Keeping Watch Over Shadows: Locked Away, Roberto Saviano Stumbles Through Life
Roberto Saviano endures confined, restrictive conditions for his personal safety.
By Andrea Affatcati, Milan
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Author Roberto Saviano, infamous for his exposé on the Neapolitan Camorra, grapples with the question of whether he's made a grievous error. In a revealing interview with the Italian paper, "Corriere della Sera," he opens up about the harrowing life under perpetual danger.
"Well, I've pondered the thought a few times," says author Roberto Saviano in an interview with Aldo Cazzullo, "Corriere della Sera" journalist. For two decades, the authorities have ensured his safety due to the wrath of the Camorra, an Italian mob syndicate upset by Saviano's portrayal of their dark deeds in his acclaimed work, "Gomorrah." Only those who've experienced this life can comprehend its demands.
Born in Naples, this 44-year-old wrote himself into international infamy in 2006 with his groundbreaking exposé and documentary book, "Gomorrah." Delving into the complex structure and criminal activities of the Neapolitan mafia, his work pitted him against powerful adversaries.
Strife and Solace
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One of the Camorra’s kingpins, Francesco Bidognetti, alias “Cicciotto di Mezzanotte," threatened Saviano with death within five years. Then just 26, Saviano received police protection. The trial against the mafia boss has spanned 16 years and remains unresolved.
Grace amidst heartache, Saviano shares his feelings of guilt towards his family during the funeral of a recently deceased relative—someone dear to him. "Truthfully, it wasn't a funeral. It was a ghost town. My parents fled Caserta, a town near Naples, as early as 2006. They needed to move to Northern Italy, all because of me."
Foe or Phantom?
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While some Neapolitan citizens harbor anger towards Saviano for the negative image he painted of their city, few acknowledge that "Gomorrah" helped expose widespread criminal activities in the region, encouraging positive social change and greater safety in some Neapolitan neighborhoods.
Politicians have long been fierce advocates and adversaries of Saviano, leftists carrying him on high, right-wingers bristling at his name. Vice Premier Matteo Salvini, joined by the Lega party, would love to withdraw his police protection. Saviano's ongoing safety, without any attacks thus far, raises questions about why he's required protection for so long.
A Parallel Path: Salman Rushdie
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In the interview, Saviano refers to Salman Rushdie, a friend for many years, who also received death threats following the publication of "The Satanic Verses". Living under protective custody, Saviano muses on the irony that Rushdie now feels relieved, as the threat is no longer merely a stage for spectators.
Personal protection, Saviano explains, brings criticisms about his exaggeration of the danger and desperation for attention, as well as agonizing over his self-imposed imprisonment.
Panic and Fatigue
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Are panic attacks common for Saviano? He replies that they are a constant burden, one he wouldn't be able to endure without medication. Late-night hours are his greatest torment. "What thoughts consume you at 5 a.m.? Where do I go from here? I feel trapped by two weights: living on borrowed time and still being alive."
Loneliness is a heavy companion too. Saviano shares his recollection of the last Easter holidays, yearning for the camaraderie his relatives and friends enjoyed after leaving him at home. Love does not often thrive within his confines. "Romantic relationships crumble when freedom is required, something that's scarce for me."
A poignant anecdote about Philip Roth comments on the envy faced by Saviano: "I took a selfie with him, and he said, 'I would never be jealous of a life as shitty as yours.'" It's a sentiment that seems fair to Saviano; he yearns for a different existence, free of fear and constraint, unsure if he's squandered his opportunity at freedom.
- Roberto Saviano, in discussing his life under perpetual danger, expresses concern over the impact his employment policy, as depicted in his exposé, may have had on his community and personal lifestyle.
- In the interview, Saviano compares his situation to that of Salman Rushdie, another author who faced death threats, and ponders the sustainable-living implications of his personal protection, which he criticizes for creating a spectacle out of his situation.
- The author, reflecting on his secluded life, wishes for a change in his home-and-garden surroundings and more books about general-news that could offer insights into crime-and-justice, providing a broader understanding of the world beyond his confines.
- As Roberto Saviano grapples with the strife of his life, he finds solace in reading about the courage displayed by ordinary individuals, such as an Italian pizza baker who resisted the Cosa Nostra's payoffs, expanding his perception of societal resilience and inspiring a sense of hope in his own journey.
