Mazzarella, leader of the clan named after him, appeared on Italy’s list of most dangerous fugitives. He faced murder and additional charges. Authorities confiscated cash and expensive watches during the operation.
Roberto Mazzarella’s flight, the chief of the eponymous clan dominating Naples, concluded at a luxury resort in Vietri sul Mare, in the Salerno district. Carabinieri apprehended the boss Friday night; he had been on the run since 28 January 2025, evading a European arrest warrant for murder aggravated by mafia-related crimes, issued by the Naples Court.
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At 48 years old, Mazzarella ranked fourth on the Ministry of the Interior’s list of Italy’s most dangerous fugitives (source in Italian). His capture reduces this roster of superlatitantes to three names: Attilio Cubeddu, Giovanni Motisi, and Renato Cinquegranella.
At the moment of his capture by the Naples Nucleo Investigativo Carabinieri, Mazzarella was with relatives in an Amalfi Coast villa, where he had given false details to spend Easter with his family, paying up to one thousand euros daily.
The fugitive did not offer resistance during the arrest; authorities recovered approximately 20,000 euros in cash, three high-value watches, mobile phones, forged IDs, and hand-written notes currently under analysis regarding the clan’s finances.
Who is the boss Roberto Mazzarella
The inquiry that led to the detention order relates to a brutal incident from twenty-four years ago. Roberto Mazzarella is believed to have orchestrated and carried out the killing of Antonio Maione in 2000, in San Giovanni a Teduccio. The victim, unlinked to Camorra activities, was the brother of the person who murdered the boss’s father, Salvatore Mazzarella, in 1995.
The Mazzarella family oversees a significant part of smuggling and drug trafficking in Naples and its province, sharing control with the Secondigliano Alliance, and managing money laundering through Milan and northern Italy.
Considered among the most powerful Camorra clans, it was originally founded by the Zaza family in the 1940s and later transferred under the Mazzarella’s control following a marriage alliance. The group has been engaged for decades in a feud with the Rinaldi family, affiliated with Secondigliano bosses, which includes the murders in 1995 and 2000.
Political leaders and institutional representatives praised the successful capture. Chiara Colosimo, president of the Anti-Mafia Commission, expressed on X: “I convey great satisfaction for the excellent operation conducted.” Meanwhile, Pina Picierno, vice-president of the European Parliament, highlighted the importance of this outcome: “A significant victory for the State and a clear indication in the fight against mafias.”