Editing Camorra (section)

==Outside Campania and Italy==
Despite its origins, it presently has important ramifications in other Italian regions, like [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lombardia Lombardia],<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-24">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camorra#cite_note-24 [24]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-25">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camorra#cite_note-25 [25]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-26">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camorra#cite_note-26 [26]]</sup> [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piedmont Piedmont]<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-27">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camorra#cite_note-27 [27]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-28">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camorra#cite_note-28 [28]]</sup> and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emilia-Romagna Emilia-Romagna],<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-29">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camorra#cite_note-29 [29]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-30">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camorra#cite_note-30 [30]]</sup> in connection with the centers of national economic power. It has also spread outside the Italy's boundaries, and acquired a foothold in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom United Kingdom] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States United States].
===Camorra in the United States===
The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camorra_in_New_York Camorra existed in USA] between the mid-19th century and early 20th century. They rivaled the defunct [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morello_crime_family Morello crime family] for power in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York New York]. Eventually, they melded with the early Italian-American [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mafia Mafia] groups.

Many Camorra members and associates fled the internecine gang warfare and Italian Justice and emigrated to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States United States] in the 1980s. In 1993, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FBI FBI] estimated that there were 200 Camorristi in the United States. Although there appears to be no clan structure in the United States, Camorra members have established a presence in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles Los Angeles], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York New York] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield,_Massachusetts Springfield, Massachusetts].<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Liddick_31-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camorra#cite_note-Liddick-31 [31]]</sup> The Camorra is the least active of all the organized crime groups in the United States.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Capeci_32-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camorra#cite_note-Capeci-32 [32]]</sup> In spite of this, the US law enforcement considers the Camorra to be a rising criminal enterprise, especially dangerous because of its ability to adapt to new trends and forge new alliances with other criminal organizations.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Richards_33-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camorra#cite_note-Richards-33 [33]]</sup>

According to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Bureau_of_Investigation Federal Bureau of Investigation]:
:"In the 1970s, the Sicilian Mafia convinced the Camorra to convert their cigarette smuggling routes into drug smuggling routes with the Sicilian Mafia's assistance. Not all Camorra leaders agreed, leading to the Camorra Wars that cost 400 lives. Opponents of drug trafficking lost the war. The Camorra made a fortune in reconstruction after an earthquake ravaged the Campania region in 1980. Now it specializes in cigarette smuggling and receives payoffs from other criminal groups for any cigarette traffic through Italy. The Camorra is also involved in money laundering, extortion, alien smuggling, robbery, blackmail, kidnapping, political corruption, and counterfeiting. It is believed that nearly 200 Camorra affiliates reside in this country, many of whom arrived during the Camorra Wars."''<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-fbi_34-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camorra#cite_note-fbi-34 [34]]</sup>''
In 1995, the Camorra cooperated with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Mafia Russian Mafia] in a scheme in which the Camorra would bleach out US $1.00 dollar bills and reprint them as $100s. These bills would then be transported to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Mafia Russian Mafia] for distribution in 29 post-[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Bloc Eastern Bloc] countries and former [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union Soviet] republics.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Liddick_31-1">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camorra#cite_note-Liddick-31 [31]]</sup> In return, the Russian Mafia paid the Camorra with property (including a Russian bank) and firearms, smuggled into Eastern Europe and Italy.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Richards_33-1">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camorra#cite_note-Richards-33 [33]]</sup>
===Camorra in the United Kingdom===
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotland Scotland] has had its brush with the Camorra. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_La_Torre Antonio La Torre] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberdeen Aberdeen], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotland Scotland] was the local ''"Don"'' of the Camorra. He is the brother of Camorra boss Augusto La Torre of the La Torre clan which had its base in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mondragone Mondragone], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caserta Caserta]. The La Torre Clan's empire was worth hundreds of millions of euros. Antonio had several legitimate businesses in Aberdeen, whereas his brother Augusto had several illegal businesses there. He was convicted in Scotland and is awaiting extradition to Italy. Augusto would eventually become a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentito pentito] in January 2003, confessing to over 40 murders and his example would be followed by many of his men.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-35">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camorra#cite_note-35 [35]]</sup>

Two Aberdeen restaurateurs, Ciro Schiattarella and Michele Siciliano were extradited to Italy for their part in the '''"Aberdeen Camorra"'''. A fourth Scottish associate named Brandon Queen who made history by becoming the first foreign member of the Camorra is currently serving a jail sentence in the UK.<sup class="Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed citation needed]'']</sup> It has been reported that he also receives a monthly salary, legal assistance and protection, something only members of the Clans receive.<sup class="Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed citation needed]'']</sup> Neapolitan writer and expert on the Camorra, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Saviano Roberto Saviano], states that the Camorra has created a branch in Aberdeen and that it is the focus of the La Torre clan's British operations.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-36">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camorra#cite_note-36 [36]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-sos270108_37-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camorra#cite_note-sos270108-37 [37]]</sup>

Saviano alleges that from the 1980s, Italian gangsters ran a network of lucrative businesses in the city as well as many illegal rackets. Saviano said Scotland's third city, with no history of organized crime, was seen as an attractive safe haven away from the violent inter-gang bloodletting that had engulfed their Neapolitan stronghold of Mondragone. Saviano claims that before the Italian clans arrived, Aberdeen didn't know how to exploit its resources for recreation and tourism. He further states that the Italians infused the city with economic energy, revitalised the tourist industry, inspired new import-export activities and injected new vigour in the real-estate sector. It thereby turned Aberdeen into a chic, elegant address for fine dining and important dealings.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-sos270108_37-1">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camorra#cite_note-sos270108-37 [37]]</sup>

The hub of La Torre's UK empire, Pavarotti's restaurant, now under different ownership, was even feted at Italissima, a prestigious gastronomic fair held in Paris. The restaurant was even advertised on the city's local tourist guides. Saviano further claims to have gone to Aberdeen and worked in a restaurant run by Antonio La Torre. The Camorristas operated a system known as ''"scratch"'' where they used to step up illegal activities if their legitimate ventures were struggling. If cash was short they had counterfeit notes printed; if capital was needed in a hurry, they sold bogus treasury bonds. They annihilated the competition through extortions and imported merchandise tax-free. The Camorra were able to run all sort of deals because the local police had virtually no experience in dealing with organized crime. Although they broke the law, there were never any guns or serious violence, due to lack of rivals.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-sos270108_37-2">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camorra#cite_note-sos270108-37 [37]]</sup>

However, the suggestion that the city remains in the grip of mobsters has been strongly denied by leaders of the 300 strong Italian community in Aberdeen. Moreover, Giuseppe Baldini, the Italian government's vice-consul in Aberdeen denies that the Camorra still maintains its presence in Aberdeen.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-sos270108_37-3">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camorra#cite_note-sos270108-37 [37]]</sup>