Passione
Chapter 3.5: Passione
Overview
Passione is a major crime syndicate that’s based in Naples, Italy, but boasts to have territories throughout Italy. It is rumored that they also have territories in other places, mainly Europe, but believed to have touched as far as East Asia and Egypt in terms of influences. Despite being known to its enemies as a powerhouse in the crime world, there are only 757 confirmed members within its system and seen as a relatively small, new gang due to its first known appearance in the early 1990s.
Information regarding the members of the syndicate remains mostly unknown by the public and Passione’s contemporaries. Much of the information that is known is believed to be mere rumors and speculation. Passione members themselves may help fuel these rumors for their own benefit or some members genuinely don’t know beyond what they are told or heard.
Source of Income and Public Image
Passione is involved in various sectors of Italy’s economy, ranging in influence and power. To the ignorant public, Passione is a major player in Italy’s real estate, pharmaceutical, and medical supply chains, and research. To their criminal contemporaries and rivals, their actual profits come from gambling, loan-sharking, human trafficking, and the drug trade. While they are only known for the near-monopoly on the drug trade, it is the result of the infamous Maxiprocesso and the subsequent Testimoneprocesso. As many know, the first trial took Cosa Nostra down as the major drug syndicate of the time, and the following trial thrust Passione into being the new monopolizer of the drug trade. Rumor has it that one of the lawyers working in the defense of the Testimoneprocesso, or The Great Gang Trial, actually worked for Passione to ensure its success.
In its early years before the drug trade, Passione started like many crime syndicates by providing business “protection” and helping shady characters commit financial crimes like fraud and embezzlement. While how Passione rose to its infamous power remained unknown to the outside, the syndicate itself began to expand and invest in other businesses which led to its growth today. It is also believed that Passione works as an investor and venture capitalist for various businesses throughout Italy and outside of Europe as well.
Despite its reputation in the criminal world as the drug empire, Passione’s PR image has been in favor of Passione and the unknowing public considered them a better successor in fighting against the sale of drugs to children compared to their predecessor. To the people outside of the crime world, Passione is seen as “the good guys” fighting against illegal drug use and the selling of drugs to vulnerable members of society like children. Besides doing grandiose shows of generosity and opening social programs to supposedly help local communities combat and recover from drug addiction, Passione successfully convinced the public that it is a necessary evil that is more trustworthy and well-intentioned than their contemporaries. While some members of the public are smart enough to know this is a ploy, the greatness of Passione’s power makes them fearful of speaking out. At the same time, Passione has grown so powerful and influential that any negative impact or instability of the syndicate would lead to a power vacuum that could harm Italy more than the seemingly minor damage Passione puts on society.
There is a major play on the meaning of “family” and whoever ran the mafia’s PR machine abused its concept as much as necessary to spread their anti-drug, seemingly pro-family agenda; the latter especially. It’s no wonder why when people talk about topics related to the phrase La Famiglia or similar terms, it is almost always about Passione and no other crime organization; higher ranking members may be referred to by familial titles such as Uncle, Grandfather, or Brother. The majority of mafiosos who end up working for Passione joined because they saw Passione as a group that seemingly treated families first. For some, that was the truth that they can only accept regardless. The majority of Passione mafiosos identify themselves as the sole breadwinners of their family and often credit the syndicate for improving their family’s safety and wealth. The reality of Passione’s treatment is only known by the people who are aware of the syndicate’s real intentions but are too afraid to speak out against it.
Despite its known reputation among the public, members are rather coy and secretive about their involvement in the syndicate overall. This not only allowed members to avoid getting caught committing crimes for Passione but also make the syndicate appear bigger than it seems.
