Gamorrah (The Camorra) Italian Organized Crime

[Bay Area]

Currently reading this outstanding book called Gamorrah, which is an investigative report on the Camorra clans in Naples Italy. They also made a movie with the same title, which I didn't like too much. But would definitely recommend the book

These guys are friggin ruthless. Especially the way they torture snitches.

They also are in control of waste management in parts of Italy, and are responsible for massive amounts of illigal toxic waste dumping and as a result, wide spread disease in the region.

Anyone else read the book, seen the movie, or have knowledge about the Cammora, in general?

 

[LEWIS540]

It's disgusting to know this kinda things happens all over the world on a daily basis.

Isn't organised crime Italy's biggest industry? Or is that just a myth?

 

[johnnystone]

I loved the book, very interesting. I hated the movie though, the took some short stories out of the book and made a movie, piece of garbage.

 

[YPMG]

I bought the book a while back but haven't got around to reading it. You've inspired me to pick it up when I get hm however. I know from friends who've immigrated from Italy that the Cammorah in Naples is definitely not something you want to be involved with - utterly ruthless and violent beyond measure.

 

[UFCfightman**]

I loved this book. sicilian mafia gets a lot of notoriety in the media but these guys are just as ruthless and powerful

 

[Iroh]

Currently reading this outstanding book called Gamorrah, which is an investigative report on the Camorra clans in Naples Italy. They also made a movie with the same title, which I didn't like too much. But would definitely recommend the book

These guys are friggin ruthless. Especially the way they torture snitches.

They also are in control of waste management in parts of Italy, and are responsible for massive amounts of illigal toxic waste dumping and as a result, wide spread disease in the region.

Anyone else read the book, seen the movie, or have knowledge about the Cammora, in general?

Waste management...

Spoiler

Started to watch the movie once (stoned) got bored, never finished it.

 

[Bay Area]

I loved this book. sicilian mafia gets a lot of notoriety in the media but these guys are just as ruthless and powerful

I read some where that there business equals around 3% of Italys total GDP.

All 4 mafia groups: Cosa Nostra, Camorra, Ndrangheta and another group i forgot, earn enough to equal 9% of the GDP.

Currently the Ndrangheta are the richest and most powerful according to Wikipedia,

 

[Bay Area]

I bought the book a while back but haven't got around to reading it. You've inspired me to pick it up when I get hm however. I know from friends who've immigrated from Italy that the Cammorah in Naples is definitely not something you want to be involved with - utterly ruthless and violent beyond measure.

Read it. The first chapter is boring. But soldier through it, and it gets good.

The problem is the Cammorah are clans. So they are constantly fighting. Where as traditional pryamid groups are more stable. The Cammorah have shed the most blood in Italy.

 

[BiggThump]

Great read as a book and a below average movie.

 

[Bolshevik***]

good thing i watched the movie before reading the book. i thought the movie was awesome. a bit long, i suppose, but i watched it in the theater so i guess it made it go by faster.

 

[rosettastoned]

They also are in control of waste management in parts of Italy,

When I was in Naples they were having a problem with the garbage removal for some reason. Every street had 7-10 foot piles of trash bags that just weren't being picked up. They said it was a strike but I wonder if it has anything to do with their organized crime problem.

 

[goleta83**]

I thought the movie was great

 

[SamuraiWhack]

I enjoyed the movie, quite slow but was quite good.

BBC did a good documentary on the whole situation a little while ago, a lot of rubbish just being dumped on spare land ruining it for future use.



I think that's it, if I'm not allowed to post that just let me know and I'll remove it.

Is the author still under police protection after writing that? or was that a different book?

 

[Bay Area]

The book talks about the mindset of Camorrah hopefuls. They are about profit by any means. Most of them come from the slums of Naples, so it is their goal to make it to the top. Fast cars, piles of money, beautiful women, gourmet food. Its either that or work a 9 to 5 making shit wages until your in the grave. Even if they die along the way to the top, at least they had the balls to go after it. Better that then live on your knees.

