Raffaele Diana

Who is Raffaele Diana?

Raffaele Diana is an Italian Camorrista and senior boss of the Casalesi clan from Caserta. His nickname is "Raffolito".

A native of San Cipriano d'Aversa, Diana joined the Casalesi clan in 1987. Back when it was united under one single leader Antonio Bardellino who controlled the clan from his base in Brazil. He became close with Mario Iovine, Bardellino's right hand man. Diana was widely believed to be responsible for the murder of Paris Salzillo, a nephew of the Casalesi boss. Salzillo was murdered in March 1988, the same day that Bardellino was killed.

He played a key role in the Casalesi's war against the Nuova Camorra Organizzata, participating in the infamous, the Pagano Mennillo-Bears-Gagliardi murders, in which Casalesi members positioned a machine gun on a hill in Ponte Annicchino and opened fire, killing four Cutoliani in Casal di Principe on April 22, 1989. Diana was one of the top-ranking Casalesi clan figures who was arrested on December 13, 1990 in Santa Lucia together with Francesco Schiavone, Francesco Bidognetti, Francesco Schiavone, and Giuseppe Russo. Shortly after being released, he was sent by the Italian government on an internal exile to Modena, where he organized a tour of extortion in Emilia-Romagna, where he was again arrested in Operation Zues.