La Spezia
Compared to cocaine, La Spezia is a drug curated by Passione that is considered to be much stronger and addicting. It can only be described by chemists and researchers who dared to look into the hallucinogen as being very similar to salt on a molecular level. The drug is best consumed as soon as possible before it "expired”, which is indicated by the sudden salty taste and lack of addictive powers, and the expiration date forces users to constantly search the drug out. In its pure form, La Spezia is a very fine powder that could be mistaken as actual salt that could either be inhaled or compounded into pill form. Many users would try to get a pill version of the drug so it could be disguised as pain medication or hide their powdered versions in salt shakers to avoid detection. When consumed orally, the drug has a sweet yet spicy tinge, earning its infamous nickname. Because of Passione’s influence in the pharmaceutical and medical supply chain, they can quickly export and distribute the drugs under the guise of simply distributing unassuming medication. Passione could be credited for Italy’s increasing use of opioid addiction and marijuana use to this day because of La Spezia. How the drug is made is a mystery that only the very top members of Passione knew and refused to disclose. Passione has only one known team labeled as the Narcotics Team. Not much is known about the team besides its surprisingly small membership size.
La Spezia has been ingrained in Passione culture, specifically for those that work as mafiosos to gain more access to the drug. A rumored saying among users is the phrase “la spezia deve fluire” or some variation of it before each ingestion. Because of its association with spice due to flavor, some restaurants are rumored to also put bits of it in their food as a means of maintaining their customers.
The Hierarchy
Passione follows a similar hierarchy to that of its contemporaries. However, due to the secrecy of Passione, keep in mind that the organization described may not be accurate.
On the top of the ladder is the Don of Passione. While longer existing mafia groups will elect or have people take over as the Don over time, Passione’s status as a relatively new group only confirmed one leader since its existence as a man who goes by the name Father Diavolo. Sometimes, he is called “The Father” by his men as a means to drill the family image for PR; he is styled as “Eminence” to some members within Passione and by those outside of the mafia syndicate. It is unknown how Father Diavolo became a leader or who he is, but he became a notorious criminal leader that instilled fear and terror in those who dare cross him. While many mob bosses are known for always appearing in the public and establishing a rapport with their subjects, Father Diavolo is rather discrete. No one seemed to know who he is or has seen his face. It is believed that those who try are deemed as traitors to be dealt with immediately. However, this lack of personal public image works in Father Diavolo’s favor, allowing the public to make up their idealized persona of him and see his lack of appearances as a refusal to be lavish. The most respected mafiosos to the lowest lackeys do what they can to pay or feign respect.
While many mafia groups will have a group of trusted advisors called the Consiglieri and a second-in-command, Passione seems to lack this; the hierarchy speculates otherwise. Father Diavolo has yet to officially state who his second-in-command and his advisors are; some people suspect he has none to avoid his identity from being exposed. However, several rumors regarding these people are sprinkled within Passione. One rumor suggests that no Consiglieri exists but a second-in-command does. Only a few dare to describe this supposed person as a strange man named Solido Doppio. No one has seen Solido Doppio either or knows what he looks like, let alone how he became the most loyal subject of Father Diavolo.
Another rumor acknowledges Solido Doppio as a second-in-command who also oversees the Consiglieri. Labeled as coveted bodyguards to the Don, it is rumored that the so-called “Special Unit” perform the same tasks as a Consiglieri. As Consiglieri, they would serve as de-facto commanders if necessary and theoretically were made to put in place to keep the Don in check; however, whether the members have such power is unknown. No one also knows how the members of The Special Unit came to be but it was suggested that they were personally handpicked by the Don and tasked to perform secretive missions directly ordered by him. It is unknown what the group consisted of, but many believe the team included former investigators or lawyers, seasoned bounty hunters, and other powerful figures in Italy’s society. The most well-known supposed member is a former doctor that goes by the name Dolcio Cioccolata or Dr. Dolcio for short. Some suggest he isn’t a member of the Special Unit but is still a prominent mafioso that works under Father Diavolo. Others claim that he is a member. Everyone for certain knows that encountering the man and his enigmatic assistant is a death sentence. Despite the Special Unit serving as the Consiglieri and being handpicked by the Don, no one in the group knows of Father Diavolo’s identity either. Unlike other higher-ranking mafiosos, The Special Unit has no style associated with them.
