Enrico Alfano
Encyclopedia
Enrico Alfano known as "Erricone", was considered to be one of the chiefs of the Camorra
, a Mafia
-type organisation in the region of Campania
and its capital Naples
in Italy, at the turn of the 20th century. He was described as “a kind of president of the confederation.”
He was a man of commanding presence. Across his cheek he bore a long scar, the sfregio (a knife slash for dishonour; a sign of Camorra punishment). He was arrested many times as an accomplice in homicide, robbery and less important charges, but had never been convicted. Alfano imposed his position when he defeated the Camorra head, the capintesta (head-in-chief) Totonno 'o pappagallo, in a zumpata – a kind of ritual initiation knife duel – despite the fact that his adversary sent his Mastino dog
to attack Alfano.
In 1902, the famous French vaudeville
singer and dancer and vedette of the Folies Bergère, Eugénie Fougère, who was performing at the Salone Margherita a café-chantant in Naples, contacted Alfano to get back he stolen jewelry. Within a few days, Alfano tracked the thiefs and restored the jewelry. The case hit the news headlines and Alfano was arrested for complicity with the thiefs, but was absolved.
The murder investigation was taken over by the Carabinieri and delegated to Captain Carlo Fabbroni. Fabbroni accused the Naples police of corruption and inefficiency. The investigation got new momentum when Gennaro Abbatemaggio, a young Camorrista and a past Carabinieri informer serving a jail sentence in Naples gave his version of the facts: the decision to kill Cuocolo, suspected of being a police spy, had been taken at a meeting chaired by Alfano.
, who believed Alfano to be a big player in the New York branch of the Camorra.
On April 17, 1907, Petrosino and his agents raided the apartment where Alfano was living and arrested him. He had been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude
in Italy and was expelled. He was put behind bars in Naples. According to some source Alfano was the man behind Petrosino’s murder on in Palermo on March 12, 1909, but has since been attributed to the Sicilian Mafia, and to Vito Cascioferro in particular.
.
The Cuocolo trial was followed with great interest by the newspapers and the general public both in Italy as well as in the United States. The trial was transformed from a murder trial into one against the Camorra as a whole. The hearings began in the spring of 1911, and continued for twelve months. Fabbroni intended to use the trial to strike the final blow to the Camorra.
Funds to pay the defendant’s lawyers were reportedly collected in Naples and from Neapolitan restaurants in New York. The amount collected was 50,000 lire, or US$ 10,000, at the start of the trial. Giovanni Rapi, the Camorra’s “treasurer”, had an interest in a private bank in New York where the savings of immigrants were forwarded to Italy. The New York defence fund treasurer was Andrea Attanasio, also sought in connection with the Cuocolo matter.
Alfano claimed he was innocent. "I am the victim of yellow journalism,” he told the judge. “I have been ruined by the Carabinieri. The story that I have been the head of the camorra is a legend. I was neither its head nor its tail. I admit that I have committed some excesses. What youth of my social class in Naples has not?"
After his conviction Alfano was transfered to the prison of Sassari
, on the island of Sardinia. The convicts did all in their power to see the famous criminal and to pay him court. As The New York Times reported: "They put themselves at his disposal as subjects would to a sovereign." Many fan letters addressed to him arrived at the penitentiary, including love letters from women.
In 1926, fifteen years later government witness Gennaro Abbatemaggio withdrew his accusations, but the case was never reopened.
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:...
, a 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...
-type organisation in the region of 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...
and its capital 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...
in Italy, at the turn of the 20th century. He was described as “a kind of president of the confederation.”
Early life
The son of a shoemaker, Alfano began as a fruit merchant in Naples and speculating on the cattle fairs. He apparently became affiliated with the Camorra at an early age, but this is not certain because he was not mentioned in a 1901 investigation report by the Ministry of Interior. According to an informer, Alfano had become the head of the Camorra after the death of Ciccio Cappuccio in 1893.He was a man of commanding presence. Across his cheek he bore a long scar, the sfregio (a knife slash for dishonour; a sign of Camorra punishment). He was arrested many times as an accomplice in homicide, robbery and less important charges, but had never been convicted. Alfano imposed his position when he defeated the Camorra head, the capintesta (head-in-chief) Totonno 'o pappagallo, in a zumpata – a kind of ritual initiation knife duel – despite the fact that his adversary sent his Mastino dog
Neapolitan Mastiff
The Neapolitan Mastiff, Italian Mastiff, is a large, ancient dog breed. This massive breed is often used as a guard and defender of family and property due to their protective instincts and their fearsome appearance....
to attack Alfano.
