Pasquale Galasso
Encyclopedia
Pasquale Galasso is a former boss of the Galasso clan, a clan of the Camorra
, the Neapolitan crime organization. Since August 1992, he has been a pentito
(a criminal turned state witnesses), collaborating with the Italian justice. He revealed many intricate secrets about the Camorra. This led to revelations from other pentiti allowing an insight into the Camorra from the insider's point of view.
, near Naples
. Belonging to a well-endowed family – he studied medicine – he entered criminality when he killed two Camorristi who were trying to kidnap his brother (or asking him the pizzo
). Once imprisoned at Poggioreale
, he became acquainted with numerous Camorristi and knew Raffaele Cutolo
.
He joined the Nuova Famiglia
clan in the early 1980s and was soon protagonist of the bombing of Vincenzo Casillo
, collaborator of Cutolo, the Nuova Famiglia's main rival. This murder is considered the beginning of the decline of Cutolo's Nuova Camorra Organizzata
. During the war against the latter Galasso lost one brother.
Galasso's girlfriend was Florinda Mirabile, the daughter of Mario Mirabile, a Camorra clan boss. After her father's murder, she asked Galasso for help obtaining a gun to avenge the murder. He procured a precision shotgun for her, but the vendetta
was never carried out. She would eventually turn state witness against the 'Ndrangheta in 1995, and receive a light sentence in return.
(then Italy's most important party) having links with the Camorra, such as the former Interior Minister Antonio Gava
.
According to Galasso, the Camorra and politics were not separate worlds. Each Camorra clan had a 'prime political sponsor' and in common agreement politicians and criminal bosses would decide who should be elected to the principal political positions, who should obtain public contracts and which sites should be earmarked for construction.
While testifying about the links between the Camorra and DC, Galasso said that following the election of the town council of Poggiomarino, he was asked to intervene with a local councillor to persuade him with all the weight of his "Camorra fame" to ally himself with Antonio Gava who had promised him the position of mayor. Galasso's reticence was soon overcome by the direct intervention of his boss, Carmine Alfieri
. "He assured me that Gava was on our side and that I couldn't deny him that favour", Galasso said. The politician was then persuaded to side with Gava, even though he disliked him. Galasso further continued, "For the duration of that government, I was the tongue convincing the one, who didn't want to renounce his position as mayor, and the other, who wanted to occupy it, to remain united."
His villa in the town of Scafati
is now home to a barracks of the Guardia di Finanza. A biography has been written on Galasso's life entitled "Io, Pasquale Galasso: da studente in medicina a capocamorra" by Gigi Di Fiore, edited by T. Pironti, Naples, in 1994.
, "Pasquale Galasso's revelations are probably more important for understanding the Camorra than Tommaso Buscetta
's have been in terms of understanding the Mafia
. When Buscetta decided to cooperate with the authorities, he had been living abroad for several years, away from the nerve centres of power. Galasso had been in the eye of the storm until his arrest, and had arguably played a more important role within the Camorra than Buscetta had within the Mafia."
, July 13, 1993. Audizione del collaboratore di giustizia Pasquale Galasso, Verbali della Commissione Parlamentare Antimafia, presidenza Luciano Violante
.
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:...
, the Neapolitan crime organization. Since August 1992, he has been a pentito
Pentito
Pentito designates people in Italy who, formerly part of criminal or terrorist organizations, following their arrests decide to "repent" and collaborate with the judicial system to help investigations...
(a criminal turned state witnesses), collaborating with the Italian justice. He revealed many intricate secrets about the Camorra. This led to revelations from other pentiti allowing an insight into the Camorra from the insider's point of view.
Early life and criminal career
Galasso was born in PoggiomarinoPoggiomarino
Poggiomarino is a comune in the Province of Naples in the Italian region Campania, located about 25 km east of Naples.-History:...
, near 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...
. Belonging to a well-endowed family – he studied medicine – he entered criminality when he killed two Camorristi who were trying to kidnap his brother (or asking him the pizzo
Pizzo
Pizzo may refer to:* Pizzo, Calabria, a seaport in Calabria, Italy * Pizzo , imposed by a protection racket, a fee periodically collected by the Mafia from businesses...
). Once imprisoned at Poggioreale
Poggioreale
Poggioreale is a small town and comune in Sicily, Italy, set on the Belice valley, which administratively belongs to the province of Trapani....
, he became acquainted with numerous Camorristi and knew 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"...
.
He joined 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....
clan in the early 1980s and was soon protagonist of the bombing of Vincenzo Casillo
Vincenzo Casillo
Vincenzo Casillo was an Italian Camorrista and the second in command of the Nuova Camorra Organizzata , a Camorra organization in Naples. His nickname was "'o Nirone" .-Second in Command:...
