Guappo

Guappo (plural: guappi) is a historical Italian criminal subculture and informal term of address in the Neapolitan language, roughly analogous to or meaning thug, swaggerer, pimp, braggart, or ruffian.

[3] Historically, "guappo" referred to a loosely cohesive 19th and early 20th century subculture that thrived in the Naples area and, to a lesser extent, nearby regions of Southern Italy.

The subculture stereotypically consisted of a type of boisterous, flashy, swaggering, free-spirited, and violent yet dandy-like criminal, pimp, outlaw, and ruffian that nonetheless followed a somewhat chivalrous code of honor.

The verb guappia means to behave like a guappo (Camorrista), to be domineering and derives from the Spanish guapear (to feign courage, to flaunt elegance).

It is a historical figure in the Neapolitan area, distinguishable by his smart or overdressed dandy-like appearance, his unusual pose that serves to draw attention to him, and the particular care he lavishes on his body and face.