Chapter-40 '89 Collapse (Part 1)

Gianna

I was intrigued. And I needed to know more. Even if my brother was clearly against the idea.

“Tell me more…” I said, glancing at Nico. “I want to know.”

“The ‘89 Collapse was one of the most deadly mafia wars that took place in the 90s between the three strongest mafia clans- the Calabria ’Ndrangheta, the Sicilian Cosa Nostra, aka our families and the Camorra. In the late 1970s, the ’Ndrangheta wasn’t just dominant — they were absolute. Their reach stretched from Calabria up through Milan, down to Sicily, even into Rome and beyond,” Nico said. “And at the top of the chain sat the Barbaro family, the most feared, most disciplined, and most blood-soaked mafia clan Italy had ever seen. Every port, every trade, every politician on payroll — it all flowed through them.”

“The Sicilian Mafia and the Camorra played along, at first. But the deeper the Barbaros dug their claws in, the tighter the leash became. Sicily was no longer theirs. Naples was losing its autonomy. Pride, profit, and power were slipping,” Xavier added, his expression hard. “And by the early 1980s, something had to give.”

“I don’t understand why she needs to know this,” Leo hissed under his breath.

“Because I want to,” I said softly. “Fratello…I know what goes on around me. I am not as blind as you would like to think. And I don’t want to stay blind…I want to know what’s going on.” Leo gave me a look in response, clearly not happy.

“I need to brush up on my history, too. Then what happened?” Caelian asked.

“Well, by 1981, pressure had been building quietly. In Sicily, the Ammassari and Baldocchi families started consolidating power. In Naples, the Camorra had been growing bolder, angrier. Then, in 1982, the first real blow landed — a mid-level Barbaro enforcer was killed in Palermo,” Nico said. “The retaliation was swift and brutal, but by then, the war had already begun. What followed was a seven-year internal collapse masked as a mafia war. A coalition formed — led by the Ammassari and Baldocchi families in Sicily, and Camorra leaders out of Naples.”

“It was brutal and one of the darkest times the Italian mafia had seen,” Xavier shook his head. “Cities were locked down. Families turned on each other. Informants were planted. Dozens of capos disappeared. Allies flipped. Money dried up. By 1989, it was clear the Barbaros wouldn’t win. Not because they were weaker but because they had too many fronts and not enough loyalty left to hold the empire together.”

“So then what happened to the Barbaro family?” I asked.

“They were pushed to Calabria. Their reign was over — everywhere but there. Sicily returned to the Sicilians. Naples to the Camorra. The rest of Italy was redivided. The power maps were redrawn. And what had once been the largest underground empire in Europe imploded inward. The underworld named it what it was: The ’89 Collapse,” Nico answered. “Salvatore Barbaro, the man who had held it all together, vanished. Some say he was killed. Some say his own blood turned on him. Others think he disappeared by choice, waiting in the dark. Either way, without him, the network crumbled. The symbol of his power — their insignia — was buried with the past.”

“Until it appeared out of nowhere after all these years,” Leo growled, running his fingers through his hair.

“So does that imply the Barbaro family is behind these attacks?” Domani finally spoke. “Because if that’s the case, we’d all better commit suicide now.”

“What is the big deal about this Barbaro family anyway?” I frowned. “They can’t be more powerful than the Ammassari and the Baldochhi combined. I mean not anymore, I guess?”

“The Barbaro and the entire ’Ndrangheta clan are despicable,” Xavier said. “They are known for extreme violence, and they do not show mercy. They don’t threaten. They erase. Quietly, cleanly. When they come for you, you don’t see them. You just vanish. Your body, your assets, your legacy—gone. Like you never existed.”

“And if they’re moving again after all these years?” Nico leaned forward, voice low. “That means something massive is coming. They’ve stayed in Calabria for over three decades. If they’re stepping out now, it’s not random.”

Caelian went still, his jaw tightening. “So what are you saying? That they’re rebuilding?”

“I’m saying this isn’t random," Nico said. “They’re resurfacing for a reason. And if that insignia was left as a warning, it means someone from the old bloodline or worse, someone new with a vendetta, is pulling strings behind the scenes.”

“If they come for us…” Leo said, exhaling, “We’re not fighting a mafia family. We’re fighting an institution that was born in blood and never really died. The only reason the rest of Italy could breathe was because we kept them boxed in Calabria. If they break out again—”

“—Then the Collapse wasn’t the end,” Xavier finished grimly. “It was just a pause.”