ITALY

Streets of ‘Gomorrah’

Naples's crime-infested housing projects aren't as bad as a new film makes them out to be. They're worse.

By Barbie Nadeau | NEWSWEEK
Published Dec 13, 2008
From the magazine issue dated Dec 22, 2008

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  • Posted By: codefac @ 05/27/2009 12:29:10 AM

    Newsweek headline writers are irresponsible. Headlines equating Berlin with witchcraft hunts and Naples with heroin seem to be playing with innocent Americans who have never been to Europe. Comparing financial criminals with witches is irresponsible.

  • Posted By: chive @ 01/21/2009 8:49:16 PM

    EuroTrash, you said ". It has its bad parts, just like every other city in the world, but no other city in the world has the charm that make Naples what it is." You apparently have not been to other cities in developed countries in the world. I live in Caserta and go to Scampia almost daily and I tell you while Naples has its beauties and charms, it's one of the worst cities in Europe, and one of the worst cities in the developed world in term of organization, crimes, and quality of life. Sure cities like Beijing or Shanghai or San Diego has its bad parts, but they are nowhere the level of mess of Naples. The Robert Taylor Homes projects in Chicago back in the 1980 can probably compare to the projects in Scampia, but even the Chicago gangster weren't as brutal.

    jbz7879 said "crime and drugs infest new york more then naples -lolz
    whats the big deal about comorrah
    i like the corleones and godfather much more the the crass comorrah" - you obviously have no knowledge about organized crime in New York or Naples. Gomorrah reflect the reality and portraits the camorra as what they are - low class thugs who are ignorant and don't care about human lives. Your ignorance is about at the same level as they are, since you prefer an unrealistic portrait of the Siclian Mafia (Cosa Nostra) over the reality. I invite you to Secondigliano and Scampai for one day and we'll see if you still think the same.

    DrArne. I have many friends in the police, carabinieri, and financial police as well as people who live and work in Scampia every day. I assure you the Newsweek article is quite accurate, and it could have developed much more as there are much more to be told. Read the book Gomorra for yourself, and while you are at it, pick up "See Naples and Die" too to get a better idea.

    • Posted By: icechipmom @ 02/23/2009 4:01:40 PM

      I wandered into the getto of Napples 49 years ago, people living in bombed out buildings, no running water, no toilets, sometimes no roof....when I saw the movie Gomorrah I was sad to learn things have not improved. I was in Italy twice in the last four years and I noted the poor are ignored.

  • Posted By: Big Truth @ 12/16/2008 10:06:26 AM

    Italy is a beautiful country. I especially loved Venice, Rome Florance & Sorrento in that order.. , just be sure to hold on to your wallet. We were forewarned about pickpockets, and sure enough I met on one the metro in Rome when we were on our way to the Coliseum. It was a young girl and she hand her hand in my bag, fortunately for me I don't keep my money there.

  • Posted By: jbz7879 @ 12/16/2008 9:33:11 AM

    just as mediocre and mundane an article as the over-rated and neo real docu drama that this whimsical and rather monotonous cinema is all about ,

    crime and drugs infest new york more then naples -lolz
    whats the big deal about comorrah
    i like the corleones and godfather much more the the crass comorrah

  • Posted By: EuroTrash @ 12/15/2008 8:56:33 PM

    I think that you should also do an article about how Naples is a beautiful city, has rich culture, fantastic food, and plenty of tourist attractions like the Amalfi coast, Capri, Pompei, etc.

    You make it sound completely unlivable. I grew up there, its a fine city. It has its bad parts, just like every other city in the world, but no other city in the world has the charm that make Naples what it is.

  • Posted By: DrArne @ 12/14/2008 7:53:34 AM

    See Naples - and die is an old saying. A really interesting story and well written too! BUT: How can I actually know that Newsweek this time has presented an accurate, honest and balanced work of journalism and not just an ???article??? filled with one-sided, very disputable ???opinions??? a la staff writer Lisa Miller's cover story in Newsweek?

    • Posted By: Yuseff @ 12/15/2008 2:17:15 PM

      DrArne do you copy and paste this same paragraph into every post you do?

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