tt es ▁could ▁not ▁be ▁satisfied ▁by ▁the ▁state ▁industry . ▁The ▁vast ▁supplies ▁of ▁American ▁and ▁British ▁troops ▁station ed ▁in ▁Nap les ▁provided ▁for ▁a ▁black ▁market ▁of ▁popular ▁American ▁c igare tt es , ▁the ▁amer icane ▁or ▁b ion de ▁( bl ond es ). ▁When ▁the ▁Al lies ▁left ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁that ▁supply ▁disappeared ▁and ▁the ▁government ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁r ation ▁c igare tt es . ▁So on ▁a ▁th riv ing ▁trade ▁sm ugg ling ▁c igare tt es ▁from ▁Marse ille , ▁Gib ral tar , ▁Nice ▁and ▁Tang iers ▁by ▁highly ▁organ ised ▁and ▁struct ured ▁foreign ▁criminal ▁groups ▁( the ▁Marse illa is , ▁C ors icans , ▁Sic ili ans ) ▁developed , ▁employ ing ▁local ▁gu app i ▁to ▁dist ribute ▁the ▁c igare tt es . ▁▁ ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁more ▁am bit ious ▁ones , ▁like ▁Simon etti ▁and ▁Ma isto , ▁became ▁more ▁involved . ▁The ▁competition ▁was ▁st iff ▁and ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁armed ▁conflicts ▁with ▁rival ▁cre ws . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁Simon etti ▁was ▁imprison ed ▁for ▁ 8 ▁years ▁and ▁ 3 ▁months ▁for ▁the ▁attempted ▁murder ▁and ▁a ▁shoot - out ▁over ▁territorial ▁supre m acy ▁against ▁a ▁rival ▁gang ▁led ▁by ▁Alfred o ▁Ma isto ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 2 . ▁ ▁Wed ding ▁ ▁At ▁Christmas ▁ 1 9 5 4 , ▁Simon etti ▁left ▁prison , ▁after ▁serving ▁two ▁years