Toxic: Napoli
In the Italian city of Naples, the mafia has controlled the waste disposal industry for decades – dumping and burning waste across rolling hills and vineyards. In 1994, the European Union declared the situation an official environmental emergency, and it has only gotten worse since then.
When VICE investigates the situation, they discover mutated sheep, poisoned mozzarella, alarming rates of cancer, and disaffected farmers poised to fight back against the Camorra, Italy’s most powerful and dangerous criminal organization (and the government).
In early 2008, news outlets around the world were filled with images of trash dumps on the streets of Naples. The newly re-elected prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, made countless television appearances, personally picked up trash and promised to resolve the situation.
More than 14 years ago, Naples and the entire Campania region were officially declared an environmental crisis. Trash piles are only a temporary distraction from real emergencies. The entire area has nearly 8 million tons of garbage, illegal toxic waste dumps, a serious health crisis, and the Naples Camorra, Italy’s largest criminal organization.
