Camorra
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The Camorra is an Italian Mafia-type crime syndicate, or secret society, that originated in the region of Campania and its capital Naples. It is one of the oldest and largest criminal organizations in Italy, dating back to the 18th century. Unlike the pyramidal structure of the Sicilian Mafia, the Camorra's organizational structure is more horizontal than vertical. Consequently, individual Camorra clans act independently of each other, and are more prone to feuding among themselves.
One of the Camorra’s strategies to gain social prestige is political patronage. The familial clans became the preferred interlocutors of local politicians and public officials, because of their grip on the community. In turn, the clan bosses use their political sway to assist and protect their clients against the local authorities. Despite the Camorra's origins, the organization presently has important ramifications in other Italian regions, such as Lombardy, Piedmont, Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna.
In popular culture
- Camorra is a 1972 film, directed by Pasquale Squitieri, starring Fabio Testi and Jean Seberg.
- Commendatori, an episode of The Sopranos which features the Camorra.
- Il camorrista (1986), directed by Giuseppe Tornatore. Vaguely inspired by the real story of NCO boss, Raffaele Cutolo. Cutolo is played by Ben Gazzara, with the Italian voiceover done by Italian actor Mariano Rigillo.
- The 2006 book by Roberto Saviano, Gomorra, investigates the activities of the Camorra in Italy, especially in the provinces of Naples and Caserta. The book has also been adapted to film by Matteo Garrone in 2008, describing low level Camorra foot-soldiers and to a TV series by the same name in 2014.
- The opera The Jewels of the Madonna by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari features the Camorra as part of the plot.
- The story of Raffaele Cutolo also inspired one of the most famous songs of Fabrizio De André, entitled Don Raffaé (Clouds of 1990).
- Also referenced in an episode of Archer (Season 4- Episode 11) when a plot against the pope was being carried out by Camorra grunts.
See also
