Our Story
Since 1920
La tradizione oltre ad un secolo di attività
1920, the Origins:
l’uomo che trasformò l’investigazione
The story of Vigilar Group began in 1920, when its founder Giuseppe Visco Gilardi, driven by a modern vision for his time, founded an agency destined to stand the test of time.
He chose a name that carried his own identity:
Vi.Gilar., an acronym of Visco and Gilardi, a brand that would soon become synonymous with method, rigor, and dedication to the truth.
Fin dall’inizio, l’impresa si caratterizzò per solidità, serietà e spirito innovativo, valori che ancora oggi rappresentano l’essenza della nostra identità aziendale.
Visco Gilardi, considerato il primo degli investigatori italiani, fu il primo ad intuire come il mestiere di detective dovesse evolversi: da semplice attività individuale a struttura organizzata, legalmente riconosciuta e ispirata ai principi della scienza investigativa, della discrezione operativa e del rigore metodologico.
Il suo lavoro affascinò studiosi e scrittori: uno di essi, E. Jotti, nel celebre volume “Il detective Visco-Gilardi, lo definì così:
“Visco-Gilardi is the architect of that investigative police force that must reject all forms of vulgarity or brute violence and instead be guided by the principles of keen investigation, the coordination of clues, the intuition of traces, and science.”
(E. Jotti – Badia, “Il Detective Visco-Gilardi”)
The chronicles of the time recounted in detail the exploits of Detective Visco Gilardi: counter-espionage operations, recovery of stolen assets, the uncovering of industrial fraud, family scandals involving high society, and even investigations touching diplomatic and entrepreneurial spheres. Yet the echo of Visco Gilardi’s accomplishments remains so powerful that he is still remembered today in Italy and abroad.
In an era when the figure of the detective was still romantic, almost literary, Visco Gilardi transformed it into a structured profession.
Continuity and Growth:
The Legacy in the Hands of Francesco Mangiacasale
In the following years, the baton passed to Francesco Mangiacasale, the direct apprentice of the founder, who carried forward his teachings and legacy.
Mangiacasale preserved the methodological framework and philosophy of his mentor, while also introducing a more organized and structured management approach, allowing the agency to grow within the national investigative landscape.
Il suo contributo fu fondamentale per mantenere viva la tradizione e allo stesso tempo aprire Vigilar a un mercato in espansione, sempre più caratterizzato da esigenze aziendali e patrimoniali.
1987
L’arrivo di Francesco Castro e la modernizzazione
1987 marks a profound turning point in our history.
With the arrival of Francesco Castro, Vigilar takes a new stride: from tradition to modernity.
Young, dynamic, and driven by a strong strategic vision, he brought new energy and a sharp awareness of the social, technological, and economic changes that were redefining the investigative landscape on a global scale.
Castro understood that investigation had to evolve, integrating technology, analysis, and a strategic approach closer to corporate intelligence.
His arrival marked the agency’s gradual transition toward a larger, more structured organization, one increasingly aware and better equipped to face new challenges, from economic crime to corporate security, from digitalization to the rise of global risks.
L’evoluzione:
The Birth of Vigilar Group S.p.A.
Thanks to the vision of Francesco Castro, Vigilar has transformed into a multidisciplinary organization.
Traditional investigation remains the heart of the company, but around it an integrated system has grown, based on:
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Data analysis,
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Investigative O.S.Int,
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Cyber intelligence,
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Monitoring technologies,
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Cross-disciplinary expertise in risk management.
It is within this context that Vigilar Group S.p.A. is born, the natural result of a journey spanning a century.
A structured and versatile organization, capable of responding to the most complex needs with a multidisciplinary approach...
Today:
A bound between Past and Future
Oggi Vigilar Group rappresenta un equilibrio unico: da un lato il metodo classico, rigoroso, discreto; dall’altro la capacità di leggere segnali deboli, prevenire minacce e proteggere imprese e persone attraverso tecnologie avanzate e un approccio predittivo.
La nostra forza sta nel mantenere viva l’identità che ci accompagna dal 1920: il rispetto delle leggi, il rigore dell’indagine, la certezza delle informazioni.
The New Generation
innovation, intelligence, and A.I.
L’unione tra tecnologie all’avanguardia e il nostro know-how investigativo, ci consente di: Prevedere i rischi prima che si trasformino in minacce concrete;
Prevent crisis situations through predictive analysis and the early detection of weak signals;
Provide our clients with clear decision-making tools that allow them to protect their assets, their know-how, and their reputation.
The new generation brings an additional level of complexity and vision.
Davide Castro, head of the intelligence division, leads the company’s digital transformation, integrating investigative methodologies with algorithms, Artificial Intelligence, and proprietary platforms. Davide firmly believes that even the most complex truths can emerge only from the synergy of investigative, analytical, technological, and strategic skills, fused into a single operational ecosystem.
Tools such as Info Hunter, Airport Hunter, and Social Sentinel are not merely products: they represent the result of a century of experience translated into predictive technology, designed to protect companies, professionals, and institutions in an intelligent and proactive way.
Alongside this innovative drive, Giampaolo Reale, head of the investigative division, represents the link between the world of traditional investigation and the modern realm of strategic intelligence.
His consolidated experience, deep knowledge of operational dynamics, and constant dialogue with law firms make possible a real synergy between two worlds only apparently opposed, but in reality increasingly interconnected: that of classic investigation and that of advanced analytical prevention.
Tomorrow: a Century of History which continues to guide the Future
After more than one hundred years of activity, Vigilar Group still carries within itself the same spirit that inspired Giuseppe Visco Gilardi in 1920:
the courage to look beyond, to innovate, and to believe that truth is always attainable when method, intuition, and rigor work together.
Our future?
It is the natural continuation of a story that has never stopped evolving.
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