Since the 1850s, there have been groups of mainly young men who would go around the city, picking people's pockets, robbing them, taking their money, and generally causing a nuisance, causing problems.
" Three fingers do not bend, " complained Tagganaro, between mussels. " What good is a cutpurse who cannot use his fingers? Narbo was good at picking pockets, not so good at picking whores" .