Paolo Di Lauro
Encyclopedia
Paolo Di Lauro is an Italian
crime boss
, leader of the Di Lauro Clan
, a Camorra
crime organization. He is also known as Ciruzzo 'o milionario (Neapolitan
for "Ciruzzo the millionaire") among other aliases. In 2002 he was included in the list of most wanted fugitives in Italy and was captured in September 2005.
neighbourhood, a north-eastern suburb of Naples. For years he had been the obedient underling of one of the legendary Camorra bosses Aniello La Monica. He was present at a famous summit meeting of mafiosi in the early 1980s, when his boss parlayed with Sicilian Mafia boss Michele Greco
. Di Lauro was among the mourners after La Monica was murdered in 1982, when the shopkeepers of Secondigliano hauled down their shutters as a sign of respect. Di Lauro's grief was in no way diminished by the fact that, as several supergrasses
(informers) have since claimed, he was implicated in his boss's murder.
He was arrested for the first time in 1982, during a Camorra summit in the Neapolitan neighbourhood of Forcella, with other members of the Giuliano clan. At the time, Di Lauro was affiliated with the so-called "Nuova Fratellanza" (New Brotherhood), a gang included in the "Nuova Famiglia
" (New Family) which fought against the "Nuova Camorra Organizzata
" (New Organized Camorra) of Raffaele Cutolo
o prufessore ("the professor"). In 1990s the Di Lauro clan was involved in a struggle with the Ruocco Clan from Mugnano
. In 2000s Paolo Di Lauro was wanted in connection with the distribution of cocaine
and other drug
s, imported from South America into Italy and especially in the Neapolitan neighbourhoods of Scampìa
and Secondigliano
.
Despite a niggling and semi-permanent feud with nearby Licciardi clan
, Di Lauro kept his courriers - "the Spaniards" as they are widely known because of their endless trips ferrying cocaine from Galicia in Spain - and his street pushers and the other components of his empire under brutally tight control. Di Lauro's drug revenue from all his sellers is reckoned by Italian investigators to be worth about €200 million per year. He funnelled the proceeds into real estate, buying dozens of flats in Naples, owning shops in France and the Netherlands, as well as businesses importing fur, fake fur and lingerie.
" (Italian
"scissionisti") led by Raffaele Amato
, a breakaway fraction from the once all-powerful Di Lauro clan in the northern suburbs of Naples that tried to assert its control over drugs and prostitution rackets in the area. The war, known as the Scampia feud
(Italian
"faida di Scampìa"), resulted in over 60 murders in 2004 and 2005. The feud caused widespread public revulsion against the Camorra and led to a major crackdown by the authorities, resulting in the capture and imprisonment of Paolo Di Lauro and his sons Ciro (b. 1978) and Cosimo
(b. 1973) and many of his associates.
For disaffected, hopeless youth, the image of the gang boss — hard, arrogant, in charge — is tantalizing. After Di Lauro's son Cosimo
was picked up in January 2005, his photograph began showing up as decoration on the mobile cellphones of young people in Naples.
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...
crime boss
Crime boss
A crime boss or boss is a person in charge of a criminal organization. A boss typically has absolute or near-absolute control over his subordinates, is greatly feared by his subordinates for his ruthlessness and willingness to take lives in order to exert his influence, and profits come from the...
, leader of 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...
, a 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:...
crime organization. He is also known as Ciruzzo 'o milionario (Neapolitan
Neapolitan language
Neapolitan is the language of the city and region of Naples , and Campania. On October 14, 2008 a law by the Region of Campania stated that the Neapolitan language had to be protected....
for "Ciruzzo the millionaire") among other aliases. In 2002 he was included in the list of most wanted fugitives in Italy and was captured in September 2005.
Early years
Di Lauro hailed from the SecondiglianoSecondigliano
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...
neighbourhood, a north-eastern suburb of Naples. For years he had been the obedient underling of one of the legendary Camorra bosses Aniello La Monica. He was present at a famous summit meeting of mafiosi in the early 1980s, when his boss parlayed with Sicilian Mafia boss Michele Greco
Michele Greco
Michele Greco was a member of the Sicilian Mafia, previously incarcerated for multiple murders. His nickname was "il Papa" because of his ability to mediate between different Mafia families...
. Di Lauro was among the mourners after La Monica was murdered in 1982, when the shopkeepers of Secondigliano hauled down their shutters as a sign of respect. Di Lauro's grief was in no way diminished by the fact that, as several supergrasses
Supergrass (informer)
Supergrass is a slang term for an informer, which originated in London. Informers had been referred to as "grasses" since the late-1930s, and the "super" prefix was coined by journalists in the early 1970s to describe those informers from the city's underworld who testified against former...
