Pasquale Barra was born on January 18, 1942, in Ottaviano, a town near Naples that would become infamous as the birthplace of Camorra boss Raffaele Cutolo. Barra’s early life intertwined closely with Cutolo’s, and their friendship in youth evolved into a lifelong criminal partnership. Barra was tall, athletic, and soon gained a reputation for loyalty, practicality, and extreme violence. Nicknamed ’o Studente (“the Student”) in his early years, Barra joined Cutolo as one of the original architects of the Nuova Camorra Organizzata (NCO) in 1970, serving as Cutolo’s right hand. He was deeply trusted, often acting as the bridge between Cutolo’s charisma and the organization’s rank and file, running intimidation, extortion, and racketeering rackets with ruthless efficiency. When Cutolo bought a Medici-era castle, he even listed Barra as co-owner—a testament to Barra’s influence.

By the late 1970s, Barra was the de facto ruler of Ottaviano, overseeing both illicit businesses and legitimate fronts. His reach extended into the city government, securing jobs and benefits for family and associates. His physical presence, loyalty, and readiness for violence made him both feared and respected, and he quickly became notorious for his preference for knives and butchery tools over firearms—a hallmark of his brutal style.

Barra’s arrest in 1979 did little to diminish his authority; inside prison, he wielded even greater power, enforcing NCO dominance in the penitentiary system. As Cutolo’s “fixer,” Barra targeted rival gang members and traitors, allegedly killing 67 men behind bars—an act that earned him the nickname ’o Nimale (“the Animal”) from the media for his pitiless methods. The eruption of the Camorra war against the Nuova Famiglia, a rival criminal alliance, turned prison courtyards into battlegrounds. During the chaos of the 1980 Irpinia earthquake, Barra killed three enemies in a single night, cementing his fearsome reputation. He wrote letters dripping with bloodthirst and vengeance, swearing loyalty to Cutolo and promising to “take care of” traitors.

The murder of Milanese boss Francis Turatello on August 17, 1981, marked Barra’s undoing. Barra, with three accomplices, stabbed Turatello to death in prison—an act intended to please Cutolo and the Sicilian Mafia. But the hit backfired: Turatello’s murder angered powerful Sicilian bosses, who demanded retribution. Cutolo, desperate to save himself, disavowed Barra, painting him as a rogue killer. Suddenly isolated and hunted by both Sicilian mafiosi and his former NCO comrades, Barra lived in constant fear, narrowly escaping multiple attempts on his life.

With no allies left, Barra decided to become a pentito (state witness). In October 1982, he confessed to Judge Apperti, becoming the first NCO insider to turn informant. His testimony, alongside other pentiti, was key in Italy’s historic Maxi Trials, resulting in convictions for over 800 Camorra members. However, as the years passed, some of Barra’s statements were revealed as unreliable or exaggerated, leading to releases of some defendants. Barra spent the rest of his life in prison under heavy protection. He died there on February 27, 2015—one of the bloodiest hitmen in Camorra history, whose betrayals helped bring down an empire of crime.