Foggia, fugitive Leonardo Gesualdo arrested: Carabinieri GIS raid. He was among the most dangerous in Italy.

At dawn today, the Carabinieri of the Special Intervention Group (GIS) they captured in Foggia Leonardo Gesualdo, 39 years old, considered one of the leading exponents of the “Foggia Society”, the mafia organization rooted in the territory for decades.
Gesualdo was fugitive for over five years and was included in theMinistry of the Interior's list of dangerous fugitives, wanted for mafia-type association.

The operation, which began at dawn, represents one of the most significant blows inflicted on organized crime in Puglia in recent months.
Coordinated by District Anti-Mafia Directorate of Bari, led by the prosecutor Roberto Rossi, the action was conducted after months of intensive investigations by the Carabinieri of the Provincial Command of Foggia, who managed to locate the hideout where the boss had been living for some time under a false identity.

The dawn raid: the hideout was stormed and surrendered without resistance.

According to investigators, the raid took place in the early hours of the morning.
The special departments of the Carabinieri, following the typical operational procedures of the Special Police Intervention Unit, they broke into a building on the outskirts of the city, where Gesualdo had taken refuge.

The action, rapid and silent, was accompanied by the controlled explosions used to force entry. Caught in his sleep, the fugitive he did not resist and immediately surrendered to the GIS men.

During the search the following were found:

• a 7,65 caliber pistol with erased serial number, with magazine inserted and six rounds ready for use;
• several thousand euros in cash;
• fake identity documents, used to escape checks while on the run.

The 39-year-old was taken to the barracks for identification procedures and will be transferred to a maximum security prison.

A boss of the “Foggiana Society”

Leonardo Gesualdo was considered a prominent figure in the Moretti–Pellegrino–Lanza drum kit, one of the three main joints of the Foggia company, the mafia system that has controlled racketeering, extortion and illicit trafficking in the capital of Daunia for years.
According to investigators, Gesualdo had a key role in managing the clan's affairs and in maintaining the "common fund", the fund through which the organisation financed salaries to affiliates, legal fees for prisoners e support activities for the families of arrested members.

La Gesualdo's fugitive status It began in November 2020, when he evaded a prison custody order issued as part of the operation “Tenth Bis”, direct continuation of the investigation “Tenth Action” conducted by the DDA of Bari.
In the context of that proceeding, Gesualdo had been sentenced in the first instance to 12 years of imprisonment for mafia association.

Operation "Decima Bis": The Foggia Mafia Power System

The survey “Tenth Bis” has allowed us to reconstruct in great detail the internal structure, power dynamics and criminal activities of the three batteries of the Foggia Company, which have long been in conflict with each other - albeit at alternating stages - for the control of the territory and illicit business.

According to the investigators, the clans divided up areas of influence linked to extortion, usury, drug trafficking and contract management, maintaining an unstable balance guaranteed by strict rules of membership and by respect for the "common fund", a real war treasure which ensured liquidity to the organization.

The investigations had also highlighted the growing role of new generations of affiliates, capable of combining traditional mafia methods and entrepreneurial logic to infiltrate the local economy.

Five years on the run: escapes, silences, and false identities

For over five years Gesualdo had managed to evade capture thanks to a network of local supporters and cover-ups.
He lived in a isolated building on the outskirts of Foggia, where he led a seemingly anonymous life. Investigators documented his movements thanks to wiretapping, shadowing and electronic surveillance, until the definitive location of the refuge.

According to what has emerged, Gesualdo would have made use of fake documents to rent properties and travel occasionally, avoiding direct contact with clan members so as not to attract suspicion.
The man, defined by investigators as "an old school criminal but with a modern mentality", represented a symbol of mafia continuity in the province of Foggia, despite the numerous arrests that have occurred in recent years.

An investigative success for the State

The arrest of Leonardo Gesualdo represents a operational and symbolic success for the Carabinieri and for the Bari District Anti-Mafia Directorate.
After years of investigations and work on the territory, the capture of one of the most dangerous exponents of the Foggia society confirms the constant commitment of the police forces in the fight against organised crime in Puglia, which has long been considered one of the most violent and deep-rooted in Southern Italy.

Investigations are now continuing to identify the network of supporters and informers which allowed Gesualdo to remain hidden for so long.
Investigative sources underline that today's raid does not only mark the end of a period of hiding, but also a new starting point in the fight against the Foggia mafia, whose ability to regenerate is still the focus of the DDA's attention.

Institutional reactions and comments

from Prosecutor of Bari a message of satisfaction arrived for the success of the operation.
The prosecutor Roberto Rossi He stated that "Gesualdo's arrest is the result of constant collaboration between the judiciary and law enforcement, which confirms the effectiveness of teamwork in combating local mafia organizations."

even the Ministry of the Interior He expressed his appreciation for the GIS's actions, calling the capture "an important signal from the State that it does not back down in the face of organized crime, but continues to resolutely pursue every fugitive."

A strong signal from the State to Foggia

In recent years the province of Foggia has been the scene of numerous episodes of mafia violence, between murders, bomb attacks and racketeering against entrepreneurs.
Gesualdo's arrest, after five years on the run, represents a huge blow to the "Moretti-Pellegrino-Lanza gang" and a clear message to the clans still active: the State does not forget and always arrives.

This morning's blitz marks this a new chapter in the state's long struggle against the Foggia mafia, which continues to be one of the investigative priorities of the National Anti-Mafia Directorate.