Notorious Sicilian Mafia boss who was captured in January after three decades on the run, Matteo Messina Denaro, has passed away in a hospital in central Italy.
His death means that the secrets of his brutal reign will be buried with him.
The 61-year-old had been receiving treatment for colon cancer while detained in a high-security jail in L’Aquila. However, last month, his condition deteriorated, leading to his transfer to a hospital.
The mayor of L’Aquila, Pierluigi Biondi, confirmed the mobster’s death in the hospital, stating that it occurred “following a worsening of his illness.”
Messina Denaro’s capture earlier this year was a significant blow to the Sicilian Mafia, which he had led for many years. His death now marks the end of an era for one of Italy’s most infamous criminal organizations.
His death “puts the end to a story of violence and blood”, Biondi said and thanked prison and hospital staff for their “professionalism and humanity”.
It was “the epilogue of an existence lived without remorse or repentance, a painful chapter in the recent history of our nation”, the mayor added.
Matteo Messina Denaro, was a notorious figure within the Cosa Nostra, the Sicilian crime syndicate infamous worldwide due to its portrayal in the Godfather films, has passed away in a hospital.
He was convicted of numerous heinous crimes during his lifetime.
Messina Denaro’s convictions included involvement in the murders of anti-Mafia judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino in 1992, as well as participation in deadly bombings that struck Rome, Florence, and Milan in 1993.
Among his multiple life sentences was one for the kidnapping and subsequent murder of a 12-year-old boy, the son of a witness in the Falcone case.
His death signifies the end of an era in the world of organized crime, as Messina Denaro was widely regarded as one of the most ruthless bosses in Cosa Nostra history.
