"In crime, reality surpasses fantasy," says journalist Giuseppe Scarpa, a native of Sassari who moved to Rome where he became one of the top judicial writers for the pages of Repubblica and wrote explosive articles on the Roman underworld. The Sardinian tour for the presentation of his first novel, "Roma criminale" (Newton Compton Editori), began right in his hometown.

The story revolves around the story of the Executioner, aka Sandro Marinelli, leader of the most violent ultras of the Olimpico and lord of cocaine, who from right-hand man of the most feared mafioso in the capital, begins to climb the hierarchies of crime until he takes everything, or almost everything. But he becomes the number one target of enemies and allies. Under the approval of the 'Ndrangheta, in the shadow of the dome a trail of violence, murders and kidnappings is consumed to grab the monopoly of the white powder.

"Rome consumes two tons of cocaine per month - explains Giuseppe Scarpa - a market that has become much more profitable and less dangerous than that linked to construction and the corruption of administrators and politicians. There is so much money earned that they even have difficulty laundering it".

The field experiences of the journalist from Sassari (he also interviewed Maurizio Abbatino, "the cold one" of the Banda della Magliana) are noticeable in his dry style and mastery of the language of crime and judicial matters.

The Chamber of Commerce Conference Hall proved too small to accommodate the audience: over 130 people at the event that previewed Liquida, the festival of journalistic literature. The author spoke with Salvatore Taras.

The presentation tour continues tomorrow in Alghero at the Cyrano bookshop in Alghero (at 7 pm); Thursday at 6 pm, in the Banari multipurpose room; Friday at 6 pm there will be a book signing at the Giunti al Punto bookshop in the Porte di Sassari Shopping Centre; finally on Saturday 26 April, at 6 pm, a stop at the Ex prefecture of Ittiri.

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