The Legend of the First Medieval Mafias

The main reason that brought the south (of Italy) to the surface of the "mafia solution" was the state of local abandonment, due mainly to the continuous changes of foreign occupation that killed the confidence of the population towards the ruler on duty, especially in the period between the last Spanish occupations and the advent of the Risorgimento.

Laws were often replaced by a system of local rules, and around the family an intense spirit of pride and honor was strengthened, which had to be defended boldly and, if violated, generated feuds that lasted from generation to generation.

Almost all modern Italian mafias developed in the first half of the nineteenth century, according to a model of stable criminal organization, defended by an omertose pact, whose branched structure is erected around a hierarchical scheme composed of the so-called affiliates, which act strategically pursuing a single common good; all factors that mark its difference with common street bands.

But going back in time we can easily find numerous examples of stories, myths and tales of rural banditry that appear as the genesis of the current mafia criminal organizations.

1. the knights Osso, Gastrosso, Carcagnosso, brothers of the Spanish criminal organization "Garduña", active since the beginning of 1400.

There is a myth fueled by medieval chronicles that tells of how the current Sicilian, Calabrian and Neapolitan mafias are the development of a phenomenon transplanted in Italy by a Spanish criminal association: the Garduña, founded in the Castilian city of Toledo in 1412, after the merger of various bands of central Spain which, under the pretext of collaborating with the Inquisition and for the so-called "limpieza de sangre" (blood cleaning), extorted or assaulted the Arab and Jewish houses. Inspired by religious and chivalric confraternities, it is said that the Garduña had hundreds of affiliates, whose dome was formed by a secret directory of high protectors, who directed the operations and were responsible for maintaining the wealth accumulated.Interesting the presence of spies and prostitutes who had the task of reporting useful information to the higher ranks and, above all, the collaboration of judges, governors and prison directors..Among his affiliates Osso, Gastrosso and Carcagnosso were three blood brothers, who saw themselves forced to flee from Toledo after avenging the death of their sister: landing on the island of Favignana, in the archipelago of the Egadi, in Sicily, according to some these three men built the foundations for the modern southern Italian mafias.

2. scenes of "Neapolitan life".

Bella Società Riformata or Onorata Società, were instead the denominations with which the camorrists referred to their organization in the 19th century. Unlike the Sicilian Mafia, this organization already had a centuries-old history, as evidenced by the writings of the compagnoni, gangsters who controlled prostitution, gambling and organized robberies in the most populous neighborhoods of Naples, since the 1600s.

Within the late renaissance Napoletanity the term Camorra and its variants had various meanings related to popular life. But according to a hypothesis ridden by the historian Marc Monnier derives from Gamurra whose origin, as stated by to the studies of the anthropologist Abel De Blasio, indicates an association of Sardinian mercenaries formed in 1200, set up by the Pisan authorities who at that time occupied the city of Cagliari, and whose existence is confirmed by the Codex Diplomaticu Sardiniae, a repertoire of medieval sources relating to Sardinia: to maintain order and avoid rebellions by the Sardinians, the Pisans organized armed groups that patrolled the port village of Lapola. To keep the gamurra going, funding came from the revenues of gambling, bribes and taxes, namely indirect taxes on goods. According to the thesis developed, the organization would then move to Campania during the Aragonese domination in 1500, quickly taking root the gangster life especially in the busy districts of Naples.

3. the church of Santa Maria di Gesù al Capo, in the historical center of Palermo, whose underground crypt was the supposed lair of the secret sect of the Beati Paoli.

A fascinating Sicilian legend mixed with historical research, tells of the existence of an occult congregation, formed by mysterious hooded assassins who, gathering during the night in the old catacombs of the historic districts of Palermo, orchestrated vengeful acts against the nobility, such as crimes and kidnappings, in defense of the honor and approval of the middle class. They were called Beati Paoli, originated as a response to the violence of Norman domination in Sicily, their deeds became popular between the seventeenth and eighteenth century; the only member of the sect identified with certainty from historical sources is Don Girolamo Ammirata. During the day they roamed the alleys of the center disguised as friars in search of the secrets and injustices that suffocated the people. The story has been nourished exclusively by oral tradition, and the only document that reports the events is the collection Opuscoli palermitani of historian Francesco Maria Emanuele Gaetani (1720-1802). In the mythological halo the Beati Paoli represent the birth of Cosa Nostra.

4. Carmine Donatelli called "Crocco", also called the "Napoleon of brigands", was one of the most recognized and influential brigands of the Risorgimento period. Head of the Lucanian gangs of the Vulture, under his direction were under about two thousand men. He fought alongside Giuseppe Garibaldi.

Beyond any attractive theory, what is certain is the widespread diffusion in the pre-industrial world of effective streams of banditry and piracy, which from simple gangster groups evolved into organized structures with their own codes and laws, and which often assumed insurrectionist implications, taking part in the rural and peasant revolt against the abuses of the ruling class. The root cause of the rise of criminal activities is precisely the condition of poverty, already in medieval times, when feudal exploitation triggered the violent reaction of the plebs.The brigandage from then on assumed the connotations of a parallel society to the state, strong and independent enough to replace and remedy the inability of the ruler to solve the problems of the lower classes.

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