Note: So for all of the readers, this is just an informative post of the various Mafia groups operating in Italy.  Many seem very familiar with the American Mafia, so I hope to make a general informative post about the organizations and how they are structured along with news articles as they happen.  This is just something I enjoy researching and following.  Others have told me I remind them of an older player named "Uncle Joe" due to his apparent mafia knowledge.  While I am not him, I'd hope to speak with him someday if he is here.  Anyway, here's to the content.  Hope you enjoy.

Italian Mafia Associations & News

Introduction

In Italy, the "Mafia" is generally associated with a multitude of organizations.  There is not one Mafia organization like in the United States.  So in Italy there are four (4) major mafia organizations and a handful of smaller ones, which I will also describe and list.  The groups are as follows: Cosa Nostra (aka the Sicilian Mafia), Camorra (aka the Neapolitan Mafia), 'Ndrangheta (aka the Calabrian Mafia) and the Sacra Corona Unita (aka the Apulian Mafia).  The map below, titled "Italian Mafia Groups" shows the geographic boundaries where these organizations are headquartered.  

• Italian Mafia Territories

Other smaller groups in Italy consist of La Stidda, Mafia Capitale, Nigerian Mafia, Banda della Magliana, Societa Foggiana and others. 

I will go by various regions to incorporate first, the native mafia groups and also outside organizations that have no establisihed themselves.

Once I layout the summaries of each group, you will then find news articles that I find from the web which could entail anything from arrests, murders, trials and any investigations that are ongoing.  I hope to gather your feedback and commentary and hopefully your enjoyment.

Neapolitan Mafia Associations

The Camorra

Once upon a time, three Spanish knights landed on the island of Favignana, just off the westernmost tip of Sicily.  They were Osso, Mastrosso and Carcagnosso and they were fugitivies.  One of their sisters had been raped by an arrogant nobleman, and the three knights had fled Spain after washing the crime in blood.

Somewhere among Favignana's many caves and grottoes, Osso, Mastrosso and Carcagnosso found sanctuary.  But they also found a place where they could channel their sense of injustice into creating a new code of conduct, a new form of brotherhood.  Over the next twenty-nine years, they dreamed up and refined the rules of the Honored Society.  Then, at last, they took their mission out into the world.  

Osso dedicated himself to Saint George, and crossed into nearby Sicily where he founded the branch of the Honored Society that would be known as the mafia.

Mastrosso chose the Madonna as his sponsor, and sailed to Naples where he founded another branch: the camorra.

Carcagnosso became a devotee of the Archangel Michael, and crossed the straits between Sicily and the Italian mainland to reach Calabria.  There, he founded the 'ndrangheta.

Reference: Blood Brotherhoods by John Dickie, Pg. xxv - Preface to the US Edition

Contrary to popular belief, the Camorra is believed to be the oldest of the major mafia organizations in Italy.  Its earliest existence is believed to have started in 1799, just after the failed Neapolitan revolution against the Bourbons in Italy.  As many of you may or may not know, Italy is a relatively young country, having been fully unified as of 1861.  Before them, the Italian peninsula was comprised of regions - either ruled by italian governments or by outside nations such as the Spanish, French, Normans, Arabs etc.

Today, the Camorra is a loose confederation of criminals operating throughout Naples and the provinces of Caserta, Salerno and Avellino in the region of Campania.  This is a separate entity under the same name.  I will explain the differences between the old Camorra and the new Camorra below.

Old Camorra - Honoured Society of Naples

Place of Operation: Napoli
Membership Size: Unknown
Existence: 1799-1911

In Naples, Italy, the camorra became a very well known organization in the prison system - specifically in one prison known as Castello Del Carmine.  It was here, thata one Sigismondo Casatromediano, the Duke of Marciano, Marquis of Caballino, Lord of seven baronies witnessed the entire operations of the Camorra.  

The commonly known pizzo, extortion or tax that is enforced throughout the italian underworld is believed to have first revealed itself at the Castello del Carmine prison.  The old camorra would tax every aspect of prison life - food, sleeping quarters, and any funding provided to the prisoners while n prison.  If you wanted to sleep on a bed, you had to pay a small service fee to the Camorra.

