Italy: arrest of "Piccerella", a leader of the Neapolitan mafia

A police car returning to the police station after an arrest.

(Illustrative photo) © AFP- Pietro Forte

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

Usually, in Italy, we mostly talk about mafia bosses.

But this time it is a woman, Maria Licciardi, at the head of a powerful Camorra clan, the Neapolitan mafia, who was arrested at Rome-Ciampino airport.

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With our correspondent in Rome

,

Anne Le Nir

Small, thin, frail in appearance, hence her Neapolitan nickname the "Piccerella", the little one, Maria Licciardi, 70 years old, did not put up any resistance when the carabinieri arrested her just before she stepped down. embarks for Spain. 

She would only have said these words: "

I am only a simple shoemaker

".

In reality, the simple shoemaker is the sister of the late boss Gennaro Licciardi, founder of the homonymous clan.

After serving a sentence of eight years in prison, the “Piccerella” took over, in 2009, the affairs of the clan whose main stronghold, in Naples, is the district of Secondigliano, completely abandoned.

First specialized in the trade in counterfeit products, the clan then embarked on drug trafficking and of course the recycling of dirty money. 

The "Piccerella" also nicknamed "Mamma Camorra" is accused of mafia association, extortion, concealment and rigging of auctions.

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  • Italy

  • Criminality