Born in the village of
Corleone, the town made famous in the Godfather films, Provenzano reportedly
committed his first murder at the age of 25 when he killed a rival Mafia boss.
Jailed Mafia boss Bernardo
Provenzano, who was the undisputed head of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra from 1993
until 2006, has died in hospital at the age of 83.
Dubbed "the
Tractor" for his ruthless treatment of clan enemies, Provenzano died at
the San Paolo hospital in Milan, where he was being treated for cancer.
He was transferred to the
hospital in 2014 after Italy's supreme court rejected a plea from his lawyers
that he should be released from prison on the grounds of ill health.
He was serving several
consecutive life sentences following his arrest in 2006.
Provenzano had reportedly
attempted suicide in 2012 in his prison cell, but was stopped when guards found
him with a bag over his head.
He eventually became second
in command to Godfather Salvatore "Toto" Riina, who led the Cosa
Nostra during a series of gang wars in the 1980s.
He took control of the
organisation following Riina's arrest in 1993, and became known for his mastery
of the crime empire's finances.
In the 1990s, when
Provenzano was being sought by authorities, the price on his head was said to
be around €1.5m (£1.25m)
Police got a lucky break in
2002 when they received a tip-off that he had undergone an operation for
prostate cancer in Marseille, leaving behind a copy of an identity card which
bore a false name.
Provenzano was finally
arrested in 2006 at a farmhouse near Palermo, ending a 43-year stretch on the
run.
No comments:
Post a Comment