Benedetto 'Nitto' Santapaola, one of Italy's most notorious mafia bosses, has died in prison aged 87. He was serving multiple life sentences for his role in several high-profile murders, including those of anti-mafia judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino.
Key Takeaways
Benedetto 'Nitto' Santapaola, one of Italy's most notorious mafia bosses, has died in prison aged 87. He was serving multiple life sentences for his role in several high-profile murders, including those of anti-mafia judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino.
- Benedetto 'Nitto' Santapaola dies at age 87 while serving life sentences in Milan's Opera prison
- Known as one of Italy's most ruthless mafia bosses, convicted for ordering multiple murders, including those of anti-mafia judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino
- Nicknamed 'il cacciatore' (the hunter), led the Sicilian Mafia in Catania from the 1970s to early 1990s
- Arrested in 1993 after 11 years on the run; convicted of ordering the murder of journalist Giuseppe Fava and police inspector Giovanni Lizzio
Santapaola, known as 'il cacciatore' (the hunter), led the Sicilian Mafia in Catania from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. He was arrested in 1993 after more than a decade on the run and spent over 30 years behind bars for instigating a series of killings and other attacks.
Among his convictions were the 1984 murder of journalist Giuseppe Fava, who had exposed Santapaola's criminal empire and political ties. In May 1992, he was convicted for his role in the Capaci massacre, which killed Falcone, his wife Francesca Morvillo, and three police officers. Weeks later, anti-mafia judge Paolo Borsellino was also murdered in a car bombing.
Santapaola was imprisoned under Italy's strict 41bis regime, designed to cut off mafia bosses from the outside world. He died in the prison medicine department of San Paolo hospital in Milan after being transferred due to declining health. An autopsy has been ordered.
Claudio Fava, son of journalist Giuseppe Fava and former president of Sicily's anti-mafia commission, expressed no hatred towards Santapaola despite his father's murder. He recalled visiting the prison where Santapaola claimed innocence but acknowledged the mafia boss had taken his secrets to the grave.
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