The Rome-Naples-Milan Axis: the Senese clan and the shadow of the Secondigliano Alliance: the mafia peace is crumbling over half a million euros.

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Rome Naples Milan Axis The Sienese Clan And The Shadow Of The Secondigliano Alliance The Mafia Pax Creaks For Half A Million Euros 2026 09 14

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The investigations into the Senese clan, contained in the approximately 800-page precautionary order signed last week by investigating judge Livio Sabatini, reveal the background to the peace between the clans: Michele Senese 'o Pazzo's clan forges business and blood alliances with the Licciardi clan of Secondigliano. But half a million euros in debt and cross-border dealings threaten to blow the bank. The investigation also highlights ties to white-collar Swiss finance officials.

Rome, Naples, and Milan: the transregional crime axis

The investigations by the District Anti-Mafia Directorate thus provide a snapshot of a criminal holding capable of operating on two fronts: on the one hand, a marked operational autonomy in Lazio, and on the other, a dense and consolidated network of strategic alliances with the historic clans of the Neapolitan Camorra. At the heart of this criminal galaxy is the clan of Michele Senese, known as 'o Pazzo, the historic godfather of Rome.

Court documents confirm the forging of not only friendly but also close cooperative ties with the fringe group led by Luigi Esposito, known as Nacchetta, a prominent member of the Licciardi clan, a pillar of the notorious Secondigliano Alliance. This convergence of interests is reflected in the organic contacts between the Senese family's confidants—such as the Di Giovanni family—and the brothers Antonio and Giovanni Varriale, considered among the Licciardi clan's highest-level emissaries and historically linked to the organization's regent, Maria Licciardi.

The Debtor's Trap: Half a Million Euros and the Missing Gun

The gang's system of guarantees and collections allows no room for error. Massimiliano Barretta, nephew of Antonio Gaglione, knows something about this. He found himself at the center of a colossal financial dispute: approximately €500.000 in debt to the Senese family and a whopping €600.000 owed to the Sorrentino clan in Milan, based in Campania.

The story emerges clearly from wiretaps in which Gaglione himself, filmed in a car with his loyalist Gennaro Scognamiglio, recounts confronting his nephew in Pomezia. Gaglione, released from prison in December 2017, had imposed a staggered repayment of the money, ordering Barretta to first liquidate the creditors linked to the Secondigliano Alliance and then the Senese family.

But when the agreement was breached—with the money diverted to the purchase of a beach resort in Viareggio—the clan's reaction was almost bloody. Gaglione confessed to wanting to execute his nephew on the spot:

“I caught him, I was in Pomezia, then I'll show you the place where I wanted to land him… I was shooting him, Angelina was with me… I grabbed him and stopped, Angelina was crying, you understand”.

This internal rift was further confirmed by revelations from justice collaborator Cosimo Nicolì, who outlined the contours of unscrupulous and centralized economic management.

The chill in the courtroom: Angelo Senese's hard line

The final break with the unfaithful debtors' front finds its symbolic stage in Rome's courtrooms. A wiretap from February 2023 reveals the climate of terror and mafia-like respect imposed by the top brass.
During a hearing before the Rome Court of Appeal, Angelo Senese—guardian of the family's financial affairs—issues strict orders to his associates. His target is Antonio Sorrentino, a co-defendant now isolated after Barretta's about-face and decision to cooperate with justice.

Intercepted conversations between Giancarlo Abiti (the clan's link with Milanese interests) and his interlocutors describe the scene in detail: when Sorrentino enters the courtroom, no one is shocked. No greeting, not even a "good morning."

A silent pillory carried out on the express orders of Angelo Senese, who, at the end of the hearing, expressed satisfaction with the coldness shown to his former ally, reiterating the policy of total ostracism for anyone who betrays the organization's codes.

From Switzerland to white-collar crime: the clan's black finances

The investigation also delves deeply into the clan's hidden coffers. The Seneses' financial interests aren't limited to Roman bricks and mortar or restaurants in the capital—like the notorious Gaucho—but extend far beyond national borders.

Investigators have documented a massive flow of capital to Switzerland, again managed by Angelo Senese through Tonino Leone, an entrepreneur resident in the Confederation and director of two Swiss companies, Sofiferge SA and Silversquare SA.

It is precisely from these foreign accounts that the millions of euros in loans allegedly came, granted not only to the debtor Barretta, but also to other entrepreneurs in the capital, such as the co-owners of ITB Srl, recipients of a loan of one and a half million euros.

A criminal and financial mosaic that, between blood pacts with the Neapolitan Camorra, courtroom intimidation, and offshore investments, confirms the dangerousness and modernity of an organization capable of dealing on equal terms with the 'Ndrangheta—as demonstrated by its Milanese contacts with Calabrian Santo Crea—and of managing billion-dollar assets in the shadows.

Topics

Chronicles of Campania

DECEMBER 5, 2025

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What to know

Key points on the investigation into the Senese clan

Here is a summary of the main elements that emerged from the investigation into the Senese clan and its alliances.

Sienese Clan: Led by Michele Senese, known as 'o Pazzo', the clan has a strong presence in Rome.
Mafia alliances: The clan established ties with the Licciardi of Secondigliano, forming a strategic alliance.
Debts and conflicts: A debt of half a million euros has triggered internal tensions, with threats of violence.
Financial activities: The clan also manages capital flows abroad, particularly in Switzerland.
Intimidation in court: The clan puts pressure on collaborators of justice and maintains a climate of terror.