Feud alert in Pianura: worker accidentally injured on his way to work

Naples – He left home at dawn to go to work, but ended up in the blind and merciless crosshairs of the Camorra. Moreno Capcha, 59, a Peruvian citizen who had lived in Naples with his family for years, is the first innocent victim of the feud that erupted in the Pianura neighborhood. The man was walking alone along Via Arnaldi when a stray bullet struck him in the face, hitting his left eye. He underwent emergency surgery at Cardarelli Hospital, but now risks losing his sight.

The raid and the testimony from the hospital bed

The tragedy unfolded around 6:00 a.m. Two men on a scooter pulled up alongside each other on the street in yet another show of force, but the impact with the pedestrian was devastating. Admitted to the Cardarelli Hospital, the man, who had no criminal record and worked at a shop in Chiaia, underwent surgery to remove the bullet, which had been fired from a small-caliber revolver. Doctors will determine whether his vision has recovered only after a 48-hour observation period.

The victim recounted the dramatic moments of the ambush to the police officers of the Flying Squad and the Pianura Police Station:

I had just left the house. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my head and in my eye, which burned and I couldn't open it. With my other eye, I saw a scooter with two people on board speeding away. That's when I understood. A passerby stopped to help me and called 118.

The investigation: a loose lead

Forensic investigators, not finding any spent shell casings at the scene of the attack, immediately suspected the use of a revolver, a finding later confirmed by initial forensic examinations. The possibility of direct settling of scores or mistaken identity has almost certainly been ruled out: the 59-year-old's respectable lifestyle and his complete lack of contact with criminal circles confirm that it was a stray shot fired during a "stesa" (sweeping).

The stages of the escalation: four drafts in four days

The shooting on Via Arnaldi is just the latest chapter in a dramatic escalation of violence that has seen the neighborhood the scene of four consecutive raids:

Night 1 Via José Maria Escrivà. First raid with repeated shots fired between a school and the church of San Lorenzo.
Night 2 Via José Maria Escrivà. Shots were fired from two different weapons (7,65 caliber and Luger); a gate and a condominium area were damaged.
Night 3 Via Vicinale Sant'Aniello. Twelve 7,65 caliber bullets were fired near a residential building; residents raised the alarm.
Night 4 Via Arnaldi. Revolver shots fired while driving: 59-year-old worker Moreno Capcha was wounded in the eye.

Many of the areas hit by the raids do not have video surveillance systems, which complicates the process of identifying the perpetrators.

The clan map and the risk of a new clash

The surge in violence appears to be caused by a clash between youth groups for control of Pianura's drug dealing hubs. On one side, there are a group of emerging young men; on the other, young men linked to the Marsicano clan, currently allied with the Santagatas. The Carillo-Perfetto faction appears to be more discreet.

These groups inherit the criminal legacy of the area's historic clans—from the Marfellas to the Lagos, from the Pesces to the Meles. Investigators fear that this latest wave of intimidation could reignite one of the longest and bloodiest feuds in the history of the Neapolitan Camorra, second only to the San Giovanni a Teduccio feud.