Raffaele Diana is an Italian Camorrista

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 senior 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...

. His nickname is "Raffolito".

A native of San Cipriano d'Aversa

San Cipriano d'Aversa

San Cipriano d'Aversa is a comune in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located about 20 km northwest of Naples and about 20 km southwest of Caserta.-References:...

, Diana joined the Casalesi clan in 1987. Back when it was united under one single leader Antonio Bardellino

Antonio Bardellino

Antonio Bardellino was a powerful Neapolitan Camorrista and boss of the Casalesi clan, having a prominent role in the organized crime in the province of Caserta during the 1980s...

 who controlled the clan from his base in Brazil. He became close with Mario Iovine, Bardellino's right hand man. Diana was widely believed to be responsible for the murder of Paris Salzillo, a nephew of the Casalesi boss. Salzillo was murdered in March 1988, the same day that Bardellino was killed.

He played a key role in the Casalesi's war 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...

, participating in the infamous, the Pagano Mennillo-Bears-Gagliardi murders, in which Casalesi members positioned a machine gun on a hill in Ponte Annicchino and opened fire, killing four Cutoliani in Casal di Principe on April 22, 1989. Diana was one of the top-ranking Casalesi clan figures who was arrested on December 13, 1990 in Santa Lucia

Santa Lucia

Santa Lucia is a traditional Neapolitan song. It was transcribed by Teodoro Cottrau and published by the Cottrau firm, as a "barcarolla", at Naples in 1849. Cottrau translated it from Napuletano into Italian during the first stage of the Risorgimento, the first Neapolitan song to be given Italian...

 together with Francesco Schiavone

Francesco Schiavone

Francesco Schiavone is a member of the Camorra, the Neapolitan organized crime syndicate, and the head of the Casalesi clan from Casal di Principe in the province of Caserta between Naples and Salerno...

, Francesco Bidognetti

Francesco Bidognetti

Francesco Bidognetti is a powerful Italian Camorrista. He is the chief lieutenant of Francesco Schiavone, boss of the Casalesi clan from Casal di Principe in the province of Caserta between Naples and Salerno, and head of the Bidognetti clan, one of the five clans which make up the Casalesi...

, Francesco Schiavone (Cicciariello), and Giuseppe Russo. Shortly after being released, he was sent by the Italian government on an internal exile to Modena

Modena

Modena is a city and comune on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy....

, where organized a tour of extortion in Emilia-Romagna, where he was again arrested in Operation Zues.

Diana became a fugitive in 2004 after having been sentenced to seven and half years imprisonment. Shortly after, he was added to the List of thirty most wanted fugitives in Italy. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia along with fugitive Casalesi bosses Antonio Iovine

Antonio Iovine

Antonio Iovine is a powerful Italian Camorrista and one of the bosses of the Casalesi clan from Casal di Principe in the province of Caserta between Naples and Lazio...

 and Michele Zagaria

Michele Zagaria

Michele Zagaria , is a powerful Italian Camorrista and one of the bosses of the Casalesi clan from Casal di Principe in the province of Caserta northwest of Naples. He is on the "most wanted list" of the Italian ministry of the Interior since 1995, for Camorra association, murder, extortion,...

 at the culmination of the ten year long Spartacus Maxi-Trial

Spartacus Trial

The Spartacus Maxi-Trial was a series of criminal trials that were specifically directed against the activities of the powerful Casalesi clan of the Camorra. The trial was opened at the Corte d'Assise of Santa Maria Capua Vetere in Caserta...

 on June 19, 2008.

Raffaele Diana was eventually arrested on May 2, 2009, after having been on the run for five years. He was captured by officers of the mobile team of Caserta him in an apartment in Casal di Principe

Casal di Principe

Casal di Principe is a comune in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located about 25 km northwest of Naples and about 20 km southwest of Caserta....

, near Caserta, where he was hidden in a bunker of cement produced in the stairwell. He was found in possession of two loaded pistols and some ammunition. A copy of the Gospel

Gospel

A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...

, a book of Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, a copy of "The Godfather" and "Il Capo dei Capi" (Boss of bosses) was also found. Diana's arrest was believed by law enforcement to have delivered a huge blow to the Casalesi.