His first thoughts went to his love for Sardinia and his wife , with whom in 2017 he decided to realize a lifelong dream : opening a Neapolitan pizzeria, Napul'è . Fifty-eight years old, 38 of which spent in Sardinia, Luigi De Micco, a former soldier , is the owner who was the victim of the brutal attack that took place last night on Corso Vittorio Emanuele, in Cagliari . The anniversary of his arrival on the island, to be precise, falls on May 1st. "With Sant'Efisio, yes."
Last night, De Micco, along with his son, tried to chase down a group of young men who had earlier stolen the bag of a tourist customer. "I reacted instinctively; it's my nature. I saw a girl in great difficulty; they were trying to snatch her right near the tables. I couldn't stay still." However, this reaction had consequences: " We were in danger too. There were many of them; it wasn't an isolated group ," explains De Micco, who refused to leave the premises and its employees after the attack. "I got treated and stayed there: a captain doesn't abandon ship , and for me, all of this is too important; it was a lifelong dream." The story is marked by concern over an escalation of violence in the heart of the city, which has seemed to be worsening steadily for the past ten days : "We have to defend ourselves, because some are armed: knives, spray, even tasers. It's a plague that's becoming too serious."
Fear, however, hasn't stopped the restaurateur, who has decided not to remain silent and to try to do something to save a complex situation "that affects everyone: restaurants, businesses, and commercial activities. Tonight I'll be at the police station to report it. Many are staying silent because they're afraid. But we can't afford to endure this situation for long." Fear is also financial. Few people around, little income. And a restaurant without business can't find the strength to calmly raise its shutters every day: " Yesterday at 10:30 pm, the street was deserted; it felt like January . We had to close early. With the tourist season upon us, it's a very serious sign." " We've invested in young people, hired staff for the summer to train them ." All this with the fear that "the trend will reverse and customers will stop coming, driven by fear. What's the point of so many young, well-trained staff if there are no people at the tables?"
An appeal to the institutions is also included: "We need the Municipality to support us. We respect the rules, even when it's difficult to explain them to tourists. Sometimes visitors don't understand why we can't add outdoor seating, but we are precise and do things as they should be done, respecting the law. But alone, we are not strong enough. " A meeting with merchants and trade associations is planned for Wednesday "here at our venue" : "It will be an important meeting; we need to explain what to do, how to react, and which path to take. And we will do it together with the institutions."
The comparison is stark: "Naples used to be like this, we can't let Cagliari get to that point . This isn't our image." And he concludes: "This city is a pearl of the Mediterranean. I fell in love with it, just as I fell in love with my wife and Sardinia. I care too much about it, I can't see it reduced to this state."
