Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
: Alleanza di Secondigliano) is a strategic alliance of
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
, Italy and its
hinterland
Hinterland is a German word meaning "the land behind" (a city, a port, or similar). Its use in English was first documented by the geographer George Chisholm in his ''Handbook of Commercial Geography'' (1888). Originally the term was associated ...
which controls drug trafficking and the extortion racket in many areas of Naples since the 1990s. The Alliance has branches in the Netherlands and in Spain, with interests in international drug trafficking and massive money laundering.
Early years
The main clans of the alliance were the
Licciardi clan
The Licciardi clan () is a powerful Neapolitan Camorra clan that operates in the remote areas of Naples, specifically in the Secondigliano district and its stronghold of Masseria Cardone. Its sphere of influence extends to Scampia, Chiaiano, Mia ...
,
Contini clan
The Contini clan is a powerful Neapolitan Camorra clan operating in the city of Naples, and more specifically in the area of the Naples Central Station. The clan's traditional powerbase is the Arenaccia district. It also operates in the Poggiorea ...
and
Lo Russo clan
The Lo Russo clan was a Neapolitan Camorra clan operating on its territory within the city of Naples, concentrated specifically in the area of Miano, whose control extended throughout numerous neighborhoods in the north of the city for more than ...
from Naples and the
Mallardo clan
The Mallardo clan is a Camorra clan operating from the town of Giugliano in Campania, north of the city of Naples. The Mallardo clan is also one of the clans that belongs to the Secondigliano Alliance, that is considered by the authorities as th ...
from
Giugliano
Giugliano in Campania , also known simply as Giugliano, is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania, Italy. , it had some 124,000 inhabitants,Gennaro Licciardi who built his clan in the early 1990s in
Secondigliano
Secondigliano () is an old Italian municipality which became a modern suburb in the north of Naples.
Geography
Secondigliano lies between San Pietro a Patierno and Scampìa.
History
The name may derive from a contraction of "secondo" (second) an ...
, a northern suburb of Naples.Behan, ''See Naples and Die'', pp. 262-3 The alliance included
Edoardo Contini
Edoardo Contini (; born July 6, 1955) is an Italian Camorra boss. He is the founder and head of the Contini clan, a Camorra clan with its central base in the Arenaccia, that also operates in the Poggioreale, Vasto, Mercato and San Carlo all'Ar ...
and
Francesco Mallardo
Francesco Mallardo (; born April 1, 1951, in Giugliano in Campania), also known as ''Ciccio 'e Carlantonio'', is an Italian criminal and a member of the Neapolitan Camorra. He headed the Mallardo clan operating from the town of Giugliano in Campan ...
, and dominated the Neapolitan underworld during the 1990s. When the three male leaders died or were imprisoned, Licciardi’s sister Maria Licciardi was left in charge of the alliance.Fiandaca, ''Women and the Mafia'', p. 15 Under her leadership, the alliance became more organized, secretive, sophisticated and consequently more powerful.Godmother sends deadly message to her Mafia rivals The Daily Telegraph, June 19, 2001
The reign of Maria Licciardi ran smoothly for many years without any problems, until a disagreement arose over a consignment of pure unrefined
heroin
Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...
. In the spring of 1999, a large consignment of heroin arrived from
Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
,
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
. Licciardi decreed it should not be used, as it was too pure and strong for drug users and would kill them. However, the Lo Russo clan disagreed and repackaged the shipment for sale on the streets. The sale of unrefined heroin resulted in the deaths of many drug users across Naples and caused great public outrage, resulting in massive police crackdowns on the Camorra clans. Many Camorristi were arrested and subsequently imprisoned.Italy's most wanted Mamma The Guardian, June 30, 2000
The Lo Russo clan eventually split from the alliance, causing disintegration and a bloody gang war, including the use of car bombs and
bazooka
Bazooka () is the common name for a Man-portable anti-tank systems, man-portable recoilless Anti-tank warfare, anti-tank rocket launcher weapon, widely deployed by the United States Army, especially during World War II. Also referred to as the ...
attacks. Clans began fighting over turf and attempted to destroy or take other clans' business. When four clan members were murdered in her stronghold of Secondigliano, Licciardi was forced to retaliate. She mobilised her footsoldiers for an all-out counter-attack. The deadly gang wars resulted in nearly 120 deaths in Naples and the surrounding region. It was around this time that investigators became aware of Licciardi's existence.
