European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 27, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine making it. And taking it in Naples by  cruder Mediterranean bureaus neapolitan criminals Ever resourceful out such unusual spins on their skullduggery that it s difficult grudgingly nol to award them top Marks for  for example a Man who withdraws a Large sum of Money from a Bank in Naples May literally be a marked Man. A neapolitan wend relates to Story of a pal who withdrew 8 million Iii nearly $6,000 from a Bank to pay a Hospital Bill the Man nervous about carrying such a Large sum Well directly lion a e cashier s Cage to 1he men s room and hid the Cash in his sock to Hen walked to his car and started Oft Lor the Hospital at the first intersection a Young Man jumped into the ear stuck a gun into the Driver s ribs and demanded All his  Driver handed Over Theson Hamount of Cash in his Wafel and protested tic had no More the gunman insisted the victim hand Over the Largo amount of Cash the robber said he knew the Man was carrying As the victim continued to deny he had More Money the gunman reached wet and torn a yellow memo Type Slicker from the Back of the victims jacket. The numeral "8" was scrawled on the Slicker the gunman s accomplice had used the sticker to Mark the victim inthe Bank. The victim handed Over his Cash. Neapolitan criminals often use a variation on this Iheme to Mark the backs of intended victims with telltale Chalk squid ufos jail Matthews an american University professor. Relates the Lale of a crime he has read about several times during the years he has lived in Naples. It is so Clever and typically neapolitan that t think it must be True a fellow goes  to Start his car and discovers it. Has been stolen. He Calls the police reports he hell and Ihen finds the car once again parked in front of his apart men House. There is a note an apology and explanation from a stranger on the car s Windshield the stranger writes that he had to borrow the car to Rush his sick wits to a Hospital in order to make up for the inconvenience the Man has enclosed two hard to get tickets loan upcoming performance Al the City s san Carlo opera House the Man and his wife go to the opera and return Home  out that the apartment s contents had been cleaned out while they were enjoying the gift tickets Matthews said. Furs Are fashion favourites of italian women and tonight in Winter is so warm that it can t be endured Tor he Sake of showing off a new fur coat furs Are prime targets of thieves but nol cheap fun Luis. No Sale respecting Lur thief in Naples will waste Lime going after Rabbit. However let a Lur thief spot a genuine Mink and plots to steal it will multiply faster than Well minks. _ a thief might employ the outraged Lover ploy this Ono was seen to work flawlessly in bread Daylight on via. Roma the heart of the City s exclusive shopping precinct two Idle Agod women one of them wearing a obviously expensive fur Coal and a Gold necklace were accosted by a Well dressed Man of similar age. He zeroed in on the woman with the liar and began to scream. You whore he yelled at Tho shocked woman As a crowd of shoppers stopped to watch the lovers quarrel being played out in Public. I know All about your secret Lover and Llie gifts he has been giving you. Well you won t gel to enjoy that coat and necklace any longer to shouted As no Tore the necklace and Coal from her before the shocked woman could recover her wits to shout that she had Boon robbed the  made his escape Down a Side sleet although . Barnum gets Crottie for coining the phrase there s a sucker born every minute a Crafty neapolitan probably hit upon the concept about a millennia or two before old . Gucci and Pucci have never heard of the scores of Clandestine factories in Naples Hal turn out their leather goods every Day. So Many Lake products Are uttered Tor Sale Over Lhing irom Lacolle sportswear to rolex a alcoves and realistic looking video recorders whose innards Are filled with Sand that caveat employ flex the buyer beware might Maks a fitting Mollo for the City. Business establishment Long ago Learned that alarm systems bars on windows and reinforced steel doors Are not enough to deter determined thieves in the City. Naples built Flop successive layers of civilization is undermined by mile after mile of tunnels. If thieves can t break in through the front Back or roof of on establishment they la Tunnel to reach the loot How much of a threat does tunnelling pose enough that armoured floors Are Standard in fur and jewelry stores. You May be certain that some Horo in the cily nefarious minds Are working overtime to overcome that obstacle to ill Cotton gains and you May be doubly sure that whatever solution they devise will tie a Clever  March 27, 1989, the stabs and stripes Page 13