Giuseppe Setola
Encyclopedia
Giuseppe Setola is an Italian Camorrista
and former boss of the Casalesi clan
from Caserta
. Since 2008, he was included on the list most wanted fugitives in Italy, until his arrest on on January 14, 2009, in Mignano Monte Lungo
. Setola allegedly headed a squad of killers, and was said to have ordered or carried out 18 murders throughout the latter half of 2008. Police began a massive manhunt against Setola in response to the murders of six West African immigrants
in Castel Volturno
.
On January 12, 2009, Setola evaded arrest by escaping into the sewers through a secret trapdoor during a police raid on his hideout. He was arrested two days later after leading police on a rooftop chase. Setola is currently serving a life imprisonment sentence for murder. He was featured in Gomorrah
, the best-selling Roberto Saviano
book about the Camorra in Campania
.
and boss of the Casalesi clan
from Caserta
. He became considered one of the most wanted fugitives in Italy
. He was featured in Gomorrah
, the 2006 best-selling book by author Roberto Saviano
about the Campanian mafia. Following the book's release, authorities said the Camorra asked Setola to kill Saviano. Although the alleged hit request never took place, Setola was said to have purchased a detonator and explosives for the job.
Authorities claimed Setola ordered or carried out 18 murders between May and December 2008, during which time he allegedly led a Casalesi squad of killers, who reportedly sought to eliminate rivals and punish businessmen who refused to pay protection money to the Camorra. The squad was formed during a time of apparent power struggles within the Camorra crime syndicate. Setola was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison, but was placed on house arrest in the spring of 2008 when he received a doctor's certificate that he was suffering from an eye infection. Setola escaped and went underground almost immediately after being placed on house arrest. Prosecutors later opened a probe into how Setola organized the escape.
In May 2008, Setola and fellow Casalesi member Gianluca Bidognetti allegedly disguised themselves as anti-Mafia police and planned to kill relatives of a clan woman who had been cooperating with police. Setola and Bidognetti, along with others in disguise, allegedly convinced the informant's sister and niece to come onto the streets, but only succeeded in wounding one of them. Bidognetti was arrested in November 2008 for attempted murder in connection to the incident. Setola was also said to be responsible for the murder of a gambling arcade owner in a coastal town neighboring Caserta. Setola has been said to have driven a motorbike during some of his alleged hits.
, which sparked riots and prompted the deployment of 500 soldiers. More than 100 shots were fired during the killings, which were considered among the largest and bloodiest massacres in recent years. Investigators claimed Setola orchestrated the killings to punish the Africans for getting involved in drug trafficking and impeding on the Casalesi clan's business. In response to the killings, Interior Minister
Roberto Maroni
said the Casalesi clan has "declared war on the Italian state". Police began a manhunt for Setola and the rest of his gang. In October 2008, Oreste Spagnuolo, a member of Setola's alleged killing squad, started assisting police in their mission to arrest Setola and his other accomplices. The next month, police arrested a Carabinieri paramilitary police officer for providing information to Setola about police operations. Franco Roberti, a Naples
anti-Mafia police officer, said in November 2008, "Setola is without doubt the brains behind the Casalesi campaign. We are working to flush him out. The circle is closing around him."
In January 2009, Setola later sent a letter to a local newspaper denying responsibility for his alleged crimes. He also wrote that he was blind in one eye, a claim that has been met with skepticism by the press, and disputed by police. Setola was eventually found to be sharing a house in Trentola-Ducenta
with his wife, Stefania Martinelli, and another suspected mobster. On January 12, 2009, about 50 Carabinieri officers surrounded Setola's hideout in Trentola-Ducenta
. As they raided the hideout, Setola and his bodyguard escaped by slipping through a trap door and crawling a mile through a labyrinthine sewer system. The floor and door were secured through a sophisticated locking system, and police said the sewer layout had been "studied very well". Setola reemerged from a manhole outside a dairy, where he robbed a woman of her car and drove away. Police officers and divers eventually chased Setola through the sewers, but did not find him. Martinelli was placed under arrest and questioned by police after weapons were found in the house. Later that night, the prosecutors leading the hunt for Setola received a threatening letter that included five rounds of live ammunition.
, where he was seeking treatment for a wrist injury he suffered during his escape two days earlier. Police were tipped off to his location. Setola led authorities through a rooftop chase before placing him under arrest. He was confined in the 41-bis prison regime, the strictest and most restrictive Italian prison regime, which included solitary confinement and continuous surveillance in a maximum-security jail. His cell included only a bed, a table and a stool, without access to television, radio or newspapers. Following Setola's arrest, the Casalesi clan was said to have been taken over by Michele Bidognetti, who himself was arrested in April 2009. Setola's older brother, Pasquale, was also in prison as of July 2009.
