Currently in Italy leaving Naples now headed to Taormina Sicily. I have been to multiple 3rd world countries and the scamming from taxi/ride drivers is completely off the charts and even worse than those 3rd world countries. In some instances charging over double w threats of getting cops or "bosses" involved. We have had a great time in the rest of Italy and the scamming was just an expense you deal w to some degree but Naples is totally at another level. Just an FYI

Sicily ain't too different in my experience. If you don't speak Italian you're getting hit with the tourist tax.

Watch out at the train stations. They will offer to try to help you getting on the train with your luggage then fake an injury.

While you can encounter some of this in any Italian (or any European for that matter) tourist center, Naples is a whole other level. It stands apart from the rest of Italy.

Are they still picking pockets, and pulling machetes on people? I was there in 1999 and both happened

I had no issues in Northern Italy earlier this month, but the South may be another story.