Legality

Torre Annunziata, bulldozers on the Gionta clan's palace

Demolition of the former Camorra blockhouse begins. Prosecutor Fragliasso: 'More illegality in the administration'. The mayor resigns

by Vera Viola

5 May 2026

L'inizio dell' abbattimento Palazzo Fienga a Torre Annunziata, con il ministro degli interni Matteo Piantedosi e il ministro alle infrastrutture Matteo Salvini, 5 maggio 2026 ANSA / Cesare Abbate

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Demolition work has begun on Palazzo Fienga, headquarters of the Gionta clan for almost fifty years, in the heart of Torre Annunziata. The event was long overdue and represents a symbolic act of restoring legality to what was once the symbol of organised crime in the Vesuvian area. In its place, a square and a green park will be built, places open to all citizens. The foundation stone for the demolition was attended by Ministers Matteo Salvini and Matteo Piantedosi, National Anti-Mafia Prosecutor Giovanni Melillo, Torre Annunziata Prosecutor Nunzio Fragliasso, Anti-Mafia Parliamentary Commission Chairwoman Chiara Colosimo, Torre Annunziata Mayor Corrado Cuccurullo, Naples Metropolitan City Mayor Gaetano Manfredi, and Naples Prefect Michele di Bari.

They spoke of a day of redemption and liberation, but the road ahead for the city is still long and difficult, because profound is the decline, not only ethical and economic, but also social, in which Torre Annunziata finds itself, even though it is endowed with an environmental and archaeological heritage of great beauty and value.

The words of the Torre Annunziata prosecutor had a disruptive effect. "An important moment. But it is not enough. It is only a first step _ says in summary the prosecutor Nunzio Fragliasso _ After the commissioning of the municipality I would have expected a step forward on the part of the city and first and foremost the municipal administration. I am still waiting. There are still too many contiguities with organised crime, too many shadows and too many illegalities within the municipal administration itself, which constitute the humus in which crime thrives'. A few hours later, the mayor of Torre Annunziata, Corrado Cuccurullo submitted his resignation, defining the words of Prosecutor Fragliasso as 'unjust'.

"Today, what has for too long been the site of the pervasive and bloody presence of the Camorra is being razed here. This place from an oppressive place will become an open square," said Minister Piantedosi. 'The fight against mafias is only won if there is unity on everyone's part and not if there is political polemic,' Salvini added.

Napoli, via alla demolizione di Palazzo Fienga, roccaforte del clan Gionta
Photogallery15 foto

For almost fifty years, Palazzo Fienga was the Camorra's stronghold. It was there that the Gionta clan, hegemonic in Torre Annunziata and beyond, managed smuggling, drug trafficking, extortion and imposed bribes. A symbol of that underworld power that held institutions and the business world in check and that also decreed the murder of Giancarlo Siani, the young morning reporter shot dead on 23 September 1985 for having revealed an understanding between the Nuvoletta and Bardellino clans against Gionta.

On 4 November 2008, with the police and carabinieri operation called 'Alta marea', around seventy people were arrested, including the heads of the Gionta clan. From that moment, it is believed that the decline of Palazzo Fienga began. Only in 2015, however, was the palace closed and walled up. Everything stood still, however, for another long eleven years while urban and social decay advanced. The intervention, both the demolition and the subsequent projects, will cost 12.3 million in state funds allocated a few years ago. The timetable has undergone continuous postponements, while waiting for the expropriation of real estate, inside the building, owned by people outside the criminal context.

"The demolition of Palazzo Fienga should be followed by the construction of a square _ says National Anti-Mafia Prosecutor Giovanni Melillo _ I would suggest naming it Piazza Giancarlo Siani".

The signs of decline are evident in the city: derelict shopfronts, the decaying historic centre, unemployment still at record levels, and neets in abundance, non-existent public services. But the strongest symbol of decadence is the very high number of young graduates emigrating: they are leaving, while a population of only elderly people remains in a city that even for these offers few and inadequate services.