One of the Consiglieri’s tasks is to hand off missions from the Don to the Caporegime— or Capo for short. All seven regions of Passione are overseen by a Caporegime that was either selected by the Don or proven to take on the position. Capos are the highest rank a typical mafioso in the syndicate can obtain due to the secrecy of the Consiglieri and the knowledge that there are no openings to fill for the position. The roles of a Capo, besides exploiting their subordinates for the sake of Passione, are to oversee their defined territory’s various teams and assign missions to them. Being a Capo requires great political talent to not only obtain their position but also maintain it. Most of the time, becoming the next Capo either involves a major payout of ten billion Lire after the Capo’s death or a specific decree that makes someone the successor. If the Don feels like the next Capo is not capable of taking up the new responsibilities, he can either override the decision or have the successor perform other missions before officially confirming them in that position. When confirmed, the Capo can take on his predecessor’s responsibilities and profits; otherwise, they will only be Caporegime by name.
The teams that the Capos oversee vary in size, purposes, and work cultures. Some Capos may oversee teams with each other, which is rather rare and discouraged to prevent rebellion. Depending on territory and circumstances, some Capos will have more teams than others. Within these teams are their own sub-hierarchies with their own statuses that allow them to maintain order and rank. This is why some teams will refer to their leaders or superiors that rank higher than them as “Capo” even though there is a Caporegime that oversees the entire team completely. Caporegimes are styled as “His/Her Grace” by both members within the syndicate and those outside of it.
Teams in Passione are independently run by one Leader, who is either elected or established as one by the Capo overseeing their team, and it is up to the Team Leader to determine the team’s hierarchy and how they perform duties. Team Leaders are titled as Il Leader and referred to as Signore or Signora. While some teams may call their leaders Capo, Passione wants to make a clear distinction between the actual Caporegime and Team Leader. In rare cases, a team may have two Leaders instead; the act is reserved for the most favorite teams. How a team is run can depend on the team’s main functionality, reputation, and internal work culture. Regardless of their roles, whether it be managing Real Estate or Information, all teams are assigned an arbitrary number and are often referred to as their number. Such an example includes Info Team # 12, Real Estate Team #34, and so forth. Many of these teams pretend to work as small, unassuming local businesses as their storefront for their real tasks. Depending on how well the team plays politics, they may be granted certain privileges like becoming business investors or having sub-teams to oversee. However, gaining privilege is just as easy as losing it, and many teams will go through periods of gaining and losing benefits based on their status in the territory. As a result, teams will try to do what they can to gain favor from the Capo that oversees them regardless of the team’s purpose and sometimes at the cost of various lives.
The only team that seems to not fall into the hierarchy but can be identified as a team is the Narcotics Team. Not much is known about them by the public or how they run their works, but it is believed to be a large group overseeing all of the creation and distribution of drugs for Passione and has several sub-teams unknowingly working for them. The head of the group goes by the name Sherpa Vignelli and many assume he might be a member of the Special Unit. While they do not fall in the Passione’s hierarchy, they are believed to be the most favored group alongside the Special Unit. None, however, out-ranks the other. The difference between their powers is that members of the Narcotics team, even Vignelli, cannot perform specialized missions or other duties that the other team has the privilege of doing. Some independent mafiosos do not belong to any team, including The Special Unit, but were respected by Father Diavolo enough to do their own thing; it was rumored that some can “retire” and many mafiosos aspire to be on such a level.
The Initiation Test
All candidates that want to join Passione as a mafioso must undergo an initiation test run by the Caporegime in the Roma-Naples territory; this area is considered to be Passione’s headquarters and the biggest territory in the syndicate. The Capo that oversees this area goes by the name Polpo Ripieni and candidates must meet him in the prison he is currently serving a long sentence for fraud and murder charges. Regardless of what region the candidate is from or where they want to serve, they must go to Roma-Naples.
This test is scheduled by a mafioso, typically a Leader, who wants the candidate to join. Not much is known about the details of the exact test, as candidates are sworn into secrecy regarding how the test is performed; rumors wrongly suggest that the tests are different for each participant and that those who do spill details are “handled” soon after for their disobedience. Candidates, once they pass the test, can only join the team Polpo assigns to them but there is a chance that the candidate can join the group they or the mafioso that referred them want to join. It is rumored that some candidates actually joined without an initiation test; either Polpo decided that they were good enough to join without being tested or they unintentionally were victims of an initiation test in some way. Once the candidate does join a team, the team that they join might do further testing before making them an official member. Once the candidate joins, all teams are given a brief notification that a member has joined a particular team. This was meant to encourage people and theoretically welcome the new person.
