Thirteen years after David Rossi fell to his death from a Palazzo Salimbeni window, Italy’s parliamentary inquiry committee has named two men as suspected protagonists in the tragedy, pointing to former Monte dei Paschi di Siena president Giuseppe Mussari as the alleged mastermind of an intimidation plot gone wrong.
The parliamentary inquiry committee investigating the death of the former Monte dei Paschi di Siena communication chief has officially brought two specific names into the long-running probe, more than 13 years after the March 6, 2013 tragedy in Siena. During a meeting of the bureau, committee president Gianluca Vinci outlined a reconstruction derived from recent witness depositions and technical analyses, identifying Giuseppe Mussari and Gabriele Ceccherelli as central figures in what investigators now treat as a fatal coercive action rather than a suicide.
According to the committee’s findings, Mussari allegedly ordered a punitive intimidation effort directed at Rossi that was never intended to cause his death, while Ceccherelli—a former participant in Florence’s historic Calcio Storico—is accused of organizing the operational phase and selecting the individuals assigned to carry it out. Investigators emphasized that neither man has been formally charged by a court, but the inquiry body felt compelled to make the findings public to grant both men appropriate procedural safeguards, including legal assistance and the right to decline answering questions.
Giuseppe Mussari Denounces the Allegations as Calumny
The accusations drew an immediate and furious response from Mussari, who spent years at the apex of Italy’s banking sector. Mussari served as president of the Fondazione Monte dei Paschi di Siena from 2001 to 2006 before leading the bank itself until 2012. He also chaired the Italian Banking Association until 2013.
«In base agli elementi acquisiti dalla Commissione nelle vicende che hanno portato alla morte di David Rossi sarebbero coinvolti, con ruoli diversi, Giuseppe Mussari, quale mandante di un'azione di intimidazione che inizialmente non avrebbe dovuto portare alla morte di David… pic.twitter.com/4bNGagnQFM
Speaking out against the parliamentary disclosures, Mussari rejected the narrative entirely. In previous testimony before an earlier parliamentary inquiry in February 2022, he had described Rossi as a close friend, stating that he had brought Rossi to the bank because he was the best in his field. Confronted with the committee’s new claims, he dismissed them in stark terms.
Giuseppe Mussari called what Mr. Giletti stated madness even before being an extremely serious and unparalleled calumny,
adding that he would take legal action in all venues against him as well as against anyone who dares to repeat such a calumnious madness.
Gabriele Ceccherelli Rejects Any Connection to Siena
The second man named by the inquiry is 71-year-old Gabriele Ceccherelli, known by his nickname “Zena.” Beyond his athletic background representing the Santa Croce neighborhood’s Azzurri in the historic football tournament, Ceccherelli worked in nightclub security.
The committee’s witness testimony places Ceccherelli as the organizer who coordinated the personnel sent into Palazzo Salimbeni. Ceccherelli offered a categorical denial through his legal representation, lawyer Federico Bagattini. According to his statement to the press, Ceccherelli maintained he had no involvement whatsoever.
I know nothing, I don't know anyone involved in this story, the only time I was in Siena was to buy a pair of shoes, I have nothing to do with this matter. Gabriele
Family Caution and Next Judicial Steps
While the parliamentary commission moves to transmit its entire documentary file to the judiciary, David Rossi’s relatives have urged extreme caution regarding premature public judgments. Through their attorney Carmelo Miceli, wife Antonella Tognazzi and daughter Carolina Orlandi acknowledged the scientific work done by the committee in establishing that Rossi’s death stemmed from an act of violence rather than suicide. At the same time, they warned against trial by media.
The legal team emphasized that any evaluation of the newly surfaced witness testimonies must be handled exclusively by the judiciary within a proper courtroom framework. The committee noted that while the inquiry fulfills a vital role in reconstructing historical facts, establishing criminal liability remains strictly the responsibility of the courts.