The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1909-04-16

become sufficiently progressive TO rem
der the Camorra incompatible with
the city's civilization. 1T is hard,
remarks Ouida, "to create virtue
through an act Of Parliament"
ORIGIN OF THE SOCIETY.
No one knows precisely when the
order was founded. Some trace its
origin to times of chivalry, when
secret societies were formed to OPP
pose the predominance of feudalism.
Others. with probably greater accur-
acy, maintain that it was started by
a gang Of thieves which in the seven
teenth century became a guild for the
purpose of enlarging their business
and making the work safer. The
same uncertainty governs the etymol-
ogy Of the name Camorra, which has
sometimes been attributed to GER
tain Gamur, rascal OF the seven
teenth century, who possibly founded
the society. Others find the origin
Of the term in the Spanish substan-
tive kamora, an obsolete word mean
ing "peace-maker, developing into
the antithesis Of Fighter"
Another hypothesis is that the Nea-
politan Camorra originated from a
similar society Of Spain.
| The main rules OF the two socie-
ties indicate an affinity between them
to the extent OF making 1t evident
that the Camorra and the Garduna
are Of the same family, but that the
Camorra owes its parentage to the
Toledan association.
SIMILARITY OF RULES.
Every hombre honorable, etc, says
the book of the Garduna, may be ad-
mitted as a member of the society;
and the Camorra faithfully repeats
the odd jest by calling the members
of its guild giovanetti annurati, which
in Neapolitan dialect means "honor-
able young men"
In classification OF members, sim
! ilarity OF the rules becomes still more
significant, so IL may be inferred that
the older society has furnished the
foundation for the organization that
now infests the city OF Naples.
The chivatos in the society OF the
Garduna were the young recruits
the raw material-out of which the
future members Of the Garduna were
drawn. While learning their criminal
profession, and before becoming ac-
tual members Of the guild, the chiva-
tos were kept at the expense Of the
Garduna, receiving 1876 maravedis-
about franc-a day, and were in
structed in crime by the capataz, a
member that had earned rank in the
society through the perpetration of
crime. The Camorra is not so gener-
Gus as the defunct Garduna; the gio-
vanetti annurati, or would-be men,
bers must live by their own wits, be-
ing received in.o the higher class of
members as soon as, by theft or mur-
der, they prove their criminal sim
cerity.
When chivato demonstrated his
eligibility for promotion. he entered
what was called the class of postu-
lante. just as in the Camorra the
young applicant is promoted picciotto
sgarro. The powers OF the two
classes are very similar, the slight
difference being that the postulante
is more used for ecclissare (thieving),
while the picciotto is a jack-of-all-
trades.
The highest class in the Garduna
was that Of the guapos. correspond
ing to the highest class of the Nea-
poltan society known by the name
Of camorrista. The rules that vest
the guapos with their peculiar pow
ers close with two charming euphem-
isms; the battesimi and the bagni
words that respectively express the
act Of christening and of taking a
bath, and are intended to define the
act OF throwing persons into the
water to chastise them with a cold
bath (battesimi), or OF, killing by
drowning (bagnD. Later IL will be
shown that the jargon Of the Camor-
ra is not less imaginative than that
of the Garduna. ..
60 BASISTA" PLANS THE CRIMES
The two societies include duly
classified acolytes. The Spanish
guild had fuellas (spies) and corber-
teras. persons charged with receiving
! end disposing of stolen goods. This
latter complex mission is in the Ca
mora accomplished by the bassta
o. Basista. as he is called in Naples,
is Proteus in his ability TO trans
! form himself from one character to
another. AS rule, however, he is
the man that plans thefts, promoter
of crime. This architect of theft is
generally a servant. butler, cook, ETC.,
in a wealthy family or an employe of
a jeweler or other merchant; he fur
nishes the plan OF the house or shop
that is to be robbed, informs the So
ciety where the valuables are stored
gives hints as to the character of the
habits of the owners; in short, so
cleverly enlightens the agents of the