The Professor

In 1963, the young man Franco, Franco Interlenghi kills a boy who had harassed his sister Rosaria, Laura del Sol, and ends up in prison. Over ten years in Poggioreale prison in Naples, he rises to become a feared and authoritative figure known as ‘O Professore di Vesuviano Ben Gazzara. From his prison cell he forges a new criminal in-group, allying with Alfredo Canale Nicola Di Pinto and Pasquale Zara the “animal” to form the organization Camorra Riformata. This tight-knit cell quickly expands its reach, clashing in the 1970s with the old Camorra families and sparking the War of the Camorra that stains southern Italy through the 1970s and 1980s.

The turmoil broadens when Naples and the Campania region are struck by a devastating earthquake in 1980, intensifying the struggle over reconstruction money and power. In 1981, the Red Brigades kidnap regional assessor Mimmo Mesillo, Piero Vida (Ciro Cirillo in real life). Members of Mesillo’s Christian Democrat party seek the Professor’s intervention, fearing Mesillo’s possible disclosures. In exchange, the Professor is promised freedom on mental illness grounds and a 3 billion-lira ransom. Mesillo is freed, but is then placed in the custody of the secret services rather than the police.

The political authorities later ignore the bargain, and the Professor is moved to the high-security prison of Asinara by a decree from Italian president Sandro Pertini. This decision accelerates the disintegration of his once-loyal network as trusted men begin cooperating with the police. Rosaria, his sister, fights to stem the damage, but her efforts prove futile. In the end, Ciro is killed when his car is blown up, and his partner is dissolved in acid, a blow that drives the Professor toward a breaking point. After these events, he descends into madness, convinced that someday his men will release him.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:27