Gomorrah: A Personal Journey into the Violent International Empire of Naples' Organized Crime System

5 Starts for courage: He broke the silence and risked his life

If you have been to Italy, surely you have seen people who sell counterfeit goods on the street ¿ Prada purses, Gucci belt, Armani wallet, pirated CD and DVD, etc. Surprisingly, most of them are not made in China, but in underground factories in Naples, the same type of factories that makes dresses for Hollywood stars. This is however, only the beginning of the story. This is a story of the underground economy of Naples, the desperation of its society and underclass, and the exploitation by the sophisticated yet short sighted criminals. The tales are not unlike those of the underground economy of New York and Chicago, but southern Italian style. With my busy schedule running a business, these days it's hard for me to take some time and read a book in a short time. However, this book was so compelling I finished it in four days. There are three big criminal organizations in Italy: Cosa Costra (commonly known as Mafia) from Sicily, `Ngrangheta of Calabria, and the Camorra of Campania. This book is about the camorra. First, to understand why the author is under 24-hour police protection: This is not the first book written about the camorra or the mafia, in Italy or abroad. However, his story telling style was compelling enough to make the book a best seller in Italy and abroad. This brought to light the dirty and dark secrets of the criminal underworld in a concrete term - something you can identify with (do they control what you eat?), it infuriates you and something you react strongly. It's not just about talking about the camorra in abstract terms, but to name names, name places, and describe in vivid details about the people, their ¿businesses¿, and places. So the public realize the extent of the problem and how it affects the smallest things like milk and cookie delivery to cancer rates. Organized crime societies thrives on secrecy and silence, there is a term for silence among the camorra 'omerta'. If no one speaks about it and carry on with his life, or speak about it in an abstract term like 'oh it's the mafia what can I do about it?' then the camorra carries on their activities. However, with the amount of attention the author brought, especially attention to details, angered the criminals because the public gets a real view of how the system function and is lubricated. Hence they want the author dead. He broke the code of 'omerta'. That's why police protection is assigned to him. Remember, if you dare to speak up against their interest, they dare to silence you in the most callous way - school teacher, shop owner, ex-member, judge, lawyer, politicians, it doesn't matter. The book shows that while claiming to be Catholics, the Camorra is even willing to take the life of a priest. I lived in that region. In fact, where I lived had its government dissolved more times than any other places in Italy due to mafia infiltration. I have seen around here urban planning disaster, environmental disaster, and cultural disaster. While the region of Campania has some beautiful parts, it is not far fetched to say it¿s a third world country within a major EU country. This book explores many subjects that I have witnessed with my own eyes: the annual garbage crisis where you can¿t even walk on the sidewalk, and the hoodlums and idiots who set the trashes on fire to worsen the crisis the store that was burned down because the owner was courageous and refuse to pay the Camorra a 'protection' fee the unjustifiable number of supermarkets and shopping centers in a region where the economy at the bottom. I have been to Pozzuoli, dined in Quatieri Spagnoli (Spanish Quarter), and it's true, many of these towns are a mess. This book helped to see what the towns are the way they are, beyond the aesthetical aspect. I didn¿t know about the open drug market where the Camorra test new drug on buyers to see if they die to determine the right mix. The economy is in the drain, but new shopping centers keep popping up. Will th

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

Gripping

Very informative

The Business We've Chosen

Saviano abandons journalistic detachment and dives into the Napoli organized crime families as only a native with something at stake could. The Camorra are the economic engine for Italy, masterfully illustrated and explained by Saviano. This is a fun read as Saviano mixes econimics, popular culture, and mythology in his writing.

A sad comment on Italy, leaving the impression of a failed state. Having been there on a number of occasions, it's a miracle anything works.

Stunning

Saviano is a real hero. The book is well written and very courageous.

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