When admitted into Passione, members are given code names; either it is given to them by their team or they come up with one themselves. These names can be similar to the original names or completely different from their original names. Depending on the situation, members can have multiple code names, which can be singular or consist of a first and last name. Many mafiosos are only ever known to their team by their code names. Some teams are fine with disclosing their real names while others are adamant about using fake names throughout their entire career.
Welcoming New Members
Each team may vary with how they initiate their new members and many talk openly about their hazing practices. Regardless of religious affiliation, all new members follow a similar initiation within their team the first night they join. The practice is based on other syndicate initiation processes.
A Catholic-based bible is given to the new members, who are then tasked to open the book to a random page and read the first passage they set their eyes on. Upon reading the verse, they are to smear the same page with their blood before ripping the page out and burning it in their hands. How the blood is retrieved depends on the disposition of the new member; many simply prick their fingers while there had been reports of more devoted members cutting their entire hand or reopening a recent wound related to Passione to symbolize their dedication. The act is witnessed by only senior members of the team, specifically the Team Leader and his right-hand people, who state the policies of Passione regarding loyalty with the syndicate and then burn the entire bible soon after to seal the deal. The ashes of the bible are mixed with blessed holy oil, usually bought from a local church, and marked on the newly appointed member’s forehead. Most who are initiated take the bible verse they read to heart, using it to guide them as mafiosos, and some become known for following their verse like a code of conduct.
While there were some reports of members being hesitant to perform such an act, all have been reported to perform the act within a month of their initiation. Those that initially refused or showed hesitancy were ultimately coerced into doing so; a rumor suggested a case where a new member was killed by his team because of his adamant refusal. It is believed that a member that refused to perform the act will ultimately betray their teams; an example of how superstious various teams within Passione.
When a member becomes a Team Leader or Caporegime, they undergo the same process with a new bible and new verse. The difference is that they are witnessed by all their allies that they choose to invite and can be a more public affair if desired. Some would do the latter as a means of flaunting their wealth.
Favortism and Work Culture
The goal for every team is survival— particularly driven by politics within the syndicate. As previously mentioned, teams can gain and lose favor over time and many try to gain or maintain the benefits granted to them as long as possible.
Despite all these groups being made to collectively work for Passione as a whole, feelings of exclusivity and animosity among teams are common. Passione violently protects itself against any enemy, whether it be on the outside or within, causing the syndicate to not only be known for its power but for its internal disorganization. This becomes even more dangerous when the practice of attempting to gain or maintain favor isn’t just for teams but for the individual. Singular mafiosos can try to gain favor on their own— even at the cost of the team, they are a part of— as a means of stability or having power for themselves. It was not uncommon for mafiosos to betray their team and show no remorse for it.
The act of harming each other is swept under the rug by the superiors and scapegoated one way or another. Team members often have their allegiance towards their teams first over others, despite being sworn to work for the benefit of the syndicate overall, and Passione is prone to civil war within itself. This culture, which was intentionally created, prevents any chances for teams to convene under a common cause and use it to overthrow Father Diavolo himself. As a result, many teams end up climbing over each other as a means to gain better favor from their superiors and, therefore, better income and opportunities rather than working together. Some mafiosos will turn against their team as a means of getting individual favor for themselves.
The most notorious category known to have these types of behavior, and also the biggest category of mafiosos in Passione, is the Hitman Teams.
Often known to be the lowest rank and category to go into for Passione, these teams have the worst pay, little to no benefits or prospects, and a very high turnover. This is in part due to their purpose of being the main soldiers tasked to do dirty work like assassinations, tortures, and being the first line of offense for any gang war that comes in. As a result, they receive the most casualties and highest overhead as well as being the group that often tries to recruit the most people into the syndicate the most. Some Hitman Teams may end up gaining favor by being granted by their Capos businesses to oversee, have their teams and hierarchies to lead, or even be promoted to simply be served as bodyguards or tasked with specific missions. Those who choose to betray their team for individual power do it for stability, more money, or to establish a good rapport with their superiors. It’s reasons like this that explain how some mafiosos are willing to betray their team. In a rare case, a team member who is highly favored might be transferred to a non-Hitman Team at the Caporegime’s approval.
