Francesco Bidognetti

In October 2003, Bidognetti and his son Aniello were indicted for the murder of doctor Gennaro Falco in the town of Parete. Two weeks later, Casalesi clan members Sebastiano Caterino and Umberto De Falco were murdered. Finally in June 2008, Bidognetti, Schiavone and 14 other Casalesi bosses were sentenced to life imprisonment in the Spartacus maxi-trial. Michele Zagaria and Antonio Iovine, two other Casalesi bosses, got the same sentence and were arrested on 7 December 2011 and 17 November 2010 respectively.

In March 2008, through his lawyers in the courtroom, Francesco Bidognetti accused the prosecutor of the Dda, Antonio Cantone of being unduly influenced by the pentiti and the anti-Mafia journalists, Rosaria Capacchione, of the newspaper "Il Mattino ", and Roberto Saviano, author of the best-selling book Gommora, which deals with the criminal activities of the Casalesi clan. His lawyer further demanded the transfer of the trials of Bidognetti and fellow fugitive Casalesi boss, Antonio Iovine to Rome for "legitimate suspiscions".

On May 2, 2008, Bidognetti's uncle, Umberto was murdered at Castel Volturno, due to his son Domenico's collaboration with the police. He had refused police protection after his son's repentance. In the following month, a group of hitmen disguised as police officers wounded Anna Carrino, the niece of Anna Carrino, in Villaricca. She was shot in the stomach when she opened the door. Carrino's testimony led to the arrest of several of his henchmen. However, police believe that the real target of the attack may have been the woman’s mother, Anna Carrino’s sister. These incidents are believed to be part of the murder strategy of Iovine and Zagaria, in order to dissuade those who wish to collaborate with law enforcement.

Bidognetti's son, Gianluca, was arrested on November 21, 2008 and charged with the attempted murder of Anna Carrino's niece.

Anna Carrino, Bidognetti's wife was arrested in November 2007 and charged with passing messages from her imprisoned husband to his subordinates on the outside. She subsequently became a pentito and began giving away information that resulted in a number of major raids aimed at suspected members of the Camorra. She also provided information that led to the arrest of 52 Casalesi clan members on April 2008. Among those arrested was Bidognetti's son, Raffaele. Anna was moved to in a top-security jail after the Casalesi put a million-pound contract on her. The two scion of Francesco Bidognetti, Aniello and Raffaele, hit recently by an order of the harsh 416-bis prion regime.

His nephew Gaetano Cerci is believed to be the key link between the clan and Licio Gelli, head of the defunct P2 masonic lodge. Many tapped telephone conversations by the Roman police proved that Cerci stayed several times at Gelli's house in Villa Wanda, near Arezzo. In 1993, Villa Wanda was searched, on orders of the Naples public prosecutor, but police failed to find the computer discs that they were looking for.

Bidognetti's lover, Angela Barra ruled the territory of Teverola and was the main conduit of all the political and economic alliances of the Casalesi Clan. In 1990, Bidognetti ordered the death of a medical doctor, Gennaro Falco, for having not taken proper care of his wife by failing to diagnose her with cancer in time.

Francesco Bidognetti (born January 21, 1951 in Casal di Principe) is a powerful Italian Camorrista. He is the chief lieutenant of Francesco Schiavone, boss of the Casalesi clan from Casal di Principe in the province of Caserta, and head of the Bidognetti clan, one of the five clans which make up the Casalesi. He is known as "'Cicciott' 'e Mezzanotte'" (Neapolitan for Midnight Frankie).