The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1911-04-21
GIVES DETAILS OF
CEREMONIES FOR
SECURING MEMBERS
SECRETS OF THE CAMORA TCLl
ON THE WITNESS STAND
IN ITALY.
FOURTEEN BANDS IN NAPLES
Each One Composed of "a Canon rls'
and 48 Recruits-5,o00 Men In tn.
City Under Two Heads, Capoin Tes
Ia and Containolo.

ia and Containolo.
VITERO, Italy, April 1.-THE
most intel esting revelations made by
Gennaro Abbatemagio, the Camorris
informer, at the trial of the members
of that organization for the murder
of Cuoccolo and his wife, had TO d.
with the real Camorro, the dreaded
association which first found its way
from Arabia into Spain and from
Spain into Southern Italy, and how
its adherents are chosen.
The Camorra in the city of Naples
rs Abbatemaggio explaintd, is divid
ed into fourteen bands, one for each
region of the city. Each band Is com
posed of twenty-four Camorrists and
forty-eight Picciotti (recruits), each
one of the former have two of the re
cruits at his disposal Each Picciotti
In turn Is served by five or six Gia
vani Onorati (honored youths). The
latter are aspirants for Membership
church, Theta, where he delivered his
Thus in Naples alone there is a
body of upwards of 5000 men, deter
mined in character, resolute and tried
in astuteness and intelligence This
army, which has ramifications in al.
most every class OF society, is prac.
tically directed by two men, the Ca.
pion Tesla (head of the heads) and
the Containolo (cashier), who takes
the place of the head when necessary.
Both of these officials are elected by
majority of voters. The Cantainolo
lie generally an old Camorrist, clever
In exacting each day the gains from
the members, or able to handle them
roughly if they refuse to pay
The Picciotti are chosen from
among the Giovanni Onorati and are
Instructed in their duties by the Cam
orrists. They are obliged to swear
perfect obedience, after which the
newly elected member kisses every
Camorrists, beginning with the head
of heads, in token of good faith
When the ceremony of admission is
about to be carried out, the society
meets at the request of one OF the
members, after posting the Picciotti
not to be taken by sOrprise. The Cam.
orrist who has called for the assem-
bly, submits the name of his candi
date and offers to act as P his Padri
no (kind of god He enumerates
the services which his candidate has
rendered, entering as ardently as pos
sible into details of thefts, burgla-
ries and other important crimes
which the Piccoti, who desires to be
promoted to the estate of Camorrist
has committed, not failing to call at.
tention to the suffering inflicted
which are are razor slashes across
the cheek of the person who have had
to be called to order, which marks are
very prominent on the faces of both
Abbattemaggio and Erricone, the lat
ter the reputed leader of the society.
AS in court of justice there is a
Camorist called the erzo Controirio,
who takes the part of public prosecu-
tor and finds arguments to oppose the
admission of the candidate Even
when these arguments are safely met,
the candidate must in the presence OF
the members undertake the tirata, a
kind of duel. the gravity of which va
ries according to circumstances and
individuals. Generally the tirata Is
.perfunctory, in which case 1t Ii called
''of the muscles" because the COM
batAnts are allowed to wound each
other only In the muscles Of the arm,
which they bare before engaging In
the combat. n the candidate INJURIES
any other part Of his opponents body
he is disqualified.