The murder of Franco Nicolini: Giuseppucci recognized from his experience in the betting businesses and at Ostia that dominating the gaming market would also bring in big money. Thus, on the evening of July 25, 1978, Giuseppucci made the decision to remove Franco Nicolini, also known as Franchino Er Criminale, the true proprietor of the illicit betting at the Tor de Valle racetrack. Giuseppucci and his allies felt that it was time to overthrow Franchino’s rule because he had become too strong and conceited. Selis provided even another justification for Nicolini’s murder. Franchino had organized gambling dens in the cells during joint custody in the Regina Coeli jail, made too much noise about it, and even supported the police during a revolt in which he smacked Selis in front of other prisoners.
On the night of the 25th, just after midnight, there was an ambush. Nicolini had just left the racetrack and was walking back to his car when two cars approached him and seven people got out. Edoardo Toscano and Giovanni Piconi were the two who fired nine rounds at Nicolini. Nicolini had been “parked,” according to an encrypted message that Giuseppucci heard over the loudspeaker while he was inside the racetrack.
The Banda della Magliana now had complete control over the city’s drug and gambling markets with Nicolini out of the way. Two years after the Grazioli kidnapping, in 1979, the group’s members had complete control over Rome’s criminal underworld and had amassed substantial money. With their fancy automobiles, powerful motorbikes, Rolex watches, and five-star dining establishments, they showed off their affluence. Thanks to payments and political connections, members were able to depart and in some cases even escape, even though they faced prison time for their activities.
The gang also showed their strength by not letting up with rivals, anyone who irritated them, or even friends who “made a mistake.” Following Nicolini, Edoardo Toscano assassinated Ostian con artist Sergio Carrozzi on August 29, 1979, as part of Giuseppucci’s group’s second murder. Carrozzi’s transgression against the gang consisted of his choice to report Selis for pressuring him to give them money in exchange for protection. Hamlet Fabiani was the next to suffer the repercussions of upsetting the group; on April 15, 1980, Toscano shot him four times more after he had slapped De Pedis and shattered a bottle over Colafigli’s head. Then, on February 23, 1982, it was Claudio “Scimmia” Vannicola, the rival drug dealer, who was displacing the gang and was also slain by Toscano.
The next person was gang member Angelo “Catena” De Angelis. Although De Angelis and Selis were close, he wanted to close down a drug lot and keep a portion of it for himself. A team made up of Vittorio Carnovale, Roberto Fittirillo, and Abbatino assassinated him on February 10, 1983.