The killers then set her body on fire inside her car, in order to hide the torture she had suffered and not to cause public commotion after her death.

Verde's death caused widespread public revulsion and led to a major crackdown by the authorities.

The president of the Campania region (of which Naples is the capital) Antonio Bassolino said: "This challenge must be met and the state must pay attention."

Another Di Lauro clan member, Pietro Esposito who testified against his former cohorts, received a prison term of seven years and four months for his involvement in the murder.

[6][7] On 13 December 2008, Cosimo Di Lauro, was sentenced to life imprisonment for ordering the murder of Gelsomina Verde.