Spartacus Trial

The Spartacus Maxi-Trial (Italian: Processo Spartacus) was a series of criminal trials that were specifically directed against the activities of the powerful Casalesi clan of the Camorra. The trial was opened at the Corte d'Assise of Santa Maria Capua Vetere in Caserta. It was named after the historical gladiator, Spartacus, who led a rebellion of slaves beginning near Vesuvius against the ancient Roman Empire. It was named as such, in recognition of the need to fight a revolt in the Casalesi clan's territory. The trial was initially chaired by its president, Catello Marano on July 1, 1998. It continued until June 19, 2008, when its final verdict was eventually read.

The 10-year legal trial, charged 36 members of the clan with a string of murders and other crimes. The Casalesi clan exploited and extorted from every business and economic opportunity, from waste disposal to construction, to creating a monopoly in the cement market for their own building businesses to the distribution of materials. Building business would have to pay for the contracts, buy material from the clan and keep paying for protection. The clan also controlled elections.

All defendants were found guilty and 16 sentenced to life imprisonment including prominent Casalesi bosses, Francesco Schiavone aka "Sandokan", and his chief lieutenant, Francesco Bidognetti. The other two bosses Antonio Iovine and Michele Zagaria were also given life sentences. However, at the time they were fugitives and are still absconding. They were on the list of most wanted fugitives in Italy, with international warrants for their arrest. (Antonio Iovine was arrested on November 17, 2010, in Casal di Principe) The other Casalesi clan members who received the life sentences were: Giuseppe Caterino, Cipriano D'Alessandro, Enrico Martinelli, Sebastiano Panaro, Giuseppe Russo, Walter Schiavone, Luigi Venosa, Vincenzo Zagaria, Alfredo Zara, Mario Caterino and Raffaele Diana.

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