Roberto Saviano and the other Mafia.

Category:

Mafia

Francesco Pischetola / AFP/Getty Images

(In the center of the picture is Roberto Saviano: the author of 'Gomorrah' the book, while he's escorted by policemen and bodyguards.)

One day while I was having a rather animated conversation with friends of mine, on the matter of the Mafia and Camorra's criminal activities. At the conclusion of it, I came to realize that the Camorra compared to the Mafia was all by itself, a different kind of beast.

While less famous than its Sicilian counterpart, progressively the Camorra is getting more powerful and notoriety, than the Mafia.

The reason of it?



The Camorra is of a more bloody thirsty animal than the Mafia itself.

The Mafia in its own way has (or at least had it), a code of honor. The "mafiusi" were bound to this code, and if they didn't respected this unwritten code, then they were likely to be severally punished. And the penalty was of course, death. This unwritten code was: to never kill young people, women, or priests.

And even though wasn't in their code of honor, they tried very hard to not kill any police officer, for the obvious reason that if they did kill one of them, afterwards the knew, that the all police system were highly motivated to catch the police officer's assassins.

The Camorra has none of those codes. When the Camorra is in pursue of money and power doesn't respect anyone, it is more brutal and merciless than the Sicilian Mafia.

By now, I have seen every other day in the news of the Italian TVs, how true is it!

The Camorristi had killed, maimed, and punished in the streets of Naples, youngsters, women, and any other innocent standby, indiscriminately.

In comparison the Mafia tried to conceal anyways they could their bloody busyness. Indeed, the Mafia is more of a secret criminal society which likes to keep their filthy affairs very obscured.

In the other hand, the Camorra doesn't care much of hiding it!

Among Mafia, Ndrangheta, Stidda (that's just for naming a few of the many souther Italian criminal organizations), and now the Camorra which are trying to cannibalize whatever of productive, good, and honest are left in the southern regions of the Italian's societies by keeping those same societies, in a terrifying stranglehold of fears and retaliations.

Roberto Saviano: who is this guy?

Roberto Saviano is a regular guy, who had the guts to write the "Gamorra's book" (in English: Gomorrah) a "non-fiction novel" about the Neapolitan mafia, the Camorra, to denounce its undermining on a society efforts for a better future.

After Saviano published his book, he had to be relocated from Naples and given 24-hour armed police protection.

Recently Saviano was in Los Angeles (California), for the presentation of the movie, Gamorrah (which by the way, it has a chance to win an Oscar). During this visit, he had a brief interview with an American journalist which asked him if was regretting to had written the book, Gomorrah.

Roberto Saviano's Gomorrah trailer:



Roberto Saviano had answered to the journalist that he wasn't regretting to had written it, but his life had changed a lot since he did write the book.

In an other interview with an Italian newspaper he said: "Right now I don't see why I should keep living like this, as a prisoner of myself, my book, my success. I want a life, that's all," he told La Repubblica.

A police informer reportedly told police that the Camorra planned to kill Saviano, "before Christmas".

Right now, he needs a round-the-clock protection because hes life was threaten by the, "Casalesi" to be ended by the end of this year.

The Casalesi are the most sanguinary of all the Neapolitan's Camorra clans.

Even tough, I never wrote any book about Mafia (maybe in a far future I will - I never know ), a part of my life was for sometime in the same position in which he's right now.

I admire his choice of writing that book, and the courage to stand for what he believes. To the contrary of what he did, I simple left my Sicily when I came to realize that I couldn't take anymore..... In those moments, I was so deeply disgusted and discouraged that nothing would be ever changed, that I had resorted to simply given up on my dreams and leave my Sicily for good.....

Takes a lot courage to fight the Mafia, particularly when standing alone.

I personally know both reality: the Sicilian realities, because I lived for a long time there, and the Neapolitan reality, because I was there many times and I had a lot of Neapolitan friends.

Saviano has right now a lot support, but I don't believe that would be it enough to prevent his life to be prematurely terminated. I wish him luck, a lot of luck. Because, he's going to really need it.

