Overview

• Mayor Massimo Coppola of Sorrento was arrested on May 20–21, 2025, caught accepting a €6,000 bribe from an entrepreneur seeking a municipal contract.
• Investigators discovered €167,000 in cash hidden in a billiard table at the home of Raffaele Guida, a self-styled TV ‘sensitivo’ and alleged intermediary in the bribery scheme.
• Prosecutors describe Guida as Coppola’s trusted associate in illicit dealings with entrepreneurs, further implicating him in the corruption network.
• The investigation is being led by the Procura di Torre Annunziata, which is working to uncover the full scope of the alleged corruption in Sorrento’s municipal procurement system.
• Sorrento’s lucrative public contracts, including school catering and marine resource projects, have come under scrutiny, highlighting vulnerabilities in local governance.