The pain of a loss, the anger for a death that perhaps could have been avoided. A craftsman from via San Gregorio Armeno lost his life on Thursday afternoon due to a heart problem while he was in his home, adjacent to the shop. Yesterday the shepherds’ street was listed in mourning for the pain of having lost a colleague, loved and esteemed by all. The shutters down for Alessandro Starinijust 49 years old, are making a lot of noise as dozens of witnesses present at the time of the illness speak of two ambulances slowed down by the flood of tourists, by the tables of the bars and pizzerias and by the improvised stalls along via San Biagio dei Librai and via Tribunali.
Medical personnel managed to reach the man on foot, making their way through the crowd. But there was nothing that could be done. The director of 118 Giuseppe Galano confirms the dynamics and raises the alarm: «Many more medical motorbikes would be needed, but also traditional vehicles and defibrillators in areas with a high tourist rate; between residents and visitors to our city, we are close to 2 million people.” After this tragedy, fear rises among residents and there is talk of “death foretold”, because the tourist boom of the last year has made the traffic of emergency vehicles in the historic center even more complex.
«Today San Gregorio Armeno is crying. Alessandro left us too soon. I think it is appropriate to remain closed for mourning all day. Visitors and citizens will understand and appreciate this humble gesture in memory of one of our brothers, seeing a completely closed San Gregorio Armeno” announced Vincenzo Capuano, president of the Botteghe di San Gregorio. The premature death of Alessandro Starini, an esteemed craftsman of “Pulcinella Originality” nativity scenes and resident on the same street, left everyone dismayed. Two months ago he had undergone heart surgery, and after recovering from his convalescence, he was back among his figurines and the clay to be modeled with his expert hands.
After lunch with his family, who live on the same street as the shop, Starini began to feel unwell, until he fell ill around 5pm. Friends and relatives did not expect such a dramatic event as the one experienced on Thursday, and many do not hide their anger at those few meters that the ambulance would have had to travel, if there had not been obstacles that slowed down the rescue. Indeed, as a resident points out, there were two ambulances: «One blocked on Via Tribunali, the other on Via San Biagio dei Librai. Both had many difficulties reaching San Gregorio Armeno. We are trapped in our home, in every sense, and in case of first aid, this happens. Pizzerias, bars, stalls, perhaps not even authorized, which with tables and chairs have occupied not only the pavements, but also the streets. We are distressed and angry.” Opinion similar to that of another who lives not far from Piazza San Gaetano who addresses the shopkeepers: «Make sure that when these things happen the ambulance can reach the home of those who don’t feel well. Make rules because it’s disgusting: the ambulance wasn’t able to get through for half an hour because of the pizzeria tables. It’s a shameful thing.”
«The ambulances had a lot of difficulty getting to the scene. Indeed, in order to save the man, they were forced to walk a stretch of the road on foot. I don’t know if these difficulties have had a negative impact on the fate of man but it is unacceptable that Naples is the slave of uncontrolled tourism, wicked occupations of public land and illegal construction of all kinds. The municipal administration must seriously question itself on the tourism issue. If we continue like this, Alessandro will not be the last” said Enrico Platone, councilor for People and the Community in Municipality 2.
«Unfortunately it is well known, both to us service workers and to residents, that there are areas of Naples characterized by tiny streets and narrow alleys. Precisely for this awareness we created the medical motorbikes some time ago” explained the director of 118 Galano. «The motorbikes are very useful but they are few, as are the ambulances: many more would be needed, even more so now that we are experiencing such a high flow of tourists. Just as we need many more defibrillator stations on the street: it was one of the first things established by Mayor Manfredi, who has the issue at heart, but many more are needed. An episodic act of vandalism cannot stop the possibility of saving lives.”
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