Mafia and Camorra, fueled from diseased mental cultures.

Category:

Mafia

This post of mine will be a strong denunciation on the whys and hows of the Camorra, and of the Mafias' existence in the most of the southern parts of Italy, and its continuation into the United States and other parts of the world as well.



Some Neapolitans and Sicilians get along very well, even here in the US. The reason of it? Culturally, a part of their societies share the same mentality and historical heritage. An heritage (produced by long centuries of invasions) of "l'arte di arrangiarsi" (in English: art to manage), and mentality of "arraffamento" (get the hands in whatever don't belongs to them).

In fact, inside of each of these two Southern Italian regions: the Campania and Sicily regions (and other Southern regions too) exist two separated identities. One identity is: an uncultured and underachieved part of the population which feeds in the culture of the, "sopraffazione" (to violently overwhelm a weak individual) and ignorance (an almost complete lack of schooling). The other identity is: the rest of the sane society which believes in honesty and hard working.

Unfortunately, a good part of those sane societies are most of the times undermined by the uncultured and underachieved ones.

Now, a big role on these uncultured and underachieved parts in those two Italian southern societies are played by some women.



These women are referred sometimes as, "marascialle" in those societies. In those southern Italian regions, the marascialle are women with strong tempers which debatable principles are based as I said: on the uncultured and underachieved mentalities from those southern cultures, and that their only way to sometimes refine their meaningless lives is, to show how though and how respected they are.

On some occasions, these women/marescialle: mothers, wives, and daughters can even be compared to the, "matrone" (in English: matrons-Matron comes from the Latin matrona-In the ancient Roman society, the matron was the mother, dignified and respectable, responsible for the proper maintenance of the house and raising children).

These women especially when they are mothers, feel very proud when their sons are feared by the rest of the neighborhoods where they live, or when they brag about their husbands, brothers, uncles, or whatever relatives that are involved, or are part of a mafia organization.

For them (the mothers/marescialle) been related anyways they can, to the mafia's concept it's more like of a badge of honor, a way to be recognized and respected as successful women inside those society.

But the truth is that these mothers are the main reason for an uncultured and underachieved mentality still being the breeding ground for the Mafia and the Camorra, in those southern parts of Italy.

Worst of all, these same mothers will become sometimes, women of the mafia, or boss women of the mafia.

Because of these mothers, their sons will perpetuate the hideous concepts of honorableness and respectability (mostly based on their mobster-like attitudes) by being the future fueling sources of all the mafias crime organizations in the Southern Italy.

Without these, "dishonorable mothers" most probably the lymph (meaning their sons, and sometime even their daughters) which feeds the mafia organizations, will dry out.

That's why, I would like to stick the appellative of "marescialla" to those women: mothers, wives, and daughters of the mafiosi. Those same women which you'll see on the streets while they are protesting violently the innocence of their men when the police forces catch them.

Regrettably, I had an aunt which was a, "marescialla". She was (on his view) a though woman living in a though neighborhood of a Sicilian city. In the same time, she was very proud to have had a son (I'm talking in the past tense because she is not longer dwelling this world) who was a though guy living at the margin of that same society.

And now, I'm going to write something which I hope I won't regret it in the coming future. This aunt of mine was for a brief moment, a courier of the Mafia. She carried in a couple of trips some cocaine packages into a city of the United States, indeed. And (unfortunately) she was never caught.

When I found out about it, it was too late. I don't know, but probably in spite of my mother grief at that time, I would have denounced her even if anonymously.

She represented to me anything that I deeply hated and despised about a certain Sicilian's mentality. A mentality that rules, fuels, and perpetuates the Mafia existence till these days.

Naples Crud and its need for a miracle.

Category:

General Contents

'nguaiati

Naples's citizens have a colorful word which they use often, to emphasize a particular situation- 'nguaiati. The phrase 'nguaiati is a dialectical expression meaning, "be in a deep shit".

Indeed, they are.

