record demonstrates an aggressive and uncompromising nature: in June 2024, he was arrested for threatening and physically assaulting officers at the Secondigliano police station during a routine check. Having served his pre-trial detention order until August 6th, upon his release, he immediately attempted to reassert his control over the area.

The power vacuum in Berlingieri and the "spreads" of the White Night

Feldi's arrest comes amidst a period of intense turmoil and heightened criminal tension within the Berlingieri district and surrounding neighborhoods. The local Camorra map reveals a power vacuum created by recent anti-drug operations conducted by the Anti-Mafia Department. Among these was the raid last March conducted by Secondigliano officers that routed the Carella group, a group with ties to the historic Camorra families of Secondigliano.

This void has sparked appetites and friction between the new recruits and the old bosses: just last Saturday the tension erupted into yet another episode of intimidation, with a "stesa" (gunshots fired in the air) that took place near the municipal park right during the Notte Bianca events.

The double grip on commercial activities

The same business targeted by Feldi had been hit by another extortion demand just two weeks earlier. In mid-July, 56-year-old Vincenzo De Cicco, known as "Masaniello," was arrested. De Cicco had repeatedly shown up at the bakery demanding €5.000 "for his comrades," repeating the threats daily before being reported by the victim and arrested by the police.

The raid on Feldi confirms the local criminal gang's practice of intensifying extortion efforts during three key periods of the year: Christmas, Easter, and mid-August. The two suspects are presumed innocent until a final conviction.