Rea Clan: Supreme Court annuls order for Antonio Laurato, boss's stepson.

The Supreme Court of Cassation has overturned the order by which the Naples Review Court had confirmed the pre-trial detention of Antonio Laurato, 33, of Casalnuovo di Napoli, under investigation for extortion aggravated by mafia methods and aimed at benefiting the Rea-Veneruso clan, a dominant organization in the Casalnuovo, Volla, and surrounding municipalities areas.

The decision, issued today by the Criminal Section of the Court, accepts the appeal filed by lawyer Vittorio Fucci, Laurato's trusted defense attorney, and refers the case back to the Court of Appeal for a new examination of the precautionary measure.

The story: extortion and "pirate phone" from prison

According to the prosecution, Laurato – identified as one of the clan's top operatives – allegedly participated in an extortion racket targeting local businessmen, who were forced to pay sums of money in order to continue their businesses.

The investigations reconstruct a mechanism in which the orders would have been agreed upon between Laurato and his father, the boss Francesco Rea, alias “O Pagliesco”, regent of the Rea-Veneruso clan, detained and already sentenced to life imprisonment in the first instance for the murder of the boss Pasquale Manna.

In particular, investigators hypothesize that Rea, from inside prison, used a pirate cell phone dedicated exclusively to contacting his stepson Antonio Laurato: those conversations would have led to the criminal plans, which Laurato then passed on to other affiliates for the actual execution of the extortion operations.

The initial order and the others arrested

The precautionary detention order was issued by the investigating judge of the Court of Naples, at the request of the District Anti-Mafia Directorate (DDA), as part of a broader investigation involving a total of six suspects.

In addition to Laurato and Francesco Rea, other recipients of the measures include:
Fabio Luino, brother-in-law of the boss;
Domenico Raccioppoli, known as “Mimì of cleaning”;
Felice Romano, alias “the barber”;
and another affiliate indicated in the documents.
All are charged with aggravated extortion using mafia methods, aimed at facilitating the activities of the Rea-Veneruso clan.

What changes after the Supreme Court's annulment

With today's annulment, the Court of Cassation does not address the merits of guilt, but rather notes flaws in the reasoning or application of the law by the Review Court, requiring a new examination of the request for pre-trial detention.

It will therefore be up to the Court of Appeal of Naples, in a new composition, to decide whether to confirm, modify or revoke the precautionary measure for Laurato, in light of the principles indicated by the Supreme Court.