Repentant Carmine Grosso: "They pointed guns at passersby to identify themselves," this is how the clan's patrols imposed power in the Sanità district.

Naples – A picture of routine and brutal abuse emerges from the statements of Carmine Grosso, 61, known as "o' Cecato," a former leading member of the now-dissolved Misso clan. His statements, made on September 18 before prosecutor Urbano Mozzillo of the Naples Anti-Mafia Department, were incorporated into the trial records related to the dramatic escalation of violence that culminated in the shooting on the night of October 24, 2024, in which sixteen-year-old Emanuele Tufano was killed by friendly fire during an armed incursion in Piazza Mercato.

In the alleys of the Rione Sanità district, the informer recounts, night and day blur under the sign of constant tension, marked by armed patrols and young recruits ready to display their weapons to instill fear in passersby and motorists. A bulletin of criminal bravado that captures the generational change and the lust for power in the neighborhoods of the historic center and the northern area.

"They carried weapons just to show off": a portrait of Gennaro De Marino

Carmine Grosso's story begins with the faces and behaviors of the protagonists of this new criminal era, closely linked to the dynamics of the Mellone-Pirozzi group and the Savarese-Pirozzi clan.

During the interrogation, the collaborator of justice describes the attitude of his associates without filters:
"I saw Gennaro De Marino armed several times, especially at night, even for no reason, just to show off. He'd keep the gun in plain sight and sometimes even point it at passersby to ascertain who they were. Until his arrest, De Marino had always been part of the Mellone-Pirozzi gang."

An escalation of urban arrogance that spared no one, transforming the streets into a besieged fortress where one glance too many was enough to risk your life.

Drug dealing areas and military control of Piazzetta Sanità

Not just intimidation and guns brandished in the faces of residents. The informer delves into the economic and strategic details of criminal control of the territory, revealing the origins and distribution of key drug trafficking hubs:
"He opened a drug syndicate in Piazzetta Sanità, which, as I've already said, he sold to "Scellone" and "Nano." But he wasn't the only one..."

A sprawling management that relies on military force and the constant presence of groups on the pavement, a stone's throw from the neighborhood's symbolic places.

From Ciro 'O Macallo to the patrols under the noses of the Carabinieri

The investigators show the collaborator the identifying photographs. "I recognize Esposito Ciro, known as 'O'Macallo.' I confirm the previous statements I made about him. I recall that he is Francesco Spina's brother-in-law and that since his release from prison, he has been a member of the Savarese-Pirozzi clan."

The description of Ciro Esposito's movements conveys the gang's operational brazenness: "I saw him armed several times late at night, along with the other members of the group; in particular, I saw them on Via Arena alla Sanità, near the pizzeria. I should point out that behind the place where Esposito and his associates were stationed is Via Gradini San Nicandro, where the Stella Carabinieri Command headquarters is located a little further up the road. Sometimes I saw him and his associates near the bar, always armed, also impeding the passage of cars because they blocked the road and forced the unfortunate motorist to ask permission to pass. His role was similar to that of the other members of the group, as he did not hold a position of responsibility."

The Role of the Old Bosses: The Rise of "Sasone" and the Return of Pirozzi

While the new recruits move with the greed of those seeking to impose themselves through brute force, the internal hierarchies are subject to rigid adjustments dictated by the "veterans" released from prison. And then there's Salvatore Matrone, known as "Sasone," Pirozzi's son-in-law, who is clearly framed within the clan's dynamics: "...he was always part of the Savarese-Pirozzi clan, until his arrest. I've also seen him armed several times, always at night, outside the pizzeria and the bar. His role changed when Pirozzi was released, as he no longer wanted Matrone to be treated like a 'boy,' and Pirozzi also limited his association with other associates, keeping him close to himself."