In April 2011, the Court in Santa Maria Capua Vetere (Caserta) convicted Setola, Davide Granato, Alessandro Cirillo, Giovanni Letizia to life imprisonment and Antonio Alluce to 23 years for the Castel Volturno massacre. The Court recognized the existence of aggravating circumstances such as racial hatred and terrorist purposes.
Camorra
The Camorra is a Mafia-type criminal organization, or secret society, originating in the region of Campania and its capital Naples in Italy. It is one of the oldest and largest criminal organizations in Italy, dating to the 18th century.-Background:...
and former boss of the Casalesi clan
Casalesi clan
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 Salerno.Formed by Antonio Bardellino, it is a confederation of clans in the Caserta area...
from Caserta
Caserta
Caserta is the capital of the province of Caserta in the Campania region of Italy. It is an important agricultural, commercial and industrial comune and city. Caserta is located on the edge of the Campanian plain at the foot of the Campanian Subapennine mountain range...
. Since 2008, he was included on the list most wanted fugitives in Italy, until his arrest on on January 14, 2009, in Mignano Monte Lungo
Mignano Monte Lungo
Mignano Monte Lungo is a comune in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located about 70 km northwest of Naples and about 45 km northwest of Caserta....
. Setola allegedly headed a squad of killers, and was said to have ordered or carried out 18 murders throughout the latter half of 2008. Police began a massive manhunt against Setola in response to the murders of six West African immigrants
Castel Volturno massacre
The Castel Volturno massacre or Strage di San Gennaro or Strage di Castelvolturno are the names given by the Italian press to a massacre perpetrated by the Casalesi clan that led to the deaths of seven people on September 18, 2008...
in Castel Volturno
Castel Volturno
Castel Volturno is a comune in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located about 35 km northwest of Naples and about 35 km west of Caserta on the Volturno river.-History:...
.
On January 12, 2009, Setola evaded arrest by escaping into the sewers through a secret trapdoor during a police raid on his hideout. He was arrested two days later after leading police on a rooftop chase. Setola is currently serving a life imprisonment sentence for murder. He was featured in Gomorrah
Gomorrah (book)
Gomorrah is a book by Roberto Saviano published in 2006.-The book:The book describes the clandestine particulars of the business of the Camorra, a powerful Neapolitan mafia-like organization...
, the best-selling Roberto Saviano
Roberto Saviano
Roberto Saviano is an Italian writer and journalist.In his writings, articles, television programs, and books he employs prose and news-reporting style to narrate the story of the Camorra , exposing its territory and business connections.Since 2006, following the publication of his bestselling...
book about the Camorra in Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
.
Criminal career
Giuseppe Setola was an CamorristaCamorra
The Camorra is a Mafia-type criminal organization, or secret society, originating in the region of Campania and its capital Naples in Italy. It is one of the oldest and largest criminal organizations in Italy, dating to the 18th century.-Background:...
and boss of the Casalesi clan
Casalesi clan
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 Salerno.Formed by Antonio Bardellino, it is a confederation of clans in the Caserta area...
from Caserta
Caserta
Caserta is the capital of the province of Caserta in the Campania region of Italy. It is an important agricultural, commercial and industrial comune and city. Caserta is located on the edge of the Campanian plain at the foot of the Campanian Subapennine mountain range...
. He became considered one of the most wanted fugitives in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He was featured in Gomorrah
Gomorrah (book)
Gomorrah is a book by Roberto Saviano published in 2006.-The book:The book describes the clandestine particulars of the business of the Camorra, a powerful Neapolitan mafia-like organization...
, the 2006 best-selling book by author Roberto Saviano
Roberto Saviano
Roberto Saviano is an Italian writer and journalist.In his writings, articles, television programs, and books he employs prose and news-reporting style to narrate the story of the Camorra , exposing its territory and business connections.Since 2006, following the publication of his bestselling...
about the Campanian mafia. Following the book's release, authorities said the Camorra asked Setola to kill Saviano. Although the alleged hit request never took place, Setola was said to have purchased a detonator and explosives for the job.
Authorities claimed Setola ordered or carried out 18 murders between May and December 2008, during which time he allegedly led a Casalesi squad of killers, who reportedly sought to eliminate rivals and punish businessmen who refused to pay protection money to the Camorra. The squad was formed during a time of apparent power struggles within the Camorra crime syndicate. Setola was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison, but was placed on house arrest in the spring of 2008 when he received a doctor's certificate that he was suffering from an eye infection. Setola escaped and went underground almost immediately after being placed on house arrest. Prosecutors later opened a probe into how Setola organized the escape.
