Spartacus Trial
Encyclopedia
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...
of the 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:...
. The trial was opened at the Corte d'Assise
Corte d'Assise
The Corte d'Assise is an Italian court composed of two professional judges, Giudici Togati, and six lay judges, Giudici Popolari, selected from the people. The court has jurisdiction to judge the most serious crimes, such as terrorism, murder. Penalties imposed by the court can include life...
of Santa Maria Capua Vetere
Santa Maria Capua Vetere
-External links:*...
in 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...
. It was named after the historical gladiator, Spartacus
Spartacus
Spartacus was a famous leader of the slaves in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic. Little is known about Spartacus beyond the events of the war, and surviving historical accounts are sometimes contradictory and may not always be reliable...
, who led a rebellion of slaves beginning in Vesuvius against the ancient Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. It was named as such, in recognition of the need to fight a revolt in the Casalesi clan's territory. The trial was initially chaired by its president, Catello Marano on July 1, 1998. It continued until June 19, 2008, when its final verdict was eventually read.
The 10-year legal trial, charged 36 members of the clan with a string of murders and other crimes. The Casalesi clan exploited and extorted from every business and economic opportunity, from waste disposal to construction, to creating a monopoly in the cement market for their own building businesses to the distribution of materials. Building business would have to pay for the contracts, buy material from the clan and keep paying for protection. The clan also controlled elections.
All defendants were found guilty and 16 sentenced to life imprisonment including prominent Casalesi bosses, 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...
aka "Sandokan", and his chief lieutenant, 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...
. The other two 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,...
were also given life sentences. However, at the time they wee fugitives and are still absconding. They were on the list of most wanted fugitives in Italy, with international warrants for their arrest. (Antonio Iovine was arrested on on November 17, 2010, in Casal di Principe) The other Casalesi clan members who received the life sentences were: Giuseppe Caterino, Cipriano D'Alessandro, Enrico Martinelli, Sebastiano Panaro, Giuseppe Russo, Walter Schiavone, Luigi Venosa, Vincenzo Zagaria, Alfredo Zara, Mario Caterino
Mario Caterino
Mario Caterino , is an Italian Camorrista and member in the Casalesi clan from Casal di Principe in the province of Caserta between Naples and Salerno...
and Raffaele Diana
Raffaele Diana
Raffaele Diana is an Italian Camorrista and senior boss of the Casalesi clan from Caserta. His nickname is "Raffolito".A native of San Cipriano d'Aversa, Diana joined the Casalesi clan in 1987. Back when it was united under one single leader Antonio Bardellino who controlled the clan from his base...
.
More than 1300 people were investigated, 508 witnesses gave evidence and 626 were interviewed in the trial which saw the heaviest penalties ever for organised crime with a total of 700 years of imprisonment. Over the course of the initial trial and the appeal, five people involved in the case were murdered, including an court interpreter. A judge and two journalists were threatened with death. In all, 115 people were prosecuted, 27 life sentences, plus 750 years in prison were handed out to the defendants.
On January 15, 2010, Italy's Supreme Court confirmed the sentence.
External links
- Striking Back Against the Mob, by Roberto SavianoRoberto SavianoRoberto 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...
, The Washington Post, June 29, 2008 Spartacus Trial: 16 life sentences for Casalesi, on youtube.com Spartacus Trial - Appeal Ruling, on youtube.com