Latest news with #Neapolitans
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
'My father killed my mum with an axe – my biggest fear is being just like him'
Napoli's team of the 1980s was filled with headline-grabbing characters, but one member of the Neapolitans had endured a horrific start to his life before his football career took off Ex-Napoli star Andrea Carnevale suffered a truly traumatic childhood. It ended up with him having to run to the police station, while carrying an axe that was splattered with his own mother's blood. Growing up, his schizophrenic father constantly abused his mother. And despite repeatedly telling the police about the pain his mother was having to endure at home behind closed doors, her life ended when his father bludgeoned her to death with an axe as she washed their clothes. Carnevale, who went on to play alongside Diego Maradona in the great Napoli team between 1986 and 1990, took the very weapon which so brutally ended his mother's life to the police himself. Former Italy international Carnevale, who is now 64 years old, opened up about the traumatic incident in his book 'Il Destino di un Bomber' (The Destiny of a Striker). He wrote: "My mother never reported him for fear they would do something to the children. "My father was very jealous. There was a climate of terror at home. I was there when she was slapped and beaten. "On the morning of September 25, 1975, he woke up, grabbed an axe and went to my mother, who was washing clothes by the river near our house and killed her. I ran with the blood-stained axe to the police." Carnevale – who made 10 appearances for Italy between 1989 and 1990, scoring twice for his nation – was one of seven siblings who grew up in the household. He admitted that one of his biggest fears was growing up to be just like his murderous father. Two years after the tragedy, at only 16 years old, Carnevale made the decision to visit his him in prison. Opening up about the experience in his book, he added: "I wanted to look him in the eyes. He had taken everything from me in life. But when I saw him, I gave him a strong hug. Somehow, I forgave him, despite knowing that before me stood a very sick man." After describing the experience as "the first step towards liberation" from the trauma, he added: "For many years I lived with the pain but also the fear of being like him. But no, I am not like him. I realised this when I saw him." When asked what was wrong with his father, he added: "He was schizophrenic. He was never treated, a few years later he took his own life by throwing himself out of a window in front of my eyes." Not only did Carnevale return to the scene of his mother's murder, he bought the house. In an interview with Italian outlet Corriere della Sera, he said: "With my first money, I immediately bought our farmhouse in Monte San Biagio in Latina where we grew up. "I paid 450 million old lire. It remains the best investment of my life: the theatre of horror became the theatre of love. There is serenity and strong union; happiness is another thing though – nothing will ever be like before. "Everyone has their own life. My wife Beatrice is my world – the woman who understood me and immediately gave me a second chance – my everything." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Boston Globe
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Another TV series about the mob? Some in Naples say, ‘Basta.'
Perhaps no modern pop culture reference has clung more stubbornly to Naples, Italy's third-largest city, than 'Gomorrah,' the title of Roberto Saviano's 2006 nonfiction bestseller about the Neapolitan mafia. A critically acclaimed movie followed in 2008, and the TV series premiered in 2014 and ran for five seasons. Two more movies debuted in 2019: 'The Immortal,' a spinoff, and 'Piranhas,' based on a Saviano novel about crime bosses as young as 15. And now there's 'Origins.' Advertisement So excuse some Neapolitans if they say they've had enough. 'They filmed the first one; they filmed the second one,' said Gennaro Di Virgilio, a fourth-generation owner of an artisanal Nativity shop. 'Basta.' Once too dangerous and corrupt to attract many foreigners, Naples has been in the thrall of a tourism boom for years. Social media has lured visitors to the city's history, food, and sunshine, helping Naples shake off some of its seedy reputation, though youth unemployment and crime remain stubbornly high. But the city keeps getting typecast, some Neapolitans say, as Gomorrah, reducing its residents to those engaged in the 'malavita,' the lawless life. 'Why must only bad things be said about us?' lamented Delia D'Alessandro, whose family handcrafts cornicelli, or red, horn-shaped amulets believed to offer protection from evil. 