This was a letter written by a kid in a juevinille camp in Naples:

Everybody I know is dead or in jail. I want to be a boss. I want to have supermarkets, shops, factories. I want to have women. I want three cars and when I go into a shop I want people to respect me. I want to own stores all over the world. And then I want to die. But like a real man dies, a man really in command. I want to be murdered.

 

[Bay Area]

I enjoyed the movie, quite slow but was quite good.

BBC did a good documentary on the whole situation a little while ago, a lot of rubbish just being dumped on spare land ruining it for future use.



I think that's it, if I'm not allowed to post that just let me know and I'll remove it.

Is the author still under police protection after writing that? or was that a different book?

That was a great documentary. Im pretty sure its the same author thats in police protection

 

[Dolomite]

They also are in control of waste management in parts of Italy, and are responsible for massive amounts of illigal toxic waste dumping and as a result, wide spread disease in the region.

I was stationed in Naples for a couple of years back in the 80's.

The crunch of used syringes under my boots and having random Carabinieri sticking Beretta Model 12 sub-machine guns in my face are what I remember the most. You knew the Camorra was there - people talked about it all the time - but you never really saw it.

You knew that you could give a carton of Marlboros to a cop to get out of a vehicle infraction, and that you could trade your military gasoline & cigarette rations at the petrol station for gas - but you never actually saw a Tony Soprano per se.

The trash was insane. People would get in their cars for their morning commute with a bag of yesterday's trash and they would just throw it out the window of their car on their way in. Seemed like it was always the same couple of streets. Maybe twice a year it would get cleaned up - and that would usually only happen if there was a movie being filmed. But you knew it only happened if some outside entity paid for it.

These guys are friggin ruthless. Especially the way they torture snitches.

Every now and again you'd run into an adult man working a customer service type job (taking money at the tolls, working in a train station) and they'd have no thumbs. It wasn't everyday - but you see way too many people without thumbs for it to be indicative of rampant unsafe factory working environments. I'll just leave it at that.

 

[Bay Area]

I was stationed in Naples for a couple of years back in the 80's.

The crunch of used syringes under my boots and having random Carabinieri sticking Beretta Model 12 sub-machine guns in my face are what I remember the most.

The trash was insane. People would get in their cars for their morning commute with a bag of yesterday's trash and they would just throw it out the window of their car on their way in. Seemed like it was always the same couple of streets. Maybe twice a year it would get cleaned up - and that would usually only happen if there was a movie being filmed.Every now and again you'd run into an adult man working a customer service type job (taking money at the tolls, working in a train station) and they'd have no thumbs. It wasn't everyday - but you see way too many people without thumbs for it to be indicative of rampant unsafe factory working environments. I'll just leave it at that.

Wow. Thanks for that. The trash is what gets me. That beautiful city is going to hell in a hand basket. Crops are being tainted, animals deformed, and the cancer cases are through the roof. All to make a profit.

 

[iamdissapoint**]

Saviano's book is a great piece. Wouldnt understand shit about the movie if i hadnt read the book.

Camorra is disgusting

 

[Dale Denton**]

I read some where that there business equals around 3% of Italys total GDP.

All 4 mafia groups: Cosa Nostra, Camorra, Ndrangheta and another group i forgot, earn enough to equal 9% of the GDP.

Currently the Ndrangheta are the richest and most powerful according to Wikipedia,

Maybe Sacra Corona Unita? Just a guess though.

Sad that the man who wrote the book needs a bodyguard 24/7. It's hard to believe this kind of thing still happen nowadays. Sounds so 1920...

 

[Cestus]

I read some where that there business equals around 3% of Italys total GDP.

All 4 mafia groups: Cosa Nostra, Camorra, Ndrangheta and another group i forgot, earn enough to equal 9% of the GDP.

Currently the Ndrangheta are the richest and most powerful according to Wikipedia,

Sacra Corona Unita is the 4th

I think is almost impossible do a decent theory about what they gain, specially combined
They have many "legal" ways to make money
There is not clear black or white, there is A LOT of gray

Only sure thing is yes, they do tons of money