Roberto Mazzarella, the 48-year-old mafia boss, was arrested on the evening of 3/4 at a luxury villa on the Amalfi Coast. He had been celebrating Easter with his wife and two children, using false identification to conceal his presence at the 1.000 euro-a-night property.
Mazzarella is the head of the notorious Mazzarella family, a powerful faction within the Camorra organized crime syndicate based in Naples. He was ranked 4th on the Italian Interior Ministry's list of most dangerous fugitives.
The boss had been on the run since 28/1/2025, following an arrest warrant for murder connected to the 2000 killing of Antonio Maione in San Giovanni a Teduccio. The victim, Antonio, was not involved in gang activities, but was the brother of the person who killed Roberto's father, Salvatore Mazzarella, in 1995.
The Mazzarella family controls much of the smuggling and drug trafficking operations in Naples. They are also involved in counterfeiting and money laundering, with activities extending through Milan and northern Italy.
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Mafia boss Roberto Mazzarella. Photo: Ministero dell’Interno/EPA
According to a police statement, Roberto "did not resist arrest" during the raid in Vietri sul Mare, a town in Salerno province. Police-released video of the raid showed heavily armed officers at the coastal villa.
The extensive operation involved the Carabinieri investigative unit (Italy's national military police), the Italian air force, and Salerno coast guard patrol boats, which monitored the surrounding waters.
During the raid, police stated they found 20.000 euro in cash and three luxury watches, along with mobile phones and fake identification documents.
This arrest follows a related operation last month, where police arrested 16 people allegedly connected to the Mazzarella family on charges of online fraud.
In a statement after the arrest, Naples Prefect Michele di Bari called the operation "an investigative success". He praised the efforts of the judiciary and police, stating the arrest brought a dangerous criminal to justice, restoring public trust in the law.
Anti-Mafia Commission President Chiara Colosimo expressed "great satisfaction with the excellent operation" on social media platform X. European Parliament Vice-President Pina Picierno called it "a major victory for the state and a clear signal in the fight against mafia gangs".
Tue Anh (according to Guardian, Euronews)