, collaborator of Cutolo, the Nuova Famiglia's main rival. This murder is considered the beginning of the decline of Cutolo's 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...
. During the war against the latter Galasso lost one brother.
Galasso's girlfriend was Florinda Mirabile, the daughter of Mario Mirabile, a Camorra clan boss. After her father's murder, she asked Galasso for help obtaining a gun to avenge the murder. He procured a precision shotgun for her, but the vendetta
Feud
A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight between parties—often groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one party perceives itself to have been attacked, insulted or wronged by another...
was never carried out. She would eventually turn state witness against the 'Ndrangheta in 1995, and receive a light sentence in return.
Arrest and turning state witness
In 1992, he was arrested and, after a short period, became a pentito. Galasso confessed to over twenty murders and revealed the whereabouts of where the victims were buried. His revelations shocked Italy, when he mentioned high level members of Christian Democrat PartyChristian Democracy (Italy)
Christian Democracy was a Christian democratic party in Italy. It was founded in 1943 as the ideological successor of the historical Italian People's Party, which had the same symbol, a crossed shield ....
(then Italy's most important party) having links with the Camorra, such as the former Interior Minister Antonio Gava
Antonio Gava
Antonio Gava was an Italian politician and member of Christian Democracy...
.
According to Galasso, the Camorra and politics were not separate worlds. Each Camorra clan had a 'prime political sponsor' and in common agreement politicians and criminal bosses would decide who should be elected to the principal political positions, who should obtain public contracts and which sites should be earmarked for construction.
While testifying about the links between the Camorra and DC, Galasso said that following the election of the town council of Poggiomarino, he was asked to intervene with a local councillor to persuade him with all the weight of his "Camorra fame" to ally himself with Antonio Gava who had promised him the position of mayor. Galasso's reticence was soon overcome by the direct intervention of his boss, Carmine Alfieri
Carmine Alfieri
Carmine Alfieri is an Italian Camorra boss, who rose from Piazzolla di Nola to become one of the most powerful members of Neapolitan Camorra in the 1980s. As boss of the Alfieri clan, he was the undisputed head of the Camorra from 1984 until his arrest in 1992...
. "He assured me that Gava was on our side and that I couldn't deny him that favour", Galasso said. The politician was then persuaded to side with Gava, even though he disliked him. Galasso further continued, "For the duration of that government, I was the tongue convincing the one, who didn't want to renounce his position as mayor, and the other, who wanted to occupy it, to remain united."
His villa in the town of Scafati
Scafati
Scafati is a town and comune in the province of Salerno, in the Campania region of southern Italy.-Geography:Scafati is situated on the river Sarno.Sotto il ponte sul fiume per entrare in paese il fiume si divide in 3 rami,1 principale e 2 secondari...
is now home to a barracks of the Guardia di Finanza. A biography has been written on Galasso's life entitled "Io, Pasquale Galasso: da studente in medicina a capocamorra" by Gigi Di Fiore, edited by T. Pironti, Naples, in 1994.
Legacy
According to historian Tom BehanTom Behan
Tom Behan was an academic and writer on Italian history, politics and culture and an active member of the British Socialist Workers Party for over 30 years....
, "Pasquale Galasso's revelations are probably more important for understanding the Camorra than Tommaso Buscetta
Tommaso Buscetta
Tommaso Buscetta was a Sicilian mafioso. Although he was not the first pentito in the Italian witness protection program, he is widely recognized as the first important one breaking omertà...
's have been in terms of understanding the Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
. When Buscetta decided to cooperate with the authorities, he had been living abroad for several years, away from the nerve centres of power. Galasso had been in the eye of the storm until his arrest, and had arguably played a more important role within the Camorra than Buscetta had within the Mafia."
External links
Audizione del collaboratore di giustizia Pasquale Galasso, Verbali della Commissione Parlamentare Antimafia, presidenza Luciano ViolanteLuciano Violante
Luciano Violante is an Italian judge and politician, Member of Parliament since 1979. He is particularly interested in questions of justice, the struggle against the Mafia and institutional reform.-Biography:...
, July 13, 1993. Audizione del collaboratore di giustizia Pasquale Galasso, Verbali della Commissione Parlamentare Antimafia, presidenza Luciano Violante
Luciano Violante
Luciano Violante is an Italian judge and politician, Member of Parliament since 1979. He is particularly interested in questions of justice, the struggle against the Mafia and institutional reform.-Biography:...
.