'I am in love with my city. Every time I take a waterfront stroll at sunset, I get emotional.' Advertisement 'Gomorrah' may not sell romance. But it has hardly dimmed Naples' allure, while introducing many non-Italians to the city. The creators of the series, who dismissed their critics as the grumbling of a few, expressed gratitude to Naples and its residents. After filming for 'Origins' wrapped last month, director Marco D'Amore, thanked Naples -- 'this unique and rare city-world' -- on Instagram. While the original series was airing, some residents dressed up as the protagonists for Carnevale. At least one shop on the famed Via San Gregorio Armeno, known for its Nativity figurines, sells statuettes of some of the main characters: Ciro Di Marzio (aka 'the immortal') and Gennaro 'Genny' Savastano, the young mob don, complete with his signature chain necklace. (They were recently joined by a new figurine of Pope Leo XIV.) Riccardo Tozzi, lead producer of 'Gomorrah: Origins,' defended the show, which he points out has long drawn from Naples' vibrant theater scene to cast local actors and hire local crews. The objections of detractors have carried little weight with the wider public, he added: 'Nobody thinks, 'Oh, God, I'm not going to Naples because there is the Camorra.'' He called opposition to the show a misguided attempt at artistic censorship 'that didn't exist even during the Fascist era.' And he argued that an unflinching narrative, even if perceived as 'negative,' appeals to audiences. 'The postcard of the beautiful and the good is boring,' he said. Advertisement The mob's real-world influence in Naples is diminished, but not gone. The Camorra has evolved, experts say, still trafficking drugs and laundering money but no longer controlling large swaths of territory. The cramped Spanish Quarter used to be infamous for its pickpockets and muggers; today, it is a tourist destination better known for its pizza joints and a giant mural of Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona, who once played for Napoli and is revered. But even with a smaller mob footprint, Naples and its suburbs suffer from entrenched problems that visitors to touristy parts of the city may not see, including high rates of school absenteeism, youth violence, and unemployment. Those social ills, among the worst in Italy, are especially pronounced in neighborhoods such as Scampia, outside Naples, home to a violent Camorra turf war two decades ago that was recounted in the 'Gomorrah' book. Gennaro De Crescenzo, a teacher at the local Melissa Bassi High School, acknowledged Scampia's ongoing troubles. But most big cities face social challenges, he added, and it is unfair for his students to be 'indelibly branded' by their infamous neighborhood, though 'Gomorrah' has not filmed there in years. He said some of his students who go abroad to work find that they cannot escape the taint of the old neighborhood. 'You're from Scampia?' people ask. 'Oh, 'Gomorrah!'' 'It's a cliche,' said Domenico Mazzella di Bosco, the school principal. 'It's easy to stick, but then, let's face it, it's difficult to remove.' De Crescenzo said he and others are mulling calling for a boycott of 'Origins' once it premieres. (Its Italian release is slated for early 2026.) Much of the 'Gomorrah' film and early parts of the series were filmed in a vast public housing project of white, triangular buildings in Scampia named 'Le Vele,' or the sails. Today, two of the three remaining Vele stand empty, walled off and graffitied, their demolition slowly underway. Officials evacuated the third Vela after a walkway collapsed last summer, killing three people. Advertisement 'Gomorrah: Stop nourishing yourselves with our lives,' read spray paint in Italian on one of the walls. Back in the Spanish Quarter, Ciro Novelli had taped an anti-'Gomorrah' sign on the door of his small grocery store that proclaimed: 'You are warned, media usurers of a reality that dishonors our civilization.' The problem with the latest Camorra-inspired fiction, Novelli said, is that it does not always show how those in the 'malavita' often end up in jail or dead. A customer, Giuseppe Di Grazia, recalled that when he was young, mob bosses were feared by many young men. Now, he added, a teenager 'wants to imitate him. He wants to surpass him. He wants to become him.' Maurizio Gemma, director of the Film Commission of the Campania Region, said he can sympathize with those sentiments about crime shows, especially in places dealing with violence. But, Gemma said, the answer is not to 'condemn the story.' 'An evolved society must be able to manage its contradictions and must also be able to talk about its contradictions,' he said, 'in the hope that these contradictions will be overcome and that these problems will be solved.' This article originally appeared in
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
🚨 Future settled: What's next for Conte and Napoli
After the speculations about Antonio Conte's possible departure from SSC Napoli became louder in recent weeks, there is now certainty. The successful coach will remain at the sidelines of the Neapolitans. This was announced by the Italian champion via 'X'. Con Te 𝑨𝑮𝟒𝑰𝑵!💙 #ProudToBeNapoli #AG4IN — Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) May 29, 2025 Conte's time at SSC has been crowned with success. The Neapolitans became Italian champions and under the 55-year-old, they achieved 2.15 points per game. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here. 📸 ISABELLA BONOTTO - AFP or licensors
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
🔴 Napoli celebrate, Lukaku and Oriali: "We tell Conte to stay here"