On the streets of Napoli, a tax existed in the food industry on products such as flour, fruits, fish, meat etc.  Additional rackets of the Camorra at the time were ownership of gambling houses and prostitution.

The old Camorra also held rankings within the organization.  From highest to lowest:

Capintesta

Capintrito

Camorrista

Contajuolo

Picciuotto

Giovinotto onorato

Palo

These rankings existed for several years along with the Old Camorra's secret alphabet.   Select the link below to view images of various forms of the alphabet used by the Camorra along with tattoos and their meanings of the former Honoured Society.

IL TATUAGGIO FRA I CAMORRISTI ( 1906) - tatuaggilauretani.it

In 1911 a major trial took place in Naples which rounded up various members of the Camorra.  The Capointesta at the time, was an Enrico Alfano.  The Capointesta was the equivalent to the supreme boss of Naples.  That position would be elected by the 12 Capointriti (plural for CApo intrito) of Naples.  A chart of those who were brought to trial are listed below in the link.

camorrachart.jpg (794×1494) (wordpress.com)

The old Camorra or Honoured Society of Naples was dissolved at the end of this trial, leaving the old traditions gone for years.  The Camorra of today has emerged to be a completely different organism.

Camorra - The System - O Sistema

Place of Operation: City of Naples, Provinces of Caserta, Salerno & Avellinio
Membership Size: approximately 10,000 affiliates to approxiamtely 100 camorra clans
Existence: 1911 - Present

 

The Camorra today is a large horizontally structured group of individual clans constantly seeking dominance in their respective neighborhoods on Naples.  Many of the Camorra clans no longer retain the old structure of the original honoured society and today are often referred to as "The System" in the streets of Naples.  Camorra clans have no commission, no ruling body and no formal ranks.  Each one is structured differently and is firmly held on conflict to keep control of its territory.

In the 1970s, a man by the name of Raffaelle Cutolo attempted to revitalize the Camorra's old traditions by founding the Nuova Camorra Organizzata (NCO) which was an alliance of Camorra clans seeking to bring dominance to Campania.  In opposition to the NCO was the Nuova Famiglia (NF) an alliance of Camorra clans with direct support from Cosa Nostra.  To solidify the links between Naples & Sicily, Salvatore "Toto" Riina, the Capo di tutti Capi (Boss of Bosses) of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra, made the Camorra clans of Michele Zaza, Antonio Bardellino and Lorenzo Nuvoletta to be official families of Cosa Nostra.  In fact, Nuvoletta was the Capomandamento for the Cosa Nostra commission in Napoli.  The NCO was dead set on solidfying its hold on Naples and ousting the Sicilians control.  A civil war errupted between the two factions leaving hundreds dead.

Neither the Nuova Famiglia or Nuova Camorra Organizzata exist today, but the clans of the past still do.  

In recent times, a clan belonging to the "Secondigliano Alliance", the DiLauro Clan, experienced a civil war in the mid 2000s, which resulted in hundreds murdered.  The patriach, Paolo Di Lauro was on the run as a fugitive with his sons ruling over one of the most lucrative Camorra clans in Italy.  The organization specialized in the sale of counterfeit goods, extortion and most of all, drug trafficking - with a firm grip over the largest open air drug market in Europe.  The clan had approximately 300 members, according to Roberto Saviano, the author of Gomorrah (also a series on HBO and SkyTv depending where you are from).  Experienced members grew frustrated with the sons who were repalcing them with younger members in various territories and revolted.  They became known as the "Scissionisti" or "Secessionists".  A major war errupted in Naples, resulting in hundreds dead.

Similar conflicts happen today throughout Naples, as the Camorra is the most violent of the Mafia groups in Italy.  This, in my opinion, reminds me the most of the Mafia groups on Mafiareturns.  High conflict, and territory constantly changing.  

I hope you enjoyed this summary.  It is not the best, but I hope it gave you some insight.