“I want justice”. Voice of Maria Rosaria Cangialosi destroyed by tears and inconsolable pain over death son of Umberto Catanzaroa young footballer was shot accidentally during an ambush in the heart of Quartieri Spagnoli. The 23-year-old man who comes from Palermo and lived in Naples with his family for more than ten years “had nothing to do with the shooting that took his life and nothing to do with bad acquaintances” explained his mother, referring to for the raid on September 15 he targeted a 17-year-old Neapolitan teenager who was with him at the time and was the recipient of a sentence for distributing an intimate video of his girlfriend, linked to a criminal clan in action.
“Umberto has many friends and joins various groups, when the children grow up it is impossible to know all his acquaintances,” added Maria Rosaria, underlining that her son “is not the type of person who easily gets into trouble, on the contrary, he is an honorable boy who has never had problems with justice.”
Umberto Catanzaro’s girlfriend, who died after the shooting in Naples: “He collapsed before my eyes, he never argued with anyone”
Victim
A physically fit and athletic boy. This is what Umberto looks like, a lover of tattoos and motorbikes, but more than anything, this young man who now combines a Palermo accent with a Neapolitan dialect, never stops cultivating his biggest passion, football. “He was a cheerful, altruistic, polite and generous child, but the most outstanding characteristic of all was his determination to continue with his projects and dreams, especially becoming a footballer” said his mother who, in a weak voice, emphasized how her son worked hard to support himself. «He works hard to earn an honest living with various odd jobs and, recently, he became a rider» added father Roberto who, like Maria Rosaria, had difficulty speaking at a time when “suffering erases everything, even the power to tell.” “He graduated and never neglected school” insist the parents who, in these hours, have been contacted by “many messages and confessions of affection and closeness, because anyone who has ever met our son, on the football field or at the school desk or in any other situation, can only call him a respectable boy”.
On the football field they call him “arrow”Umberto Catanzaro got the nickname because of his quick and sudden shots as a wing striker. He came to play in Bari’s youth sector and in the Paganese calcio youth team until his amateur career saw him at the Rione Terra team, in Pozzuoli. Condolence messages coming from former teammates, coaches, managers and opponents all share a common picture of a talented and promising player. “He is a generous player on the field and ready for action, direct and ready for team play with a great desire to perform and exceed his personal goals as an athlete” said Antonio Stellato, general director of Terra District who saw Umberto on the pitch in the 2024/2025 season and who conveyed his thoughts to the 23-year-old’s parents “with a hug from the entire sporting world that Umberto has given so much and so wholeheartedly”.
Napoli, ambush because of a hot video with the daughter of a narcotic: 23 years old killed by mistake
Appeal
Umberto is 23 years old in the intensive care unit of the Vecchio Pellegrini hospital. After more than two months of treatment, at dawn Monday, the young man had not recovered, dashing the hopes of his family, friends and girlfriend who until a few hours earlier had posted a message hoping that the young man would “soon recover and get out of this bad moment”. The attraction between Maria Rosaria and Roberto is clear. “Umberto has a clean criminal record and he never had any problems with the law, he was a clean and honorable child” said the parents who, while drying their tears, found the strength to say what is most important at the moment: “we want justice for our son, an innocent victim”.
