The Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, made a deal with the Sicilian Mafia in the early 1990s that put the country "in the hands" of the Mob, a court in Turin was told yesterday. Gaspare Spatuzza, a jailed Mafia hitman turned witness, told a packed and heavily guarded bunker courtroom that his Cosa Nostra Godfather boss had cut a deal with Mr Berlusconi in 1993 that provided unspecified "benefits" to the Mafia in exchange for political support. The media tycoon entered politics a few months later and won his first term as Prime Minister in 1994.
The Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, made a deal with the Sicilian Mafia in the early 1990s that put the country "in the hands" of the Mob, a court in Turin was told yesterday.
Gaspare Spatuzza, a jailed Mafia hitman turned witness, told a packed and heavily guarded bunker courtroom that his Cosa Nostra Godfather boss had cut a deal with Mr Berlusconi in 1993 that provided unspecified "benefits" to the Mafia in exchange for political support. The media tycoon entered politics a few months later and won his first term as Prime Minister in 1994.
The media tycoon entered politics a few months later and won his first term as Prime Minister in 1994.
False. Berlusconi had prepared his "descent" into the political arena two year before in 1992. He announced it publicly only in 1994. Other than that he had spent his entire professional career bribing and corrupting politicians, most notably Bettino Craxi, the longtime socialist PM who willfully handed over a media monopoly to Berlusconi.
Rumours of the conservative Prime Minister's links with the Mob have persisted since investigators learnt that a Cosa Nostra hitman, Vittorio Mangano, worked as Mr Berlusconi's "stable-master" at the media mogul's villa in Arcore outside Milan in the 1970s. Much speculation has also centred on the origins of Mr Berlusconi's vast wealth.
They aren't rumours. The facts have been known and substantiated in several trials, most notably the trial of Marcello Dell'Utri. When Mangano worked in Berlusconi's villa every damned local paper talked about it back in the 70's- including the Italian version of Mickey Mouse (no joke).
Mr. Michael Day should consider reading the requisitories and the motivations for the guilty sentence in Dell'Utri's first trial. They happen to be on line or are available in print in most bookstores.
Last week, the Prime Minister's broadcast group, Mediaset, and his holding company, Fininvest, announced it intended to sue the left-wing newspaper La Repubblica over an article that said Mediaset was "20 per cent owned by the Mafia".
La Repubblica wrote that according to court documentation 20 per cent of capital invested to create Mediaset is of unknown origin. They never said it was the mafia, although it is a logical understanding of the reader. Mr. Day might consider reporting the follow-up articles written by la Repubblica to confirm their assertion. They are available on line. It is nothing new.
There are plenty of "leftwing" papers to read without citing la Repubblica. In this case la Repubblica simply has a team of top-notch investigative reporters that coherently substantiate the editorial line which is certainly in opposition to Berlusconi but perfectly capable of acknowledging and debating with an honest and coherent Right- wherever that might be found in the present panorama.
The Prime Minister's spokesman said the testimony yesterday was the Mafia's "completely logical" revenge against the Prime Minister for his "determined" fight against organised crime. Dell'Utri told the court that neither he nor Mr Berlusconi had Mafia connections. "It's in the interest of the Mafia to force the collapse of the Berlusconi government because this government has done the most in the fight against organised crime," he said.
Dell'Utri told the court that neither he nor Mr Berlusconi had Mafia connections. "It's in the interest of the Mafia to force the collapse of the Berlusconi government because this government has done the most in the fight against organised crime," he said.
Mr. Berlusconi's governments have always done everything possible to favour the mafia through legislation, hate campaigns against the judiciary, and severly limiting resources for police forces and investigators.
The success of investigators and law enforcers in the capture of mafia bosses- just today Gianni Nicchi and Gaetano Fidanzati, Domenico Raccuglia last week- is due entirely to their own effort above and beyond the call of duty, with investigative tools such as wiretapping that Berlusconi is actively seeking to prevent usage in most investigations.
The top secret police unit Catturandi had to fork out gas and meals money to capture Provenzano in advance. After two years they had yet to be paid back. Thus is the consideration and esteem Mr. Berlusconi reserves for law enforcers.
Today, as always, the minister of the interior- or any sundry flunky in his stead- claims these captures as a consequence of their efforts. It is worth noting that both the major mafia bosses Provenzano and Guttadauro had always suggested to their political allies to adopt an anti-mafia political stance so as to act more freely in the shadow. Of course, a malicious tongue may note that the capture of a mafia boss might comfort Berlusconi's sleep since a powerful mafia would have the capacity to retaliate for broken promises.
Michael Day might consider reading one of Berlusconi's favorite books, The Prince, with which Berlusconi shot off his political career. He stamped a limited edition of The Prince allegedly annotated by Napoleon Bonaparte to distribute to his closest collaborators in his new adventure. It was actually an 18th forgery by Maurice Joly. Very fitting for a man of his depth. It can be bought on line.
...month.
By the way, who remained at the top? From Wikipedia, it seems only Matteo Messina Denaro and the Riina sons. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
Top THAT Berlu! In the end, might makes right. Nothing has changed since the caveman.
Certainly Richard Clarke's book Against all Enemies really documents that aspect of the bush administration, which could be summarised as "if Clinton did it, we won't". Clinton was very worried about al Qaeda. I imagine they were such american supremacists that they couldn't imagine a bunch of tribal ragheads could provide any threat to the US. keep to the Fen Causeway
It's an interesting claim, but unlikely.
Really? Why so? And good morning! In the end, might makes right. Nothing has changed since the caveman.
