The opening episode of Portobello unfolds in a bustling TV studio in Milan, July 1977. As the staff prepares the stage for the audience, they usher them in to witness the popular TV show, Portobello, created and hosted by the charismatic Enzo Tortora. Tortora introduces the sixth episode of the show, which has garnered millions of views in just six weeks. Among the viewers is Giovanni Pandico, confined to his cell from the Nuova Camorra Organizzata, a prominent crime family. Pandico is known as the Lunatic and is a member of this organization. He's sentenced to life imprisonment for multiple murders and is called "Lil' Scribe" by his fellow inmates for his ability to write and type letters for them.
By January 1978, the show's popularity has skyrocketed to over 16 million views, and it's now broadcast in color. This is when Pandico sends a letter and a package of lace dolls to Tortora on behalf of his friend, Domenico Barbaro. Nine months later, on Elba Island at the Porto Azzurro prison, Pandico's resentment and hatred towards Tortora and the show have grown. He sends a threatening letter to Tortora's home accusing him of embezzlement. The letter alarms Tortora, who follows up with his staff. His concern deepens upon learning that the sender is part of a vicious criminal organization.
One year later, Raffaele Cutolo, the leader of the Nuova Camorra Organizzata, known as "Professor," and other members of the organization, including Pandico, are held at Naples Poggioreale prison. Raffaele asks Pandico to write a letter to his sister, Rosetta, about a wedding with the family of Tortora Castellammare. Pandico expresses his anger at rivals threatening their authority and suggests killing them all, but Raffaele disapproves.
In 1980, a massive earthquake hits Italy. During the chaos in prison, Raffaele seizes the opportunity to eliminate some of his rivals in the same jail, resulting in four murders.
After the devastating earthquake, Tortora took the stage to hold a live auction during his show, aiming to raise funds for the victims. Concurrently, the government allocated a staggering 50 trillion lire for reconstruction efforts, a sum that Raffaele and his group had their eyes on for personal gain.
Tortora later visited one of the shelters for earthquake victims, where he was questioned about the funds raised during his show. He reassured them that the money was safe and would be released once measures were put in place to ensure it wouldn't fall into the hands of usual exploiters, including the Camorra.
Inside the prison, rival gangs retaliated by killing one of Raffaele's men. The prison warden separated the members and sent them to different jails. Three months later, Pandico wrote to Raffaque for the fourth time from Frosinone-Paliano prison but received no response. Rumors began to spread that Raffaque had made a deal with the authorities to save himself from his rivals. Pandico saw news reports that another member, Pasquale, aka "The Student," had murdered the Milanese Mafia boss. The reports stated that Pasquale was cooperating with the authorities. He wrote another letter to Raffaque and became agitated and violent when he still received no answer.
Meanwhile, Pandico's resentment towards Tortora intensified as Portobello continued to attract more viewers, now exceeding 20 million each week. Tortora struggled with the fame and pressure of being a public figure. The criticism forced him to live a lifestyle that went against his wishes. He even had to hide his girlfriend, Francesca, and avoid being seen in public together because he was separated from his family in Rome.
Things took a turn when Raffaque's right-hand man, Vincenzo Casillo, was found dead in a burnt car outside Rome. Members of the Camorra organization continued to collaborate with the police. Pandico was convinced that Raffaque was behind Vincenzo's death and had abandoned him. He wrote a letter to the prison warden and agreed to confess before Raffaque got to him.
On February 6th, 1983, Pandico spoke with the prosecution's deputy district attorneys, Felice Di Persia and Lucio Di Pietro. Before confessing, he insisted that he was not a turncoat since he wasn't someone who talked just to get everything. He described himself as a dissociated member who gave everything away. He agreed to recount everything he knew about the Nuova Camorra Organizzata and about Raffaque Cutolo. He was angry that Raffaque had betrayed them and cut deals with their enemies to save himself.
In his testimony, he named over 500 members, and the police raided their homes. They found a note in one of the homes with Enzo Tortora's name on it. When the attorneys came to him with a phone ledger, Pandico claimed that the popular TV host was a member of the crime organization.
