By David Amorus for Gangsters Inc.
The Italian Camorra allegedly infiltrated a hospital turning portions of the facility into a revenue stream fueled by fraud, corruption, and intimidation. According to investigators, the Contini clan muscled in on the San Giovanni Bosco Hospital in Naples and turned it into a cash cow.
Yesterday, Italy’s Guardia di Finanza and Carabinieri arrested three alleged clan members along with a 51-year-old lawyer, Salvatore D’Antonio, accused of acting as an external collaborator. In total, 76 individuals are under investigation, including six current or former public officials, among them a retired police inspector, an INPS social security official, and several doctors.
An indication of how entangled the Mafia continues to be with the legitimate world.
The ten percent cut
Prosecutors allege the Contini clan exerted control over hospital-linked services, including management of the facility’s bar and vending machines, reportedly without paying rent and while exploiting electricity resources.
But investigators say the real profits came from insurance fraud.
Using compliant doctors, fabricated medical reports, and false witnesses, the network allegedly staged or inflated traffic accidents to extract settlements from insurance companies. Wiretapped conversations captured a corporate-like approach to criminality. In one intercepted exchange, a suspect allegedly remarked, “We close it at 10%,” referring to the organization’s cut of a settlement.
Authorities believe the scheme was structured and systematic. Discussions allegedly included coordinating with claims adjusters and activating insurance policies specifically to support fraudulent claims. The tone, according to investigators, was procedural, focused on margins and efficiency rather than risk.
The hospital allegedly served other functions as well. False medical certificates were reportedly issued to help incarcerated mobsters seek release on health grounds. Admissions were manipulated to favor clan associates, and ambulance services were exploited, including unauthorized transport of corpses outside regulated channels.
The money trail
D’Antonio is accused of managing and reinvesting clan proceeds. Prosecutors allege he funneled profits from insurance scams into real estate, vehicles, and artwork, using paintings as a vehicle for money laundering.
He is also suspected of maintaining contact between jailed clan members and their families, ensuring continued payment of the so-called “mesate,” monthly stipends provided to relatives of imprisoned affiliates. Investigators describe his relationship with the organization as one of “stable interpenetration,” including efforts to obtain confidential information from public officials.
Under pressure
The investigation also details alleged intimidation directed at Ciro Verdoliva, then general director of ASL Napoli 1 Centro. Verdoliva had initiated efforts to overhaul contracts and reduce the clan’s influence over cleaning, auxiliary services, and other internal activities tied to the hospital.
Court filings describe a “very heavy climate” of pressure that coincided with those reform attempts. While not always explicit, investigators say the signals were designed to remind administrators of the organization’s reach.
Much of the alleged conduct dates back to 2020, but authorities say the case highlights the evolving strategy of organized crime in Italy: Less visible violence, more institutional infiltration.
When a hospital becomes a vehicle for fraud and coercion, the consequences extend beyond financial loss. Public trust erodes, and essential services risk becoming instruments of criminal enterprise.
For Naples this case underscores a hard reality: The modern Camorra doesn’t need to control the streets if it can control the system.
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