Roma's Criminal Imagination: From Suburra to Romanzo Criminale

The article examines the enduring fascination with Rome's criminal underworld in cinema, literature, and television. Netflix's 'Suburraeterna' and Sky's prequel to 'Romanzo Criminale' continue the trend, building on the success of earlier films and books. The author traces the evolution of this genre from the 2000 book 'Malaroma' by Aldo Musci and Marco Minicangeli, through Giancarlo De Cataldo's 'Romanzo Criminale' (2002) and 'Suburra' (2013) co-written with Carlo Bonini. These works have created a powerful narrative that blends reality and fiction, influencing public perception. Journalists Marco Carta and Simona Zecchi offer critical perspectives: Carta notes that real criminals sometimes aspire to be like their fictional counterparts, while Zecchi warns that the storytelling has obscured the search for truth. The article also recalls a 2008 guerrilla marketing stunt at EUR featuring busts of characters from 'Romanzo Criminale', criticized by then-mayor Gianni Alemanno. At a 20th-anniversary event for 'Romanzo Criminale', De Cataldo defended the work as a piece of history, while Miguel Gotor cautioned against romanticizing negative characters. The piece concludes with a reference to the escaped lion in Ladispoli, metaphorically linking it to the ongoing allure of Rome's street crime narratives.