Camorra: Historical Roots and Economic Impact Over Time

Giulia Caruso
Dec 3
5 min read

Giulia Caruso, 27 November 2025.

The Camorra is one of the oldest criminal organizations in Europe, a power system that originated in pre-unification Naples and has, over the centuries, managed to transform itself according to the economic opportunities offered by the territory. Unlike other mafias, it has never possessed a single center of power: its strength derives from a mosaic of autonomous groups, the paranze, united by a method based on the systematic use of violence as a tool for profit. Since its origins, the Camorra’s logic has always been to monetize social control. The term “camorra” soon became synonymous with “bribe,” because any activity, whether gambling, commerce, prostitution or public works, was taxed with a percentage imposed through intimidation and coercion. The barattolo, the sbruffo, and other extorted sums formed the economic core of a system structured as a parallel authority. From the Bourbon period to postwar trafficking, and later to the control of public contracts and major contemporary criminal enterprises, the Camorra has undergone an evolution that transformed it from a street racket into a global organization capable of infiltrating the country’s economic and political life.

From the 1500s to the 1800s

The economic origins of the Camorra emerged between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and,

according to some scholars, may be linked to the Guarduna Brotherhood, a Spanish secret society founded in 1417 and specialized in carrying out contract killings. When these practices arrived in Naples, they found a lively, densely populated and weakly regulated urban environment, ideal for transforming violence into an activity capable of producing income.

In the nineteenth century, when the Bella Società Riformata consolidated a hierarchical structure that was almost bureaucratic, the sources of profit were numerous and varied. Outdoor gambling was tightly controlled: the biscazzieri paid a percentage of their takings, the barattolo, collected by emissaries who presented themselves with the ease and confidence of tax officials. Commerce also became a field of constant exploitation. In the markets, at the port, and along the city streets, every transaction generated the sbruffo, a payment demanded repeatedly through every stage of the supply chain, from transport to loading and unloading operations.

Clandestine gambling, known as gioco piccolo, represented the only true industry managed directly by the Camorra: a parallel lottery system that rivalled the government-run one. In prisons, the organization maintained absolute authority by imposing the so-called oil tax, a contribution theoretically meant to keep a votive lamp burning but in reality used as a brutal form of extortion.

Beyond violence and extortion, the Camorra also offered a form of parallel justice. Camorristi intervened in disputes, provided protection and used the collected funds to bribe officials and law enforcement. Each evening, the paranzehanded over their earnings to the contaiuoli, the treasurers, who redistributed the money according to a strict hierarchy. The capintesta, at the top of the organization, received a quarter of the revenues. A significant portion was devoted to corruption, while the remainder was divided among the affiliates.

From the Postwar Period to 1970

Although officially dissolved in 1912, the Camorra survived as a mentality and as a system of coercion. In the postwar years, in a Naples marked by hunger, unemployment and reconstruction, new criminal figures emerged by exploiting the most profitable economic sectors: cigarette smuggling and fruit and vegetable markets.

Smuggling became one of the main engines of Neapolitan criminality. Groups led by the Giuliano brothers, by Spavone and by Mormone fought for control of beaches and storage areas. Antonio Spavone, known as’o malommo, assumed an almost legendary status, embodying the image of the rebellious and audacious smuggler.

Fruit and vegetable markets were also fertile ground for criminal power. Figures such as Pasquale

Simonetti, known as Pascalone ’e Nola, went so far as to proclaim themselves “president of prices”

manipulating commodity values and imposing a parallel system that completely ignored the economic laws of supply and demand.

In this environment of poverty and illicit opportunity, Naples also became a bridge between the local

underworld and the American mafia. The arrival of Lucky Luciano, and previously of Vito Genovese, fostered a direct relationship with Cosa Nostra in the United States, opening the way to international networks that would profoundly influence the later evolution of the Camorra.

From Yesterday to Today

Beginning in the 1970s, the Camorra underwent a new phase of transformation with the emergence of Raffaele Cutolo’s Nuova Camorra Organizzata. Cutolo introduced a more centralized and ideological model, capable of attracting thousands of young recruits and militarizing the organization. In response, other groups united to form the Nuova Famiglia creating a conflict that deeply marked the region.

During this period, the Camorra expanded its activities into international trafficking of drugs, weapons and tobacco. Money laundering became a strategic necessity: illicit profits were reinvested in construction companies, commercial enterprises, healthcare facilities, funeral services and both legal and illegal gambling operations. The organization strengthened its presence in increasingly broad sectors of the legal economy, disguising dirty money and building real entrepreneurial empires.

Extortion remained one of the most widespread forms of financing. In 1982, according to official data, half of the shopkeepers in Campania were forced to pay a bribe, in a climate marked by frequent violence, attacks, and intimidation.

The decisive leap toward the modern Camorra took place through massive penetration of public

procurement. This gave rise to what became known as the high Camorra, composed of entrepreneurs,politicians and professionals who collaborated with clans to manage, steer and divide public works. From construction to metanization services, from pest control to environmental remediation, the Camorra imposed bribes and conditions, infiltrating billion-euro contracts. The Casalesi clan (Casal di Principe, Naples) is the most notable example: they managed to influence even the preliminary work on the Rome-Naples high-speed railway line, demonstrating the organization’s ability to penetrate projects of national strategic importance. In just a few decades the Camorra underwent a radical transformation, moving from collecting the barattolo in 19th century gambling dens to controlling entire sectors of public expenditure, supported by a complex financial structure and a network of relationships involving institutional, professional and entrepreneurial circles.

Conclusion

The economic history of the Camorra demonstrates an extraordinary capacity for adaptation. From revenue gained through gambling and small commerce to the management of global trafficking and multimillion-euro public contracts, the organization has consistently exploited power vacuums and institutional weaknesses to reinvent itself. As early as 1899, Member of Parliament Francesco De Martino observed that the poor masses aligned with the Camorra possessed no ideals, only interests. His insight perfectly captures the underlying logic that has allowed the Camorra, across the centuries, to change its appearance, yes, but certainly not its nature.

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