Organised crime in the food chain

Come on Fillide, it's written by Roberto Saviano - what else would you expect from a diehard Neapolitan? 

Esme - what do you mean by a die hard NEapolitan and why is Saviano one? 

I've just been reading a very interesting book called Extra Virginity: The sublime and scandolous world of olive oil by Tom Mueller. It's quite shocking but depressingly not surprising. It certainly makes you look at what oil you buy in a different light.

Come on Ram - you live in Sicily, so probably know exactly what I mean! A diehard Neapolitan is one who makes his living from articles such as this while sipping a cafe (Kimbo) at the local bar that willingly pays Pizzo! Perhaps, if you were playing Scope with someone like this you may choose to call him a doppiogiochista? 

Fillide - that's my point - in a way.  And I think you know that I already know Saviano is incognito - probably overlooking the Bay somewhere up in Vomero. Saviano knew - and still knows - exactly what he was getting into when he "exposed" this and many other "Segreto di Pulcinella" and he also knows that if the Camorra really wanted him gone - he would be. All these things are nothing new - from making baby milk powder from chalk and selling it on the black market to mothers with starving babies and no other choice in WWII - to baking pane cafone with wood from old coffins more recently. I'd lay money he drinks Kimbo - Black Label.

I asked because a diehard Neapolitan would be someone who, I presume, shares all the Neaopolitan characteristics - something whihc Saviano does not do.  In the slightest.   In fact, I would go further and say that Saviano despite being from Campania (he is not NEapolitan) is the antithesis of Neapolitan, as he sticks his head above the parapet and says what he really thinks.  He doesnt live in Vomero, nor in the south of Italy, but in the very north - which for a southerner is as bad as it can get. Poor bugger.  I agree with you that he probably knew what he was getting into - but did he do it for money or because he wanted to make a difference.  And,  once so far in - does it really matter if he digs himself in further?  IT is information we have a right to know, and thanks to people like RS we can learn about it.  A true diehard neapolitan would not write or publicise any of this info, but mutter about it into his Kimbo and then deny it if ever questioned! 

I do not believe a diehard Neapolitan is any different from Saviano whatsoever!  (By the way, Saviano was born in Casal di Principe, one of, if not the most mafia-ridden area in the whole of Campania - even though it is technically classed as Caserta.) Diehard Neapolitans love Naples/Campania and do not want it to be tarnished by these terrible things. It is the MINORITY that live the lifestyle of the "Camorra" - they are NOT diehard Neapolitans - they are CRIMINALS and they are not representative of, or share the characteristics of, the Neapolitan population in any way. All these things have already been exposed many times over many years and so, this is not "something new" - but I do agree it should continue to be re-hashed, even though the re-hashing has always been completely ineffective. The Capo says; "Non gironzolare vicino alla nostra casa, mio padre e' un uomo pericoloso". A Diehard Neapolitan replies; “La mia spada e' appuntita e affilata” - no matter where he is from! Fillide,  my statement that "he knew what he was getting onto" refers to him fully understanding that his lifestyle would be compromised before his first story was even published and would always be so, should he continue to "expose".  As I said, this exposure is just another "Segreto di Pulcinella" and therefore, not of any significant consequence or worry to the Camorra. Both sides understand the staus quo  - and that is probably why he is still able to sip Kimbo.

It is the minority that live the lifestyle, but the majority that accept it without doing anything.  The characteristics of the NEapolitan population, and having lived there for many years I feel qualified to say it - is that they will quietly tell you they dont like it, but will do absolutely nothing.  My point was that Saviano has done something - for whatever motive - and therefore is not a typical Neapolitan.  Its all coming down to the definitiion of a diehard - and its that I picked up on originally - which is reactionary or retrograde, Daily Mail type, not wanting change etc  - you cant accuse Saviano of that. 

Of course the majority accept it without doing anything Ram - what other choice do they seriously have? To "do something" about the situation means living under the same extreme conditions that Saviano finds himself in.  Saviano has the added protection that he is a well known journalist and therefore, high profile.  He is safer than the ordinary "man in the street" would ever be who may seriously want to "do something", but without protection, the ordinary Neapolitan is just one lonely lost voice.  It would mean a lot of public egg on the authorities faces should something actually happen to Saviano - can the same be said for any ordinary "man in the street"?  Of course, there is safety in numbers and Neapolitans could organise themselves, but they are weary of many years of no significant change and so, they absolutely understand that it's safer to keep their gobs shut - or at the very most, mutter very quietly into their Kimbo. What intrigues me even more is why you type Neapolitan as NEapolitan - what am I missing here?

my keyboard makes me do it...  It is negative - but there is a lot of fear about.  When I arrived in the south I was all for standing up and being counted - a gun in the face makes you think twice about how much you want to change things.  Sad but true.  It would take a huge popular uprising to give people the courage to be open about things.  And, Naples is not Palermo - the mafia and the camorra are two very different beasts.  And Naples may have De Magistris but all the people who work in the public offices remain the same, and its those you have to contend with.

Best excuse I've ever heard Ram - sounds almost like a typical Neapolitan ploy to place the blame elsewhere!  I used to be a member of (yet) another forum - it was Neapolitan - called "Sfaccimmia della Gente" - run by enthusiastic, very well educated, often young, street wise, feisty and energetic Neapolitans who had certainly had enough and thought nothing about saying so - loudly - in typical Neapolitan style! It was a fairly small community at first and they were very patient with me (language barriers mainly), but I learnt a massive amount from them - they were proactive, capable, willing and ready to organise into a force to be reckoned with.  They were starting to cause some people to feel quite uncomfortable higher up the food chain.  Things really started to happen and the site was gaining in membership numbers very rapidly and this drew unwanted attention from certain corners. Then this happened... http://corrieredelmezzogiorno.corriere.it/napoli/notizie/cronaca/2010/22-febbraio-2010/peggio-napoletanita-raccolto-un-sito-internet-sfaccimma-gente--1602516158755.shtml Within a week, they had been closed down and the original founding members were nowhere to be seen after receiving a "friendly visit" - one or two haven't been seen around for a while.  Now, whether they moved "outta town" to visit Nonna or are helping in the making of a new highway down in Calabria somewhere, who can say, but only God truly knows.