After 26 years in prison, the notorious Camorra boss Francesco Schiavone has decided to cooperate with the justice system, according to Italian media reports. The founder and ex-godfather of the Casalesi clan, which is active in the province of Caserta not far from Naples, wants to cooperate with the public prosecutor's office as a key witness, report the news agencies Ansa and Adnkronos, citing the responsible anti-mafia authorities. He has been in prison since 1998.

The now 70-year-old Schiavone, alias "Sandokan", is said to have started his first discussions with the authorities a few weeks ago. Since he was sentenced to life in prison for several murders under the strict prison conditions intended for mafia bosses and terrorists, Schiavone has remained steadfastly silent. The investigators now hope to gain detailed information about the clan's activities. But also about possible entanglements between the Camorra and politics.

Protection program for relatives

Two of his sons decided to cooperate with the authorities in 2018 and 2021. Two other sons are in prison. A few days ago, the police offered Schiavone's relatives who were not in custody to take part in a protection program, Ansa and Adnkronos reported.

One of the most notorious Italian mafia organizations, the Camorra is based in the southern Italian provinces of Naples and Caserta and operates worldwide. She became known through the book "Gomorrah" by journalist Roberto Saviano, which was later made into a film and has received death threats and been under police protection since its publication in 2006. In "Gomorrah" Saviano also devotes himself to the activities of Francesco Schiavone.