Italy’s Most Infamous Mafia Boss Dies After Battle with Cancer
ROME — Matteo Messina Denaro, 61, Italy’s most notorious mafia boss, has passed away after a long fight against colon cancer. Messina Denaro, also known as the “Last Godfather,” was arrested in January this year in the Sicilian city of Palermo while trying to get a coronavirus test.
His death marks the end of a dark chapter in Italy’s history, as he was accused of ordering the killings of two anti-Mafia magistrates and was known for his brutal treatment of rivals and innocent victims. Despite undergoing two surgeries and receiving chemotherapy, his condition had worsened in recent weeks.
Following his deteriorating health, Messina Denaro was transferred from prison to the San Salvatore dell’Aquila hospital. Authorities have announced that an autopsy will be conducted to confirm the cause of death.
Pierluigi Biondi, the mayor of L’Aquila, referred to Messina Denaro’s life as “a story of violence and blood, pain and heroism.” He acknowledged that it was a painful chapter in Italy’s recent history that cannot be erased.
Messina Denaro’s arrest earlier this year was seen as a symbolic victory in Italy’s fight against organized crime. Sicilians took to the streets, cheering and applauding the Carabinieri police. Messina Denaro was believed to be the leader of Cosa Nostra, one of Italy’s three major crime syndicates, along with the Camorra and the ‘Ndrangheta. Cosa Nostra’s criminal activities range from drug trafficking to newer ventures, such as attempting to profit from alternative energy generation.
Known for his mastery of deception and manipulation, Messina Denaro had been receiving chemotherapy treatment at the clinic where he was arrested for over a year.
He was allegedly involved in several brazen attacks that contributed to the modern Italian mafia’s notoriety. These included the assassinations of anti-Mafia magistrates Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino in 1992. Prosecutors also believed that he played a role in the kidnapping and subsequent torture and murder of the 11-year-old son of a Mafia informant. The child’s body was dissolved in acid.
During his time in detention, Messina Denaro underwent two surgeries for cancer complications. However, he never fully recovered from the second operation and remained hospitalized instead of being sent back to prison. He was heavily sedated and received treatment for intense pain.
Before losing consciousness, Messina Denaro reportedly recognized a daughter he had previously disowned and bestowed her with his last name. In his living will, he had refused aggressive treatment, and his food was stopped as he slipped into a coma on Friday. He passed away shortly before 2 a.m. on Monday.
Pietro Grasso, an Italian anti-mafia magistrate and politician, described Messina Denaro’s death as the end of a life filled with violence, schemes, and mysteries. Grasso noted that Messina Denaro had played a crucial role in the bloodiest era of the Sicilian mafia and lamented the lack of closure for the victims as the mafia boss refused to provide details of his crimes even as his health deteriorated.
“Cosa Nostra won’t end today,” Grasso wrote on Facebook. “Cosa Nostra changes, evolves, transforms, but remains the main obstacle for a Sicily and Italy free from the shackles of violence, blackmail, and poverty.”