Only a miracle could save Naples from its downfalls. The stinking of the rotten garbages dumped on its streets, is plaguing and affecting the livelihood of the entire city. To the offensive smells have been added the danger of dioxin released in the air, after most of the garbages laying on the streets, have been destroyed by fires. As all these wasn't enough, Naples has been battered for many years by the Camorra (a local style mafia organization).


In the South of Italy, we do not lack of expertise in the aria of criminal associated enterprises. Our specialized "manovalanza" (manual laborers) in the Mafias business are the best you can find in this field. At personal request, we can even export them in any part of the world. We offer a catalog of all the Mafia's related organizations, to be viewed in the comfort of your home. See: Sicilian mafia, Camorra, N'drangheta, Stidda, Sacra Corona Unita, etc...

Sigh... unfortunately in this matter, we are not trailing behind anyone.

As if they were not enough, Italy is even starting to import criminal organizations from Eastern Europe: Russia, Poland, Belorussia, Albania, and so on. In addition from African countries, even from exotic countries (like the Chinese Mafia). As from today in its menu' availability, Italians have all the array's flavors of Mafias and organized crimes to choose from. What more Italian citizens can ask?

That's very sad.

The results of all these is: this city is becoming more and more unlivable for many of its own citizens. Some Naples's citizens had even bitterly thought, to just give up and leave it for good. What bitter and tragic consequential would be for this city, a mass exodus will definitively end its millenary cultural heritage.

As written in many manifests, appeared lately in many occasions:

"Berlusconi Saint now"

If he makes the miracle, of doing disappear all garbage from Naples.

The Italian Council of Ministers, headed by its Prime Minister "Silvio Berlusconi" has recently gather in Naples a few times, in an attempt to launch a strong signal to its citizens, -to finally face the challenges of Naples and its never ending garbage crisis, together with the emergency of the criminal organizations.

Watch this flash player video: Naples inside its crisis.

The pestering from the garbage's malevolent odors with the chronic lack of jobs, and not last, the afflictions coming from the Camorra's holds on the city, are spurring protests of malcontent and rebellion. By now, Naples is reaching the point of exasperation where any possible raid can explode at every moment...


Let's hope that at last, someone will clean up all of Naples mess, even if this someone is a Berlusconi... it's about time. Then, I will be the first one to sanctify him. Of course if he will succeed!!! ...grim smile....

A very doubtful...Red.eVolution

You can read more here: Naples garbage crisis.

Sicily, a land of lost opportunities.

Category:
Mafia

Sometimes I think, about my loved land. When I think about it, I feel a sense of lost opportunities. Opportunities, which I will never get back. I had many dreams in my native land, dreams about a life which I couldn't never realize. I left those dreams behind me. In that land of lost chances and hopes, I left a peace of myself too.

My land, my Sicily.

Sicily, a land of sunny days, a land of smelling pine trees, an island embedded in the turquoise, warm and clear waters of the Mediterranean sea. Sometime, I feel to cry when I'm thinking about it.

What motivated me, to leave it?

There was little hope left for me, and many other honest working people in Sicily, as well. In fact, Sicily hasn't much to offer to it's own people for a decent and better life. For the mere fact, not just Sicily but the all south of Italy has very little to offer to his honest working people. At least, not until the gangrene that is killing hopes of a better future, will be exterminated. South Italy is run by inert and some time corrupted politicians, who don't really give a damn about their citizens, but their real interest by running the public affair is, to make a personal profit from it! Citizens hopes (besides, the local corrupted political system) are also subdued, by local crime organizations such as Ndraghetta, Camorra, Mafia or whatever organized crime runs, a particular area. They are also, a part of the social scums plaguing entire cities and towns, which by their intimidations perpetreted on the honest citizens, impedes a city to function or, work properly. It's very hard to fight them and dangerous too, because most of the time the system which are suppose to defend a citizen are latitante (in hiding), leaving himself most of the times all alone and vulnerable to fight lost battles against these criminal organizations.

That's why I've always thought, that all South of Italy needed a radical change of the entire political system. A more strong and resolute system, capable to fight these criminal organizations and altogether those corrupted politicians that are running our misfortuned but, so much loved land...