In May 2008, Setola and fellow Casalesi member Gianluca Bidognetti allegedly disguised themselves as anti-Mafia police and planned to kill relatives of a clan woman who had been cooperating with police. Setola and Bidognetti, along with others in disguise, allegedly convinced the informant's sister and niece to come onto the streets, but only succeeded in wounding one of them. Bidognetti was arrested in November 2008 for attempted murder in connection to the incident. Setola was also said to be responsible for the murder of a gambling arcade owner in a coastal town neighboring Caserta. Setola has been said to have driven a motorbike during some of his alleged hits.
Manhunt
Setola was accused of masterminding the September 18 drive-by shootings of six West African immigrants in Castel VolturnoCastel Volturno
Castel Volturno is a comune in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located about 35 km northwest of Naples and about 35 km west of Caserta on the Volturno river.-History:...
, which sparked riots and prompted the deployment of 500 soldiers. More than 100 shots were fired during the killings, which were considered among the largest and bloodiest massacres in recent years. Investigators claimed Setola orchestrated the killings to punish the Africans for getting involved in drug trafficking and impeding on the Casalesi clan's business. In response to the killings, Interior Minister
Italian Minister of the Interior
This is a list of Italian Ministers of the Interior since 1861.-Kingdom of Italy:-Italian Republic:...
Roberto Maroni
Roberto Maroni
Roberto Maroni is an Italian politician from Varese. He is a member of the Northern League political movement. Since 1992 he is a Member of the Chamber of Duputies of the Italian Republic, always elected in Lombardy's districts and costituencies...
said the Casalesi clan has "declared war on the Italian state". Police began a manhunt for Setola and the rest of his gang. In October 2008, Oreste Spagnuolo, a member of Setola's alleged killing squad, started assisting police in their mission to arrest Setola and his other accomplices. The next month, police arrested a Carabinieri paramilitary police officer for providing information to Setola about police operations. Franco Roberti, a Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
anti-Mafia police officer, said in November 2008, "Setola is without doubt the brains behind the Casalesi campaign. We are working to flush him out. The circle is closing around him."
In January 2009, Setola later sent a letter to a local newspaper denying responsibility for his alleged crimes. He also wrote that he was blind in one eye, a claim that has been met with skepticism by the press, and disputed by police. Setola was eventually found to be sharing a house in Trentola-Ducenta
Trentola-Ducenta
Trentola-Ducenta is a comune in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located about 20 km northwest of Naples and about 15 km southwest of Caserta...
with his wife, Stefania Martinelli, and another suspected mobster. On January 12, 2009, about 50 Carabinieri officers surrounded Setola's hideout in Trentola-Ducenta
Trentola-Ducenta
Trentola-Ducenta is a comune in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located about 20 km northwest of Naples and about 15 km southwest of Caserta...
. As they raided the hideout, Setola and his bodyguard escaped by slipping through a trap door and crawling a mile through a labyrinthine sewer system. The floor and door were secured through a sophisticated locking system, and police said the sewer layout had been "studied very well". Setola reemerged from a manhole outside a dairy, where he robbed a woman of her car and drove away. Police officers and divers eventually chased Setola through the sewers, but did not find him. Martinelli was placed under arrest and questioned by police after weapons were found in the house. Later that night, the prosecutors leading the hunt for Setola received a threatening letter that included five rounds of live ammunition.
Arrest
Setola was arrested on January 14, 2009 in Mignano Monte LungoMignano Monte Lungo
Mignano Monte Lungo is a comune in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located about 70 km northwest of Naples and about 45 km northwest of Caserta....
, where he was seeking treatment for a wrist injury he suffered during his escape two days earlier. Police were tipped off to his location. Setola led authorities through a rooftop chase before placing him under arrest. He was confined in the 41-bis prison regime, the strictest and most restrictive Italian prison regime, which included solitary confinement and continuous surveillance in a maximum-security jail. His cell included only a bed, a table and a stool, without access to television, radio or newspapers. Following Setola's arrest, the Casalesi clan was said to have been taken over by Michele Bidognetti, who himself was arrested in April 2009. Setola's older brother, Pasquale, was also in prison as of July 2009.
In April 2011, the Court in Santa Maria Capua Vetere (Caserta) convicted Setola, Davide Granato, Alessandro Cirillo, Giovanni Letizia to life imprisonment and Antonio Alluce to 23 years for the Castel Volturno massacre. The Court recognized the existence of aggravating circumstances such as racial hatred and terrorist purposes.