European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 30, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Living Story and illustrations by Alba Bragoli Mediterranean Bureau it s a few minutes after 7 . The temperature is a pleasant 70 degrees. Bui in will lop 90 by noon and Ihen the Asphalt will get Mushy under Gianni s feet. The 17-year-old Gianni squints through the smog. He can barely we the Tail of the Long lines at cars that have already backed up at the Cap Dichino Highway toll Booth on the outskirts of Naples. He quickly the volume of traffic. That calculation comes easily to him because although he dropped bul of the fifth Grade five years ago he s been wording the streets Ever since. In that Lime he s sold thousands of rations of contraband cigarettes Anil the Selling has earned him countless trips to the Slammer and dozens of fines still All mail Gianni considers himself Lucky. He s got a Job and hat s a rare thing for a Young uneducated kid in Naples. It is a chronically depressed area Wilh extraordinary Levels of unemployment. Official government figures show adult joblessness running As High As 30 percent and three out of four teen agers unemployed. Gianni is proud of the fact that he holds what he Calls a steady Job Selling contraband. I am the oldest of five kids. Ii is my responsibility to help Oul my family. I could t worry about schoolwork when i was in class. Thai was t my highest priority. My father s Job was t steady and he could t bring Home enough Money to support All of us. I had to find some Way to help out and i was fortunate to find this Job Selling cigarettes said Gianni. With a proud smile he said my brother has just graduated from Junior High and i m going to make sure that the others stay in school too then responding to the honking Hern of a Mercedes Gianni dashed across our lanes of traffic to sell a pack of Marlboro. Gianni buys the cigarettes at 15,000 lire about $11.50 per Carton and Sells the bulls at 2,000 lire about in .55 per pack. On an average Day he Sells 10 Cartons. He shares the profit with his employers Giuseppe and Salvatore. Guiseppe All the men would Only give their first names because they Don t want any More police attention than they already get started Selling Black Market cigarettes at the nearby toll Booths of the Rome Naples Autostrada Over 20 years ago when he was just entering his teens. I thought it would be a temporary arrangement said Giuseppe but when my brother Salvatore lost his Job As an apprentice Mechanic the Only steady Job in the family i realized Ihal we had to make in on our twelve years ago Giuseppe and Salvalore moved heir sales operation to the Forecourt of the newly opened Capo Rhino toll Booth. They fashioned their business after the Street salesmen in the porn area of Naples. Those persistent paddlers ire called hey Oes by american sailors because of the hawkers of Yelling hey Joe to attract any american s Jllen Litjen to i he invariably shoddy goods they offer. Giuseppe and Salvature expanded. They hired an helpers and to contraband cigarette and newspapers added Novelty items throwaway lighters facial Lisius Chamois cloths toys cassette tapes. The sates Cipr Milinn Lus been there Ever since. The Brothers hire and fire at their station and they decide what items they la Slock and How they will Market them. Not everybody is Cut out to be j Vendor said the surprisingly Well spoken Giuseppe. You have to Hustle. You have to be a Little Pushy but you can t Lake a refusal As a personal offence. And you must be healthy and resilient in Winter the rain chills us to the Bone. In summer our brains boil. On lop of All . The police breathe Down our necks Al the time he reached into his pocket Tih withdrew tickets. See thefil. This Wui Lone Lio to pay More to Tori put Nuit int Juty 30, 1987