(informers) have since claimed, he was implicated in his boss's murder.
He was arrested for the first time in 1982, during a Camorra summit in the Neapolitan neighbourhood of Forcella, with other members of the Giuliano clan. At the time, Di Lauro was affiliated with the so-called "Nuova Fratellanza" (New Brotherhood), a gang included in the "Nuova Famiglia
Nuova Famiglia
The Nuova Famiglia was an Italian Camorra criminal organization created in the 1980s to face Raffaele Cutolo's Nuova Camorra Organizzata....
" (New Family) which fought against the "Nuova Camorra Organizzata
Nuova Camorra Organizzata
The Nuova Camorra Organizzata was an Italian Camorra criminal organization founded in the late 1970s by a Neapolitan Camorrista, Raffaele Cutolo, in the region of Campania. It was also known by the initials NCO...
" (New Organized Camorra) of Raffaele Cutolo
Raffaele Cutolo
Raffaele Cutolo is an Italian crime boss and the charismatic leader of the Nuova Camorra Organizzata , an organisation he built to renew the Camorra. Cutolo has a variety of nicknames including "'o Vangelo" , "'o Principe" , "'o Professore" and "'o Monaco"...
o prufessore ("the professor"). In 1990s the Di Lauro clan was involved in a struggle with the Ruocco Clan from Mugnano
Mugnano di Napoli
Mugnano di Napoli is a comune in the Province of Naples in the Italian region Campania, located about 10 km northwest of Naples. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 31,602 and an area of 5.27 km²...
. In 2000s Paolo Di Lauro was wanted in connection with the distribution of cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
and other drug
Drug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
s, imported from South America into Italy and especially in the Neapolitan neighbourhoods of Scampìa
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:...
and 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...
.
Drug trafficker
Di Lauro, the head of the Camorra clan that ran the northern suburbs, presided over a tightly managed drug empire that imported cocaine and heroin and distributed it through an army of dealers. In exchange for the monopoly and steady cuts of the proceeds, Di Lauro granted neighborhood ringleaders a certain amount of autonomy.Despite a niggling and semi-permanent feud with nearby Licciardi clan
Licciardi clan
The Licciardi clan is a powerful Neapolitan Camorra clan which operates in the remote areas of Naples, specifically in the Secondigliano district and its stronghold of Masseria Cardone...
, Di Lauro kept his courriers - "the Spaniards" as they are widely known because of their endless trips ferrying cocaine from Galicia in Spain - and his street pushers and the other components of his empire under brutally tight control. Di Lauro's drug revenue from all his sellers is reckoned by Italian investigators to be worth about €200 million per year. He funnelled the proceeds into real estate, buying dozens of flats in Naples, owning shops in France and the Netherlands, as well as businesses importing fur, fake fur and lingerie.
Scampìa feud
In 2004, a Camorra war broke out between the Di Lauro clan and the so-called "secessionistsScissionisti 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") led by Raffaele Amato
Raffaele Amato
Raffaele Amato is an Italian Camorra boss and head of the Scissionisti di Secondigliano, a Camorra clan from the Napoletano district of Naples...
, a breakaway fraction from the once all-powerful Di Lauro clan in the northern suburbs of Naples that tried to assert its control over drugs and prostitution rackets in the area. The war, known as 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...
(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...
"faida di Scampìa"), resulted in over 60 murders in 2004 and 2005. The feud caused widespread public revulsion against the Camorra and led to a major crackdown by the authorities, resulting in the capture and imprisonment of Paolo Di Lauro and his sons Ciro (b. 1978) and Cosimo
Cosimo Di Lauro
Cosimo Di Lauro is an Italian Camorrista and former acting boss of the Di Lauro clan from Naples. Due to his flamboyant nature and passion for designer clothes, he earned the nickname "The Designer Don"...
(b. 1973) and many of his associates.
Arrest and conviction
On September 16, 2005, police arrested Di Lauro in a modest apartment in Secondigliano, on the city's poor and depressing northern outskirts. He was condemned to 30 years for drug trafficking.For disaffected, hopeless youth, the image of the gang boss — hard, arrogant, in charge — is tantalizing. After Di Lauro's son Cosimo
Cosimo Di Lauro
Cosimo Di Lauro is an Italian Camorrista and former acting boss of the Di Lauro clan from Naples. Due to his flamboyant nature and passion for designer clothes, he earned the nickname "The Designer Don"...
was picked up in January 2005, his photograph began showing up as decoration on the mobile cellphones of young people in Naples.