Illegal moorings in Mergellina: Rita De Crescenzo's son under investigation

Naples – Six vessels have been seized, four people have been served with a notice of investigation, and a stretch of sea has once again become the focus of investigations. In Naples, the management of moorings between Mergellina and Borgo Marinario is back in the spotlight, where the Coast Guard has executed a precautionary seizure order issued by the investigating judge of the Naples Court, as part of an investigation coordinated by the Naples Public Prosecutor's Office.

Among the four people under investigation is Francesco Pio Bianco, son of TikTok user Rita De Crescenzo. He and three others, believed by investigators to be front men for the alleged activity, are charged, according to the indictment, with the unlawful operation of a boat rental business and violation of navigation safety regulations.

The order was executed on October 9th by officers from the Naples Port Authority. The charges concern the alleged unauthorized occupation of a stretch of water belonging to the state maritime property, used to moor boats and dinghies for rental and transfers between land and sea.

The fleet docked even at night

According to the investigative reconstruction, the area was used on a permanent basis without the necessary permits and authorizations, with an organization that allowed for the maintenance of a fleet of vessels available for commercial activities.

One of the aspects considered most relevant by investigators is the presence of the vessels even during nighttime hours, without the required light or visual signals. This circumstance, according to the prosecution, created a "real and serious risk of collisions and maritime accidents."

The vessels would also have hindered nautical maneuvers and compromised the regularity of public commercial services.

Investigators are reconstructing the roles of those involved, from the daily monitoring of moorings to the management of customer boarding operations, up to the formal registration of the vehicles used in the disputed activity.

At the end of the investigation, six vessels, including boats and dinghies, were seized. The four suspects were served with a preliminary investigation notice, along with a simultaneous notification of their defense rights.

The name of Francesco Pio Bianco

The involvement of Rita De Crescenzo's son in the investigation brings to light a story that, in recent years, has intertwined the world of mooring operators, administrative issues related to state-owned land concessions, and public controversy over the management of certain areas of the Neapolitan coastline.

The young man, who is in his 20s, has been in prison since last May on the very serious charge of attempted murder aggravated by mafia methods. According to preliminary investigations judge Filomena Capasso, he was part of a gang of juvenile criminals who were involved in a sort of mini-feud in the Porta Medina area. Seven other young men were arrested alongside him for several assaults and injuries in recent months.

In recent years, Rita De Crescenzo had taken part in initiatives and protests related to the failure to reassign certain concessions, publicly maintaining that the outstanding payments relating to previous irregularities had been settled.

The new investigation, however, concerns specific conduct alleged against the current suspects. The issuance of a notice of investigation is not equivalent to a plea of ​​guilt, and responsibilities will need to be determined during the proceedings.

The Mergellina moorings: a history of seizures and concessions

The issue of landings in the Mergellina area is not a new one. Over the years, the management of the sea has been subject to inspections, disputes over alleged illegal occupation of state maritime property, and the seizure of unauthorized facilities and landings.

At the heart of the debate was also the distinction between activities customarily performed by incumbent operators and those regularly authorized through public concessions. This issue fueled protests and conflict among mooring operators, with demands for transparency and new procedures for assigning berths.

In May 2025, the issue returned to the center of public debate with a sit-in in front of the Port Authority, which Rita De Crescenzo also participated in. The protest was related to the reassignment of concessions and the prospect of new public tenders. Around the same time, the social media dispute between the TikToker and MP Francesco Emilio Borrelli, who had long been denouncing irregularities in the management of moorings, intensified.

The precedent of the alleged racket

A separate chapter, yet tied to the same territorial context, is that of the investigation into the alleged mooring racket, which in October 2024 led to the arrests of Rosario Piccirillo and his son Antonio, accused of attempted extortion aggravated by mafia methods.

According to the investigative hypothesis of that proceeding, Antonio Piccirillo allegedly made demands to industry operators for exclusive control of certain buoys, vessels for rental, and, in some cases, the hiring of preferred individuals. Among those identified as victims of the alleged extortion requests were Rita De Crescenzo and her husband.

In June 2025, the TikTok user testified as a witness in the trial related to that incident, reconstructing in court some of the incidents contained in the complaint.

This is a different line of investigation from the one that led to the seizure of the six vessels. However, the previous case highlights the complexity of a sector in which economic interests, disputes over the management of berths, and legal proceedings have overlapped over the years.

Now the investigations on the six vessels

The Coast Guard's latest operation, according to the prosecution, aims to disrupt a mooring and rental business conducted without the necessary permits and in conditions considered dangerous for navigation.

The investigations will clarify the actual organization of the activity, the ownership of the seized vehicles, and the individual responsibilities of the four suspects. All are presumed innocent until a final conviction.