Prisons transformed into Camorra headquarters: the verdict on the 'super intelligence clan' is due on November 2nd.

The verdict in the mega-trial against the so-called "super intelligence clan" will be announced on November 2nd. According to the Naples District Anti-Mafia Directorate, the organization transformed Italian prisons into veritable Camorra operations centers.

A system capable of providing detained bosses with drugs, cell phones, and every type of logistical support to continue issuing orders from inside their cells.

The trial, held before the Court of Appeal of Naples, has entered its final phase: after the defense lawyers' final arguments, the prosecution now has its final response, before sentencing, scheduled for October 2nd.

The context: jammers, Secondigliano, and the controversy over poor service

The proceedings are part of a heated debate in recent days between the Naples prosecutor, Nicola Gratteri, and the heads of the prison administration on the use of jammers, the frequency inhibitors installed to block clandestine cell phones.

"The Ministry of Justice has decided to focus on jammers here in Naples, with an initial trial in Secondigliano prison, which was successful. Now we're considering purchasing four more to initially target five prisons, starting with the high-security ones," Gratteri said.

According to data released by the Ministry, the trial blocked approximately 24 call attempts in 24 hours, nearly a thousand per hour. But while authorities claim success, several residents in the neighborhoods surrounding the prison are reporting problems with their phone and internet connections in their homes, blaming the jammers for the disruption.

The blitz that dismantled the clans' "service"

The investigation represents one of the heaviest blows inflicted by the Naples DDA on the system of connections between imprisoned bosses and criminal organizations active in the area.

On March 19, 2023, a major raid was launched, resulting in the execution of 21 precautionary measures, in compliance with the request of the District Anti-Mafia Directorate. Investigators reconstructed the existence of a veritable organization specializing in the smuggling of cell phones, narcotics, and other prohibited items into 19 Italian penitentiaries, from Sicily to Piedmont, via Calabria, Puglia, and Campania.

According to investigators, Secondigliano prison was one of the organization's main hubs, allowing clan leaders to maintain control of criminal activities even while in prison.

Drones, price list and "on commission" deliveries

The organization allegedly operated in an almost entrepreneurial manner. Deliveries were primarily made using drones piloted by experienced operators, capable of bypassing prison security measures.

Investigators also reconstructed a detailed price list: one thousand euros to introduce a smartphone, two hundred and fifty euros for a phone intended exclusively for voice calls, and up to seven thousand euros to deliver half a kilo of narcotics into prisons.

Wiretaps, informants and unfaithful agents

The prosecution's case is based on extensive investigative work, including wiretaps, wiretaps, surveillance, and statements from collaborators of justice.

According to investigators, the analysis of conversations with an inmate's wife was crucial, as it also revealed the involvement of four members of the Penitentiary Police, accused of facilitating, for a fee, the smuggling of drugs and cell phones into prisons.

The clans involved in the investigation

The defendants include members believed to be close to some of the most important Camorra organizations in the Naples metropolitan area and province.

Among the most notable names are Ciro Contini, known as “'o Nirone,” believed to be close to the Contini clan and nephew of boss Eduardo Contini; Matteo Balzano, Giovanni Baratto, Cristian Esposito, and his mother Maria Nappi, wife of Massimiliano Esposito “'o Scognato.”

Also implicated are alleged members of the Abbinante, Vigilia, Fusco di Cercola, Mazzarella, De Micco, Puccinelli, Sibillo, and Del Prete groups, as well as other suspects from Caivano, Soccavo, and Torre Annunziata.

Waiting for the final sentence

The appeals trial is considered one of the most complex in recent years in organized crime cases. The summary trial at first instance resulted in 29 convictions and total sentences of 250 years in prison.

Thirteen defendants have concluded the proceedings through a concordat on appeal, while another thirteen positions have been addressed through ordinary hearings, in particular those relating to the defendants receiving the highest sentences.

The defense team includes lawyers Roberto Saccomanno, Abet, Giuseppe Perfetto, Domenico Dello Iacono, Leopoldo Perone, Rocco Maria Spina, Dario Carmine Procentese, Massimo Viscusi, Minieri, Fernando Quaranta, Beniamino Palma, and Antonio Bucci.