Camorra boss
While Luigi Fucci, known as O Gassusaro, was the nominal head, the capintesta, of the Camorra at the time, Alfano was the actual leader. He had his own representative in the twelve districts next to the capintrito rionale that answered to Fucci.In 1902, the famous French vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
singer and dancer and vedette of the Folies Bergère, Eugénie Fougère, who was performing at the Salone Margherita a café-chantant in Naples, contacted Alfano to get back he stolen jewelry. Within a few days, Alfano tracked the thiefs and restored the jewelry. The case hit the news headlines and Alfano was arrested for complicity with the thiefs, but was absolved.
Cuocolo murder
Alfano was charged with the murder of Gennaro Cuocolo and his wife, suspected of being a police spy, on June 6, 1906. The murder case led to one of the most complex legal cases of the twentieth century. The police moved quickly to arrest Alfano and his brother Ciro, Giovanni Rapi, a primary school teacher and usurer, and two members of the Camorra rank and file, Gennaro Ibello and Gennaro Jacovitti. They had frequented a restaurant in Torre del Greco, in the vicinity of the Cuocolo murder. However, the investigation did not produce evidence and the suspects were released from jail 50 days later, not in the least thanks to the intervention of the priest Ciro Vitozzi, the “guardian angel” of the Camorra.The murder investigation was taken over by the Carabinieri and delegated to Captain Carlo Fabbroni. Fabbroni accused the Naples police of corruption and inefficiency. The investigation got new momentum when Gennaro Abbatemaggio, a young Camorrista and a past Carabinieri informer serving a jail sentence in Naples gave his version of the facts: the decision to kill Cuocolo, suspected of being a police spy, had been taken at a meeting chaired by Alfano.
In New York
Meanwhile, Alfano fled to Rome, obtained a false passport and sailed for the United States from Marseilles. He disembarked on March 17, 1907, in New York disguised as a member of the ship’s crew. In New York he began to run a gambling den in the basement of 108 Mulberry Street. He became one of the primary underworld targets of police sergeant Joseph Petrosino of the New York City Police DepartmentNew York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
, who believed Alfano to be a big player in the New York branch of the Camorra.
On April 17, 1907, Petrosino and his agents raided the apartment where Alfano was living and arrested him. He had been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude
Moral turpitude
Moral turpitude is a legal concept in the United States that refers to "conduct that is considered contrary to community standards of justice, honesty or good morals." It appears in U.S. immigration law from the nineteenth century...
in Italy and was expelled. He was put behind bars in Naples. According to some source Alfano was the man behind Petrosino’s murder on in Palermo on March 12, 1909, but has since been attributed to the Sicilian Mafia, and to Vito Cascioferro in particular.
Trial in Viterbo
Back in Italy, Alfano stood trial at Viterbo for the Cuoccolo murders. On March 27, 1909, the Assistant Public Prosecutor committed 47 persons for trial by the Court of Assizes in Naples. However, due to many obstacles and attempts to corrupt the authorities the trial was transferred to the Court of Assizes in ViterboViterbo
See also Viterbo, Texas and Viterbo UniversityViterbo is an ancient city and comune in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo. It is approximately 80 driving / 80 walking kilometers north of GRA on the Via Cassia, and it is surrounded by the Monti Cimini and...
.
The Cuocolo trial was followed with great interest by the newspapers and the general public both in Italy as well as in the United States. The trial was transformed from a murder trial into one against the Camorra as a whole. The hearings began in the spring of 1911, and continued for twelve months. Fabbroni intended to use the trial to strike the final blow to the Camorra.
Funds to pay the defendant’s lawyers were reportedly collected in Naples and from Neapolitan restaurants in New York. The amount collected was 50,000 lire, or US$ 10,000, at the start of the trial. Giovanni Rapi, the Camorra’s “treasurer”, had an interest in a private bank in New York where the savings of immigrants were forwarded to Italy. The New York defence fund treasurer was Andrea Attanasio, also sought in connection with the Cuocolo matter.
Alfano claimed he was innocent. "I am the victim of yellow journalism,” he told the judge. “I have been ruined by the Carabinieri. The story that I have been the head of the camorra is a legend. I was neither its head nor its tail. I admit that I have committed some excesses. What youth of my social class in Naples has not?"
Conviction
On July 8, 1912, the trial ended with a guilty verdict and the defendants, including 27 leading Camorra bosses, were sentenced to a total of 354 years’ imprisonment. The main defendants Enrico Alfano and Giovanni Rapi were sentenced to thirty years, and government witness Abbatemaggio to five years.After his conviction Alfano was transfered to the prison of Sassari
Sassari
Sassari is an Italian city. It is the second-largest city of Sardinia in terms of population with about 130,000 inhabitants, or about 300,000 including the greater metropolitan area...
, on the island of Sardinia. The convicts did all in their power to see the famous criminal and to pay him court. As The New York Times reported: "They put themselves at his disposal as subjects would to a sovereign." Many fan letters addressed to him arrived at the penitentiary, including love letters from women.
In 1926, fifteen years later government witness Gennaro Abbatemaggio withdrew his accusations, but the case was never reopened.