Solidariedade étnica, poder local e banditismo: uma quadrilha calabresa no oeste paulista, 1895-1898

Abstract

Em dezembro de 1895, o major José Ignácio de Camargo Penteado, fazendeiro de São Carlos, recebeu uma carta em língua italiana ameaçando incendiar sua fazenda ou assassiná-lo caso não deixasse trinta contos de réis no pontilhão da estrada de ferro na noite de natal.1 O major, que já recebera outra carta do mesmo teor e certamente não queria deixar tal presente de natal para italianos desconhecidos, desconsiderou a carta. Na noite de 25 de dezembro, o depósito de aguardente e outras instalações da fazenda foram incendiados, resultando em prejuízos de aproximadamente 35 contos de réis. No dia 26, recebeu outra carta dizendo que ele seria assassinado se não depositasse o dinheiro no lugar indicado duas noites depois. Desta vez, o major alertou o delegado de polícia, que foi com a força pública e vários voluntários observar o pontilhão na noite do dia 28. Por volta das seis horas do dia 29 chegou um indivíduo e olhou o pontilhão. Ele foi preso, mas parece que foi solto por falta de provas, porque não foram encontradas mais referên-cias sobre ele no inquérito a respeito do incêndio.

Criminalidade organizada nas prisões e os ataques do PCC

“…Thus, the model of the Mafias and its form of development in Italian society (Lupo, 2002) since the 19 th century, and its later dissemination in the United States in the early decades of the 20 th century, does not appear suitable for explaining the forms that collective crime organization has assumed in contemporary Brazilian society. National and regional ties had some presence in the history of crime in Brazil in the end of the 19 th and early 20 th centuries, due to intense waves of immigration (Monsma et al, 2003). Nevertheless, this does not explain the organizational characteristics indicated in the specialized studies.…”

The evolution of the Australian ‘ndrangheta. An historical perspective

“…Relying on ethnic solidarity, this gang was responsible for arson, assaults, thefts, injuries and murders. ‘ The Mangano gang of São Carlos is the only known example, even if the topic is under-studied and it may be that in São Paulo there may have been other Italian bandits with more limited roles ’ (Monsma et al., 2003, p. 73). The fact that mafia-type organised crime did not root in Brazil is probably due to the lack of a suitable environment for the development of rural banditry – as the one of Calabrian tradition in the 19th century (Ciconte, 2011) – alongside the unavailability of elites who would protect criminal activities and the inability to bribe the police (Monsma et al., 2003).…”

“…However, what happened in Argentina similarly occurred in Brazil, another country of Italian migration. At the end of the 19th century, the Italian community was massively present and active in Sa˜o Paulo, causing a lot of concern, in fact, from 1895 to 1898, the area of Sa˜o Carlos, an area with a high concentration of migrants from Calabria, was disturbed by violent raids of a gang of 40 Calabrians and their leader from Monterosso Calabro, Francesco Mangano (Monsma, Truzzi, & da Conceic¸a˜o, 2003). Relying on ethnic solidarity, this gang was responsible for arson, assaults, thefts, injuries and murders.…”