Ketty Gabriele
Ugo Gabriele aka Ketty (born July 10, 1981 in Naples[1]) is a reputed Camorra figure. Gabriele, a femminiello and member of the Camorra, was reported as the first transgender mafia figure following an arrest by Naples police in February 2009.[2][3] According to authorities, Gabriele is a small-time capo behind a drug and prostitution ring for the Scissionisti di Secondigliano.[4]
She pushed large quantities of drugs for Camorra boss Paolo Di Lauro, but since Di Lauro's arrest and the so-called Scampia feud between Camorra gangs, she did not need to answer to anyone anymore.[5] Her elder brother, Salvatore Gabriele, is one of the Camorristi that graduated to become a boss. He wanted to extend his activities traveling the up and down Italy, supplying large- and small-scale dealers, and left her to run things at Scampia.[5]
Gabriele fits in an old and long tradition of gay or femminiello (effeminate) culture in Naples. Generally femminielli are considered good luck, for instance in gambling.[6]
References
- (in Italian) Arrestato il Latitante Ugo Gabriele alias Ketty…
- Cross-dressing mob suspect arrested, UPI, February 2009.
- Italian police arrest first known transsexual mafia mobster, Daily Telegraph, February 13, 2009.
- Transvestite Mafia man arrested in world first, Metro UK, February 13, 2009.
- Transgender Gang Boss Arrested, Corriere della Sera, February 13, 2009
- (in Italian) Presa Ketty, boss «femminiello», Corriere della Sera, February 13, 2009