When Hitman teams try to compete with each other, it is often a bloody civil war that ends with both teams ceasing from existence. The most desperate criminals, those in need of money, or those who need some protection of any kind are the ones willing to join these teams— even if joining this category of overworked mafiosos only provides a shred of what they need. Some are even forced to join as Hitman mafiosos if they killed a member of Passione for any reason; revenge is never taken as a justification.
Non-Mafioso and Non-Members in Passione
For some in non-confrontational categories like Real Estate and Supply Chains, team members may not even be considered a mafioso of Passione. In those cases, some of these members may not be aware that they were simply hired by the crime syndicate to do their work; it was common to fool workers such as IT workers on contract, freelance artists, and retail associates using seemingly legitimate job offers to temporarily hire them to work for these teams.
Those that find out that they are working for Passione and attempt to expose the truth mysteriously disappear before it happens.
The 1999 Incident
One of the biggest unspoken rules of Passione is to never seek out Father Diavolo or his identity unless you are given explicit permission for the former; one must never try to identify him. Another unspoken rule is to never interact with anyone outside the team openly for reasons besides work. When mentioning Passione’s culture discouraging teams from working together outside of missions and duties, there was a case in 1999 where two teams befriended each other in the past and subverted the syndicate’s expectations. Many mafiosos whisper this event to be called “The Incident” or “what no one should speak of” or similar names.
Rumor has it that two former mafioso Leaders, Sorbetto and Stracciatello, were lovers. As the former was the founder and first known Leader of Hitman Team #47 and the latter was the founder and first known Leader of Hitman team #99 were in a relationship, the two used their romantic status to establish a friendship among their subordinates. After the two men were charged with betraying Passione and Father Diavolo, Team #47 and Team #99 engaged in various fights between them for trying to determine who was to blame for the betrayal and the friendship they had officially severed. Despite no deaths occurring during their scuffle, “The Incident” serves as a reminder to everyone that teams cannot interact and befriend each other unless necessary for a mission assigned. It is unknown what happened to the two lovers since then, but new Leaders for each team were picked out soon after. Team #47 is currently being run by Signore Aglio Nero while Team #99 is being run by Signore Paolo Bucciarati. The names Sorbetto and Stracciatello were considered taboo subjects ever since.
The following audio transcription and organization was done by Chiara Capezzuto, Consigliere of Passione (2012). Sealed and approved by the Don of Passione.
Do not trust Giorno Giovanna.
Translations:
- Maxiprocesso: The Maxi Trial. The trial was considered the most significant trial ever against Cosa Nostra, as well as the largest trial in world history ever done.
- Testimoneprocesso: The Testimony Trial.
- Cosa Nostra: The Sicilian Mafia. They frequently referred to by this name, which means "our thing", and considered to be many as the original name of the mafia itself. It is also referred by other names like The Honoured Society.
- La Familgia: The family. In the English dub of Vento Aureo, characters often refer to Passione as "La Familgia" and the phrase can be used to refer to a mafia clan or mafia family. In Passione’s case, it is used in reference to the syndicate as a whole.
La Spezia: The spice. It is the nickname used to refer to Passione’s infamous drug.
- La spezia deve fluire: the spice must flow.
- Il Leader: the leader.
- Signore: a title or form of address used of or to an Italian-speaking man, corresponding to Mr. or sir.
- Signora: a title or form of address used of or to an Italian-speaking married woman, corresponding to Mrs. or madam.
Name Meanings:
- Solido Doppio
- Solido: Italian word for "solid". In reference to Solido Naso.
- Doppio: Italian word for "double." In reference to Vinegar Doppio.
- Sherpa Vignelli
- Sherpa: A thick, soft artificial material used for making clothes that looks similar to sheepskin.
- Vignelli: In reference to Italian designer Massimo Vignelli, who specialized in packaging, houseware, furniture, public signage, and showroom design.
- Chiara Capezzuto
- Chiara: Italian variation of the name "Clara", meaning "bright, famous".
- Capezzuto: Italian surname from a medival Italian idiom that implies the word "stubborn". The name is in reference to Sheila E.'s late sister Clara Capezzuto from Purple Haze: Feedback.