The Licciardi clan is a powerful Neapolitan Camorra

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:...

 clan which operates in the remote areas of 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...

, specifically in the Secondigliano

Secondigliano

Secondigliano is a relatively modern suburb in the north of Naples, in southern Italy.-History:The name may derive from a contraction of "secondo" and "miglio" since the area was at the second milestone on the old road to Capua...

 district and its stronghold of Masseria Cardone. Its sphere of influence extends to Scampia

Scampia

Scampìa is a modern suburb in the north of Naples. The population is about 80,000.-Geography:The district lies in the far north of Naples. To the south are the suburbs of Piscinola-Marianella, Miano and Secondigliano.-History:...

, Chiaiano

Chiaiano

Chiaiano is a north-western suburb of Naples, with a population of about 23,000.-Geography:Chiaiano it's a hilly and wooded area that lies between Camaldoli and the Campi Flegrei.-History:...

, Miano

Miano

Miano is a suburb of Naples with a population of around 26,000.-History:Since the recent administrative reorganization of the area, Miano is part of the 10th community board.-Economy:...

 and San Pietro a Patierno

San Pietro a Patierno

San Pietro a Patierno is a suburb of Naples, in southern Italy.-Geography:It is one of the largest suburbs of Naples and is relatively lightly populated compared to surrounding areas, with around 20,000 residents...

.

History

In the mid eighties, Gennaro Licciardi was the capozona of the Giuliano clan in the district of Secondigliano. At that time, the district was considered to be unimportant by the other Camorra bosses. A few years later, Gennaro Licciardi formed a fully independent clan that managed to turn the area into a strategic hub for the storage and trafficking of drugs. He also became the founding member of the Secondigliano Alliance

Secondigliano Alliance

The Secondigliano Alliance is a strategic alliance of Camorra clans in Naples and its hinterland which controls drug trafficking and the extortion racket in many areas of Naples in the 1990s....

, a coalition of powerful Camorra clans which controls drug trafficking and the extortion rackets in many suburbs of Naples. Apart from the Licciardi clan, the alliance included the Contini

Contini clan

The Contini clan is a Neapolitan Camorra clan operating in the city of Naples, and more specifically in the area of the Naples Central Station. It also operates in the Poggioreale, Vasto, Mercato and San Carlo all'Arena suburbs of Naples.-History:...

, Mallardo

Mallardo clan

The Mallardo clan is a Camorra clan operating from the town of Giugliano in Campania, north of the city of Naples.-History:The clan was headed by Domenico Mallardo who was killed by the Maisto clan on June 24, 1976. His son Francesco Mallardo and his younger brother Giuseppe Mallardo succeeded...

, Lo Russo

Lo Russo clan

The Lo Russo clan is a Neapolitan Camorra clan operating on its territory within the city of Naples, concentrated specifically in the area of Miano.-History:...

, Stabile, Prestieri, Bocchetti and Di Lauro

Di Lauro clan

The Di Lauro clan is an Italian crime clan, part of the Camorra in Naples. The clan operates in the neighbourhoods of Secondigliano, Scampìa, Miano, Marianella, Piscinola, and in the adjacent municipalities of Casavatore, Melito, Arzano, Villaricca and Mugnano...

 clans.

After the death of Gennaro by blood poisoning in the Voghera

Voghera

thumb|250px|The Castle of Voghera in a 19th century etching.Voghera is a town and comune of Lombardy, Italy, in the province of Pavia...

 prison on August 3, 1994, the management of the clan fell entirely to the brothers, Pietro and Vincenzo

Vincenzo Licciardi

Vincenzo Licciardi is the boss of the Licciardi clan, and one of the main leaders of the Secondigliano Alliance, a Camorra crime syndicate operating in Naples and the surrounding Campania region...

 and also to his sister Maria

Maria Licciardi

Maria Licciardi is a Italian criminal affiliated with the Camorra and former head of the Licciardi clan, based in the Secondigliano quarters in the north of Naples...

.

The clan used its influence to mediate between the Di Lauro clan

Di Lauro clan

The Di Lauro clan is an Italian crime clan, part of the Camorra in Naples. The clan operates in the neighbourhoods of Secondigliano, Scampìa, Miano, Marianella, Piscinola, and in the adjacent municipalities of Casavatore, Melito, Arzano, Villaricca and Mugnano...

 and the so-called "secessionists

Scissionisti di Secondigliano

The Scissionisti di Secondigliano is a Camorra clan from the Secondigliano district of Naples, headed by Raffaele Amato and Cesare Pagano. They are also known as "Spagnoli" because of their endless trips ferrying cocaine from Galicia in Spain...

" (Italian

Italian language

Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...

 "scissionisti"), a breakaway fraction from the Di Lauro clan in the northern suburbs of Naples that tried to assert its control over drugs and prostitution rackets in the area. It therefore played an important role in putting an end to the Scampia feud

Scampia feud

The Scampia feud was a feud between the Camorra gangs in the neapolitan quartiere of Scampia and it broke out in 2004 and 2005...

.

On May 9, 2008, the Carabinieri

Carabinieri

The Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations, and is a branch of the armed forces.-Early history:...

seized goods worth 300 million euros and arrested 44 members of the Licciardi clan.