Enrico Alfano

Enrico Alfano (; 1869 or 1870 – 10 January 1940), also known as "Erricone", was considered to be one of the chiefs of the Camorra, a Mafia-type organisation in the region of Campania and its capital Naples in Italy, at the turn of the 20th century. He was described as "a kind of president of the confederation."Critchley, ''The Origin of Organized Crime in America'', p. 120 According to some sources, Alfano was linked to the murder of New York City police lieutenant Joseph Petrosino in Palermo in 1909, however, the murder had since been attributed to the Sicilian Mafia.

Alfano was accused of being the man behind the murder of rival Camorra boss Gennaro Cuocolo and his wife. The trial against Alfano and his associates in Viterbo in 1911–12, expanded from a murder case into a tribunal against the Camorra and attracted a lot of attention of newspapers and the general public both in Italy as well as in the United States. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison in July 1912, and despite the fact that the legitimacy of the trial was seriously questioned when the main witness for the prosecution retracted, he was only released in 1934 after having served 27 years.

Early life

The son of a shoemaker,Paliotti, ''Storia della Camorra'', pp. 191–98 Alfano began as a fruit merchant in Naples and speculating on the cattle fairs. He apparently became affiliated with the Camorra at an early age, but this is not certain because he was not mentioned in a 1901 investigation report by the Ministry of InteriorAlfano Holds Stage at Viterbo Assizes
''The New York Times'', April 1, 1911, Page 5 – known as the Saredo Inquiry since it was led by senator Giuseppe Saredo ( it) – which unearthed an extensive political patronage system in the city of Naples.Dickie, ''Blood Brotherhoods''
p. 184–86
/ref> However, the inquiry revealed little about the inner workings of the Camorra.
by Walter Littlefield, ''The New York Times'', September 11, 1910, Page 1 According to an informer, Alfano had become the head of the Camorra after the death of the legendary ''capintesta'' (head-in-chief) Ciccio Cappuccio in 1892,Camorrist Told All To Win His Bride
''The New York Times'', March 6, 1911 although other sources disagree over his rise to power.

According to ''The New York Times'' report on the Cuocolo trial in 1911, Alfano was below medium height but a man of commanding presence; across his cheek he bore a long scar, the ''sfregio'' (a knife slash for dishonour; a sign of Camorra punishment). ''The New York Times'' reported that he was arrested many times as an accomplice in homicide, robbery and less important charges, but had never been convicted. According to the Italian newspaper ''La Stampa'', Alfano did spend six or seven years in prison, where he earned his initiation as a ''camorrista'', which gave him the "right" to demand a ''tangente'', protection money, from the merchants in the neighbourhood he controlled.Erricone, l'assassino dei coniugi Cuocolo
''La Stampa'', June 7, 1907

Both sources agree that Alfano imposed his position when he defeated the Camorra head, the ''capintesta'' Totonno'' 'o Pappagallo'' (The Parrot) – so-named for his beak parrot nose – in a ''zumpata'' – a kind of ritual initiation knife duel – despite the fact that his adversary sent his Mastino dog to attack Alfano. The conflict started when ''Pappagallo'' returned from prison and found Alfano in control of his former territory. Other sources mention that after the death of Cappuccio, Giuseppe Chirico,'' 'o Granatiere'' (The Grenadier), from the Porta San Gennaro neighbourhood was elected. Although the conclave of the twelve district heads had decided in favour of Chirico, another popular leader, Totonno'' 'o Pappagallo'', with many followers, contested the election. The matter was settled in a ''zumpata''. Chirico, due to his inexperience with weapons, was wounded at the first blow and, to save himself, threw the knife to the ground and declared himself defeated. Paliotti, ''Storia della Camorra'', pp. 175–80

After his win'' 'o Pappagallo'' was elected with all the votes, but had been sentenced to go to prison. Two of the twelve districts, Vicaria and Mercato, decided that his alternate, the young Alfano, would assume effective powers. Consiglio, ''La camorra a Napoli''
p. 124
/ref> When o Pappagallo'' left prison, he was defeated in yet another duel by Alfano around the turn of the century. According to ''La Stampa'', describing the event many years after it took place, the duel went as follows:

Camorra boss

Although elected head of the Camorra, due to his reluctance to accept the challenges coming from all sides, and all the inevitable quarrels that so abundantly flourished in the meetings of the bosses, he did not keep the position. Challenged by Gennaro Cuocolo, he was deposed and Luigi Fucci, known as O Gassusaro'', became the nominal head, the ''capintesta'', of the Camorra, while Alfano remained head of the Vicaria section. While Fucci was the nominal head, Alfano apparently remained the operational leader and was described as "a kind of president of the confederation." He had his own representative in the twelve districts next to the ''capintrito rionale'' that answered to Fucci.Di Fiore, ''Potere camorrista''
p. 111
/ref> Alfano, freed from the care of governance, devoted himself exclusively to his lucrative trade: usury.

He worked closely with his associate Giovanni Rapi – a former primary school teacher turned gambling operator and usurer –, who after a gambling stint in France opened the ''Unione del Mezzogiorno'' club in 1902 in Naples, popular among the aristocracy.French Detective at Viterbo Trial
''The New York Times'', May 27, 1911An American Lawyer at the Camorra Trial
by Arthur Train, ''McClure's Magazine'', November 1911, pp. 71-82 Rapi and Alfano specialised in providing usury loans – at a rate of thirty per cent per week and fifty per cent per month – to merchants and gamblers, collecting extortion money, as well as procuring. He lived the good life and dressed very elegantly in ''Poole'' suits from London and ''Boivin'' shirts from Paris. He followed his rich clientele to the casinos in Nice and Aix-les-Baines

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