Maria Licciardi was arrested on June 15, 2001. Her brother Vincenzo Licciardi took over as a supreme head of the Secondigliano Alliance along with
Paolo Di Lauro
Paolo Di Lauro (; born August 26, 1953) is an Italian crime boss, leader of the Di Lauro Clan, a Camorra crime organization. He is also known as () among other aliases. In 2002 he was included in the list of most wanted fugitives in Italy and wa ...
In June 2019, the Italian police arrested more than 120 members of the Alliance in an ''anti-Camorra'' operation. The police also confiscated €130 million. Among those who were arrested were the wives of the bosses of the Bosti, Mallardo, Licciardi and Contini clans, but also their lieutenants, children, grandchildren and entrepreneurs who worked for the alliance. The historical female boss managed to escape from the arrest in the operation.
Despite the large number of police operations against it, the Alliance is still considered the most powerful organization in the Camorra.
In May 2020,
Patrizio Bosti
Patrizio Bosti (; born 5 September 1959, in Naples) is a powerful Italian Camorra boss and current head of the Secondigliano Alliance, a Camorra crime syndicate based in the city of Naples.
History
His nickname is . Bosti and his clan are aligne ...
, a leader of the Secondigliano Alliance and one of the most powerful living Camorra bosses, was released from prison. Bosti, who was serving a prison sentence since his arrest in Spain in 2008, was not due to be released until 2023; however, he mounted a successful legal challenge against the state, citing inhumane treatment due to overcrowding. According to the investigations, Bosti's freedom makes the Secondigliano Alliance even stronger; considering that Maria Licciardi is also free, this allows the organization to have two of its historical leaders out of prison. On May 16, 2020, Bosti was rearrested. The new prison order concerns a recalculation of the sentence by the
judiciary, as he was serving his sentence in the region on the basis of documents provided by the Naples Public Prosecutor. According to the authorities, Bosti has to serve another six years in jail.
Maria Licciardi was arrested again at Rome's Ciampino airport by Carabinieri on the orders of Naples prosecutors, alleged to have been running extortion rackets as head of the Licciardi Camorra clan, on 7 August 2021 when attempting to travel to Spain.
Activities
The Alliance is strongly active in Spain: numerous important members of the organization were arrested in the country, such as Paolo Di Mauro, who died in 2018, and was considered by the authorities one of its top associates, particularly linked to the Continis.
Seven members of the organization were also arrested in Spain, Netherlands, South America and the Balkans, where they were running illicit businesses on behalf of the Alliance.
The Alliance is also believed to use
in the Dominican Republic to launder money.
The group is believed by the authorities to be allied with the
Commisso 'ndrina
The Commisso 'ndrina () is a powerful clan of the 'Ndrangheta, a criminal and mafia-type organization in Calabria, Italy. The 'ndrina is based in Siderno, but also has a branch in the Greater Toronto Area in Canada as part of the Siderno Group. ...
in the trafficking and sale of cocaine and marijuana from South America, via the Netherlands.
See also
*
List of members of the Camorra
This is a list of members of the Camorra, a Mafia-type organisation in Naples and Campania in Italy.
A
* Enrico Alfano
* Carmine Alfieri
* Raffaele Amato
* Umberto Ammaturo
B
* Luigi BaccanteList of Camorra clans
This is a comprehensive list of Camorra clans and their place of origin. A clan is a basic unit in the Camorra, a criminal organization originating in Campania. Currently it is estimated there are about 111 Camorra clans, and about 7,000 full mem ...
*
Giuliano clan
The Giuliano clan was a powerful Neapolitan Camorra clan that had its base in the area of Forcella, in Naples. Its sphere of influence extended to all the centre of the city of Naples for over four decades.
History
The clan was founded by Pio Vi ...
*
Scissionisti di Secondigliano
The Scissionisti di Secondigliano or Amato-Pagano clan is a Camorra clan from the Secondigliano district of Naples, headed by Raffaele Amato and Cesare Pagano. They are also known as ''"Spagnoli"'' (Spaniards) because of their strong presence in ...