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here. Last Friday, Napoli lifted their fourth championship trophy in history at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium. Today, however, the Neapolitans are preparing to celebrate this achievement with their fans. The celebratory parade, which will see the new champions of Italy travel through the city of Naples on two open-top buses, will start around 3 PM. The procession will begin at the Mergellina Port Dock and end at the entrance of Piazza Vittoria. Romelu Lukaku, one of the key players in Napoli's championship run, spoke about his future and his relationship with Conte. "I still have three years left on my contract and I would do anything to keep the coach here," he stated to Rai 2, recalling how the coach's call last summer to convince him to move to Napoli lasted 15 seconds. Lele Oriali, Napoli's technical manager, also revealed that he reminds Conte every day to stay in Naples. "I still don't know what the coach will do, I hope we can continue here, that's my hope", he said. Giovanni Manna confirmed De Laurentiis' words about De Bruyne: "We see the goal. We hope to give Napoli a great player because they deserve it". Napoli's sporting director added that the club has been working on multiple fronts for some time. "We need to increase the number of quality players in the squad", he stated to Rai 2. Manna, however, avoided commenting on Antonio Conte and only reiterated that he considers him the number one. Antonio Conte, the coach who brought the championship back to Napoli after a disastrous season, avoided discussing his future on Rai 2. The coach from Salento only wanted to say that Naples is "a unique city" and that "you don't find this passion everywhere". Conte paid tribute to Inter and emphasized that "winning was extraordinary and it paid us back for everything". As the parade on the open-top buses began, the official figure of the fans present was announced. There are just over 200,000 Napoli supporters accompanying the team along the seafront. Aurelio De Laurentiis spoke to Rai 2, the channel broadcasting Napoli's celebration live. "This morning I had a video call with Kevin De Bruyne and his family. They have already taken a beautiful villa", revealed the president of Napoli, highlighting that the Belgian's arrival is very likely but not yet certain. The Napoli team and staff arrived on the boat nicknamed "Love boat" at the Luise Dock, where just over 200,000 delirious fans awaited them. Soon, the entire delegation is expected to board the open-top buses. 📸 Francesco Pecoraro - 2025 Getty Images
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Thank you Scotland' - McTominay's name ringing out in streets of Naples
The Neapolitans say football is more than just a sport. It's a way of life, woven into the fabric of their culture. They also say that unless you've experienced Naples after a title win, you'll never truly understand what it means. They're right. When the final whistle blew at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona to confirm Napoli's fourth Scudetto after they defeated Cagliari 2-0, the city erupted into an explosion of noise and colour that is difficult to put into words. The fireworks, the flares, the relentless blare of scooter horns, the screams of pure ecstasy, it was an assault on the senses that no one lucky enough to witness it will ever forget. Amid the blue smoke and chaos, another unforgettable sight emerged - saltires waving proudly alongside flares. Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast Get football news sent straight to your phone How McTominay became a Napoli icon after Man Utd exit "Thank you, Scotland. Thank you for McTominay," shouted a fan, sprinting toward the BBC Scotland camera in the heart of the Spanish Quarter. After gushing about the midfielder's brilliance this season, she turned to rejoin the street celebrations—only to double back, shouting once more: "Thank you, Scotland!" before vanishing into the mist with her friends. Another voice pierced the noise: "The best in Serie A! McTominay, McTominay, we love you!" Since his arrival in Serie A last summer, Scott McTominay has been adored in Naples. But the part he played in clinching the title has elevated him to legend. His bicycle-kick goal just before half-time was a moment of audacity and brilliance, but it was only the beginning. All night he bossed the midfield, barely putting a foot wrong. When the final whistle sounded, he collapsed to the turf in tears, and was soon named Italy's MVP for the 2024-25 season. To anyone who's followed his journey, that accolade came as no surprise. And throughout the campaign, his international team-mate Billy Gilmour was just as vital. The former Chelsea and Brighton midfielder has been the conductor of this Napoli side, quietly controlling games while McTominay soaked up the spotlight. Together, they've not only given Naples a night it will never forget, they've given a proud footballing nation back home something to celebrate. They've etched their names into history as the first Scots to win the Scudetto in more than 120 years. For now though, they are adopted sons of Naples. And for a city that partied deep and long into the night, that suits them just fine.
