Antonio Iovine is a powerful 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 one of the bosses 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 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....

 in the province of Caserta

Province of Caserta

The Province of Caserta is a province in the Campania region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Caserta. The former royal palace of Caserta is located near to the city.It has an area of 2,639 km², and a total population of 879,342...

 between 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...

 and Lazio. His nickname is "o'ninno" (the baby), because of his baby face when he was made a capo at a very young age.

Fugitive

He has been on the "most wanted list" of the Italian ministry of the Interior since 1996 and since 2002 for murder and other crimes, until his arrest in November 2010. On August 10, 1999, an international warrant was issued against him, to be arrested for extradition.

He is close to 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...

 alias Sandokan, the head of the Casalesi clan. Iovine's daughter, Filomena (Milly), is engaged to be married with Ivanoe Schiavone, the son of Sandokan.

Business mind

Antonio Iovine is considered the ‘minister of garbage’ of 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...

, the Camorra controls the entire cycle of garbage disposal, running the dumps, waste transport companies and other businesses, raking in US$ 880 million a year, according to Anti-mafia prosecutors. Investigators suspect Antonio Iovine's ability to evade arrest is thanks in part to mob infiltration of local government.

He is regarded as the business mind of the organisation. Iovine is also considered to be the one behind the clan’s expansion beyond the boundaries of Campania. Investigators believe that Iovine was the Camorra’s deal-maker, recycling the illicit revenue from illegal activities such as drug trafficking and protection rackets, into the legal economy, in particular the cement business.

Tried and Arrest

He was sentenced to life on June 19, 2008, after 10-year trial – named the Spartacus 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...

 – against 36 members of the Casalesi clan charged with a string of murders and other crimes. When still a fugitive boss, Iovine and his close ally, 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,...

, were considered to be in charge of the Casalesi clan. Zagara is still on the run.

He was arrested on November 17, 2010, 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....

, in a small villa in Casal di Principe, the gang's heartland north of Naples. He was unarmed and, after a first attempt to get away over a terrace, offered no resistance. Writer 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...

, who following the publication of his bestselling book Gomorrah

Gomorrah

Gomorrah or Gomorra may refer to:* Sodom and Gomorrah, infamous biblical cities* Gomorrah , by Roberto Saviano** Gomorrah , based on the book* Operation Gomorrah, the Bombing of Hamburg in World War II in July 1943...

about the Camorra has been threatened and needs a permanent police escort since 2006, said about the arrest: “I’ve been waiting for this day for 14 years. Antonio Iovine’s arrest is a fundamental step forward in the fight against organised crime. Iovine is an entrepreneur gang boss, capable of managing hundreds of millions of euros. I hope that a thorough clear-out will now be possible."

External links

• Top mafia boss Antonio Iovine arrested, BBC News, November 19, 2010 (video)