Casalesi clan
| Founded | 1980s |
|---|---|
| Founded by | Antonio Bardellino |
| Founding location | Casal di Principe |
| Years active | 1980-present |
| Territory | Casal di Principe, Caserta, Giugliano in Campania, Campania |
| Criminal activities | Murder, extortion, contract killing, drug trafficking, arms trafficking, racketeering, smuggling, prostitution, money laundering |
| Allies | Cosa Nostra, 'Ndrangheta, Nigerian mafia, Sacra Corona Unita, Serbian mafia, Albanian mafia, Mallardo clan |
| Rivals | Nuova Camorra Organizzata |
The Casalesi clan is a clan within the Camorra, an Italian criminal organization, operating from Casal di Principe in the province of Caserta between Naples and Latium. Formed by Antonio Bardellino, it is a confederation of clans in the Caserta area. The Casalesi clan is believed to be one of the most powerful groups within the Camorra, specialising in construction and keeping a lower profile than clans that focus on drug dealing. The clan is among the most powerful criminal organizations and influential in the world with approximately 150 to 160 zone leaders and 8000-9000 members.
In the 1980s, Bardellino realized that cocaine, not heroin, would become the more profitable drug and organized a trafficking operation smuggling it from Latin America to Aversa via a fish flour import-export business. Heroin was smuggled as well, and shipments to the Gambino crime family were concealed inside espresso filters. When one shipment was intercepted by the authorities, Bardellino reportedly called John Gotti and told him; "Don't worry, now we're sending twice as much another way".
During the Camorra war of the 1980s, the Casalesi sided with Nuova Famiglia against Raffaele Cutolo. In one incident, Casalesi members positioned a machine gun on a hill in Ponte Annicchino and opened fire, killing four Cutolo members. After the Casalesi achieved dominance in their area following the defeat of Cutolo, Antonio Bardellino settled in Santo Domingo with his family. But unrest grew within the Casalesi.
Heading up the clan's military operations were Francesco Schiavone and Francesco Bidognetti, and they thought Bardellino's right-hand man Mario Iovine was too close to Bardellino but did not approve of their plans for autonomy. They convinced Bardellino to order the murder of Iovine's brother, and then told Iovine that Bardellino had his brother killed based purely on a rumour. Iovine murdered Bardellino in retaliation in his Brazilian villa in 1988, meeting him under the pretext of discussing their cocaine operation. A number of men loyal to Bardellino were subsequently murdered.
...
Wikipedia