Episode 2 of "Portobello" begins with Pasquale, a former member of the Nuova Camorra investigation, confirming that Tortora is indeed a member of the organization. On June 17th, 1983, Tortora was arrested in his hotel room in Rome after finishing another season of the popular TV show. His confusion grows as he is not informed of the reason for his arrest, only that the order came from the Naples DA's office. He starts to think that it might be a case of mistaken identity since "Tortora" is a common name in Naples. The shock of the arrest negatively impacts his health, causing his blood pressure to skyrocket.
Later, Anna shows up at the police station. She offers clarity amid the confusion, informing him that the news of his arrest states he is affiliated with the Camorra organization and drug trafficking. The accusations sound insane, and Anna is sure that they will be cleared soon. They call his lawyer, Raffaele.
Francesca gets a call from Anna about the arrest. The police captain informs him that he will be transported to Regina Coeli prison. He promises that he will be taken out back, handcuffs or no, before leaving. Outside, the media is setting up, including RAI. The news of his arrest has broken on all radio and television outlets. His family is in shock. Francesca wants to see him in Rome, but Anna stops her, explaining that only family members are allowed to visit, and her presence would only give the media more content for their smear campaign.
When it's time to transport the prisoner, the police do not perform their duties as the Captain had promised. Tortora is handcuffed and paraded in front of the press. They take pictures and hurl insults at him, calling him a thief and a criminal. Tortora is still in shock as the events unfold.
At Regina Coeli Prison, Tortora goes through procedures where they take his watch and wallet, screen him, and then he is taken to his cell. Inside, he meets fellow inmates also waiting for their trials, including Ennio, Cristiano, Grandpa, Ugo, and Rosario. The inmates whisper among themselves, believing that Tortora is innocent and that he was framed.
Rosario helps him make his bed, and Ennio encourages him, saying that he will get used to the cell eventually. Tortora does not eat, but his cellmates understand and give him time to adjust.
Meanwhile, Anna continues to calm a frantic Francesca, insisting she stay put and not try to visit him. She explains that only family members are allowed to visit, and her presence would only give the media more content for their smear campaign.
Anna and Raffaele visit him in prison. It's strange that since his arrest, they haven't been officially informed about his accusations, who's accusing him, or the evidence against him. The DA's office insists that the investigations are confidential. All they know is what they read in the newspapers and the media connected to Giovanni Pandico.
Anna fills him in on the connection between Pandico, Barbaro, and the lace dolls. Tortora asks them to find his response letter to Barbaro about the lace dolls and the refund receipt for the lost dolls. They ask him to stay put and wait until the day of the interrogation, when they will clear up the confusion and hopefully put the issue to rest.
RAI reporters take to the streets to investigate people's views on Tortora's arrest. Public opinion is divided: some believe he is innocent, others guilty, and they share their feelings of disappointment. Others do not care much and are more concerned about the lack of jobs and politics.
On the day of his interrogation, the DA holds a press conference. They insist that they have enough evidence, hence the arrest. The reporters question the credibility of this evidence since unofficial reports say that Tortora's accusers, Pandico and Pasquale, are accused of murder and affiliation with a criminal organization.
During the interrogation, district attorneys Di Pietro and Di Persia don't offer any information to Raffaele and Tortora, maintaining the confidentiality of the investigations. Raffaele presents Tortora's response to Barbaro regarding the lace dolls and the refund from the RAI offices. They imagine it would automatically clear him, but the attorneys just put them on file and start questioning Tortora.
The attorneys ask him whether he has been to Ottaviano, to which Tortora insists he has never been. They also want to know about his contact with Alfredo Guarnieri, who apparently had sent him a letter from prison, which was confiscated. Then, they show him a picture of a prostitute, Nadia Marzano, asking if he knows her. Tortora denies any connection to any of them.
The attorneys abruptly depart after their brief interrogation, leaving Raffaele and Tortora in a quandary, realizing that their innocence, which is crystal clear to them, isn't readily apparent to the DA's office. Later, the attorneys question Pandico about the dolls. He insists that they were shipments of cocaine, with Tortora being part of the organization's distribution network. He even recounts a story about when he pocketed 60 million, and how the Professor wanted to kill him. He then changed his mind and told Pandico that Tortora was essential to the organization since he was a public figure. He denies that Tortora's response letter and the refund receipt contradict the double meaning of the dolls.
Meanwhile, Tortora's mother is subjected to harassment even when she attends a church service. The elections are held on July 26, 1983, and Tortora votes for the liberals while in prison. Later, during a conversation, his cellmate, Ugo, claims that politicians framed him to distract the public from the 50 trillion in reconstruction funds and election irregularities.
At the end of the episode, a reporter snaps a picture of Tortora during yard time, igniting public opinion and prompting questions about the justice system.
