This certain group of people is apparently protected under Italian law. They used to be famous for moving around in caravans. The women from this group are required to sit outside hospitals, supermarkets, or on street corners and beg for a living, while their male counterparts spend the day travelling around serenading Milan's population with well known classical favourites on the city's underground system. These certain people seem to have a monopoly on begging and 'busking'. The offspring of these people pass the time of day targeting potential victims for their nice, and very well prepared, little pick pocketing/mugging street acts.
Seeing these scruffily dressed individuals wandering around and asking for your hard earned dosh may make you believe that they are poor. Maybe you should know that some of this certain group of people have managed to get away with constructing full blown and rather attractive houses in the midst of one of Milan's natural parks (planning permission! building consent! pah. Who needs that rubbish anyway!).
Stop reading, start speaking
Stop translating in your head and start speaking Italian for real with the only audio course that prompt you to speak.
The TV report on this even stated that one of these 'retreats' had a swimming pool! And of course, when you are so poor that you need to spend your life begging/busking/mugging, you cannot possibly afford a car, let alone a nice new Mercedes. No, surely not….
Poverty must be oh so expensive for some.