Lady Camorra - Pupetta Maresca

DO YOU GUYS LIKE OUR NEW FORMAT???!! Pupetta Maresca: the story of "Lady Camorra" between revenge and the camera And we are back here with another intriguing story. Since its origins, the world of the Mafia has relegated women to a precise role. Faithful companions and mothers who raise children according to the values of the clan. Today things have changed a bit and female figures have acquired a certain power within the criminal groups. Educated women, bosses and capable administrators, the actions of contemporary mafiosi reflect today's times, where female emancipation is increasingly present. In the post-World War II period, the female roles were more silent and deferent to men, in general, but there have been many figures who have been an exception to this rule. Pupetta Maresca is a striking example. A simple woman in love, Pupetta found herself involved in the complicated Mafia world of those times, where there was no clear-cut boundary between justice and crime. She made choices and took opportunities, becoming for everyone the first lady of the Camorra in Italy. Pupetta’s origins Pupetta's real name is Assunta Maresca. She was born in 1935 in Castellammare di Stabia, a town in the province of Naples. Her family is not a regular one and she spends her childhood surrounded by crime and violence. Her father is Alberto Maresca, a well-known and extremely dangerous smuggler. Pupetta is also the granddaughter of another boss and famous assassin, Vincenzo Maresca. Throughout her childhood and youth, the girl shows her aggressive and determined character. She receives her first complaint when she is still attending school; the cause is an aggression against a classmate. The complaint is later withdrawn. Assunta was a very beautiful and charming young woman and thanks to her looks and talent she became well known in the show business. After winning a beauty contest at about eighteen years of age, she fell in love with Pasquale Simonetti and those feelings were reciprocated. The man was known as Pascalone 'e Nola and was a famous boss in the area. Her family had nothing to say and the marriage between the two was celebrated on April 27, 1955. Pupetta was already pregnant at the moment of the wedding. Pupetta lives a fabulous day thanks to an incredible wedding, with three hundred guests and several important people present. After the ceremony, celebrated in an ancient church not far from Castellammare, the participants move to the hills of Pozzano to continue with the banquet. The day ends festively but the shadow of tragedy is already present. One of the best men of the wedding of the two spouses is in fact Antonio Esposito, called Totonno 'e Pomigliano, future instigator of the murder of Simonetti. Pascalone had earned his fame thanks to the local fruit and vegetable market, which he had managed to monopolize in a short time. This probably did not please Esposito, who a few months after the wedding sent one of his men to assassinate Pascalone. Before dying he told his wife the name of the murderer. Pupetta is now a widow who is about to give birth. But her condition does not stop her desire for revenge. First she turns to the authorities to accuse Esposito of the murder, but gets no results because she has no evidence. And after some time, she she decides to kill Esposito herself. Yes – that’s a pretty surprising outcome I agree. This lady is made of steel! However, she doesn't do it alone, but has 3 accomplices. She was moved by the desire for revenge, and her co-conspirations probably by the desire to eliminate a dangerous competitor. Pupetta is arrested shortly afterwards. Her crime is framed as fitting flat within the power wars of the Camorra. When interrogated, the woman will tell the judge these words: "Your Honor, I am exhausted. I cannot fight anymore. I killed Esposito out of love for my husband, because he had him murdered. If Pascalone came back to life, if they killed him again, I could not act differently." Maresca ends up in jail and is sentenced to 13 years and 4 months. She gives birth to her son Pasqualino in the Poggioreale prison. While Pupetta serves her sentence, her son Pasqualino is raised by his grandmother. Lady Camorra as the media started calling her is lucky, however, because she is granted a pardon and in 1965 she is released from jail. A new phase of the woman's life opens up. Maresca has the opportunity to enter the world of cinema. She plays the role of main character in the film "Delitto a Posillipo", that had a plot clearly inspired by her life. During the film she also sings a song written by herself, 'O bbene mio. In addition to the cinema, she dedicates herself to more traditional business and opens a couple of clothing stores. The future of the woman and her family looks bright and far from the world of crime. But once again a love affair brings her back, deep back, into the dangerous reality of the Mafia.