The Professor

In 1963, Franco kills a boy who had harassed his sister Rosaria, an act that lands him in prison. He is sent to Poggioreale Prison in Naples, marking the start of a long, brutal confinement. This incident seeds his future as a feared figure behind bars.

Over the next decade behind bars, Franco earns the nickname 'Oh Professor' e Vesuviano as he commands respect from inmates. He uses intelligence and intimidation to build influence inside Poggioreale. His leadership begins to form the core of a criminal network.

With Alfredo Canale and Pasquale Zara 'the animal', he founds Camorra Riformata inside the prison. The group expands its reach and begins to operate beyond prison walls. This marks the birth of a power structure that will outlive its founders.

In the 1970s, Camorra Riformata grows and clashes with the old Camorra families. The conflict escalates into the War of the Camorra, a brutal struggle that bleeds across South Italy. The Professor's prison-born leadership proves pivotal to the widening war.

In 1980, a major earthquake strikes Naples and the Campania region, unleashing chaos and competition over reconstruction funds. The Camorra war intensifies as factions fight for control of the rebuilding money. The disaster accelerates violence and consolidates power for ruthless factions.

In 1981, the Red Brigades kidnap regional Assessor Mimmo Mesillo (Ciro Cirillo in real life). The act drags politicians and security agencies into the Professor's web of leverage. His involvement becomes a bargaining chip in their hands.

As part of the deal, the Professor is promised freedom on mental illness grounds and a 3 billion ransom. The arrangement reveals the murky entanglement between crime and politics and the price of power.

Mesillo is freed but immediately placed in custody of the secret services rather than the police. The state's handling signals a breakdown in the original bargain and further isolates the Professor. The balance of power shifts away from his control.

Politicians reject the agreement and move the Professor to the high-security prison of Asinara by a decree of President Sandro Pertini. This drastic confinement cuts him off from his network and accelerates his isolation. The move marks a turning point in the war.

With the Professor imprisoned far away, trusted men begin cooperating with the police, weakening the organization from within. The disintegration deepens as loyalties fracture and momentum stalls. The war loses its once-dreaded edge.

Rosaria, Franco's sister, tries to counteract the damage and shield the organization from collapse. Her efforts highlight the personal stakes behind the political and criminal struggles. Despite her actions, the network bleeds from betrayals and trials.

Ciro, the trusted man who sold out to politicians, is killed by a car bombing, and his partner's woman is dissolved in acid. These brutal acts demonstrate the reach and ruthlessness of the conflict. The killings seal the break between the Professor and his former lieutenants.

After these killings, the Professor is driven insane, convinced that someday his loyal men will free him. He spends his days in confinement, his mind turning inward as the world around him crumbles. The once-feared figure ends up a shadow of his former self.