I remember a couple of episodes of political corruptions and crimes, both happened when I was living in Sicily. The first episode, I was too young to really do something about it, (even though I don't think I could had done much about it). I was working in a place named "******'s Library" (this library was part of a chain of libraries), it was a place where people came to buy school's books for their children. Who owned these libraries, also owned a very big villa (and who knows, what else he owned) located in the center of Palermo city. He was indeed, a very rich man. One day, all the libraries got a big commission, we the employees had to work with thousands and thousands of books which we had to put in big envelops, write addresses and put stamps on them, and later ship them out. This was a commission given from the Sicilian Parliament. Now, how the hell the owner of this library's chain, gets from the Sicilian Parliament such a big commission. By corruptions, corruption, and more corruption, that's how. Who owned these libraries, was Councilman and City council member to the Province of Palermo (also, he was a former Deputy Mayor) and a member of the Sicilian republican party. The name of this "honorable" Sicilian Parliamentarian was "******** *******". By the way, he paid me and other employees miserable wages, to work in his chain of libraries. I learned much later, that he was denounced by one of his trusted people, to the competent authorities for tax evasion. I hope, by now he's in that place where he really belongs... to jail. This story, tells you how much you can entrust the future of a city, to some Sicilian politicians. Of course, this one is just one of the many corruption stories that are plaguing even today, most of the south of Italy.


The second episode, I don't really know if, it's a good idea to talk about it. I still have relatives in Sicily so that, I won't mention names or places and besides, some of these people I'm going to talk about, have relatives or connections here in the States with some New Yorker criminals family. I worked in a restaurant for about a year, and in this restaurant many things happened. The only thing I'm going to tell you is, who owned this place was a "Cosa Nostra" Boss. This guy, went for a couple years in North Italy before getting this restaurant, and thanks to many illegal traffics, he got rich, very rich. Do you think when he came back, he bought the restaurant he owned then with his bloody money. Wrong, he extorted it from the previous owner without paying a cent. The second episode related to this restaurant, happened when one night the last customer had left the premisis and we the employees were getting ready to leave. A bunch of youngsters (I believe, they were about a dozen), all of a sudden got in the premises by force. One of them, a very young guy (practically he was a boy) who was holding a gun intimated us to give them the restaurant's cash, plus our own money. Some of us tried to react but, one of the boss' relative told us to let them do it, so we let them go with all the money. The boss, had already left the place when all this was happening, the boss' relative had to call him by phone, as soon those youngsters had left the place, to report him about the robbery. The boss told his relative to tell us, not to move from the place and to wait for him to come back. An hour passed by before the boss came back, followed by some ugly faces and trailing behind them, there were those youngsters that we had the pleasure to meet before. I could tell from their faces, that they were scared like hell, some of them had even some scars on their faces. In the end, they were forced to give the money back and plead for forgiveness from us. "Thanks boss , we got our money back, now you can let them go, please. They won't do the same mistake twice". Me and all the restaurant staff, were asking our boss to be merciful towards those young guys. Luckily for them, the boss that night was of a good mood and decided finally to let them go. Those young guys, were very but very lucky bastards, they came close to a severe beating (or who knows, some of them even lose their lives). We, the employees were really afraid that something bad, could have happend that night. That's why, we were imploring our boss to let them go unharmed. We were honest people, that needed to work even with a bastard such as our boss, but we weren't criminals. In the following days, none of us had the courage to go to the police and denounce the all matter.

That's some of the many reasons why, I was forced to leave Sicily. I had few choices, became a criminal or live a miserable life as an unemployed. Between corrupted politicians and organized crime, many Sicilians have very little chances of a decent and honest life that's why sometime, they just decide to leave.

Don't get me wrong, Sicily and the entire South of Italy is more than just Mafia and corruptions! If you will one day visit it, you will find a lots of honest and decent people, and you will be surprised by the people warmness, by its past history, by its food, and by the enchanting views which this land has to offer to it's visitors.

edit:

This article has been edited by removing some name and locations to avoid any trouble for my private life. You can read more in the comment area for, the reasons that made me take this decision.