Notorious mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro was arrested by Italian authorities on Monday after being listed as one of Europe‘s most wanted men for nearly 30 years.
Denaro, 60, was considered one of the head bosses of the infamous mafia Cosa Nostra, which has been around since the 19th century and has inspired other mafias, including those in the United States.
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The mafia boss was captured at a health clinic in Palermo, Italy, on the island of Sicily, after being in hiding for nearly three decades.
Denaro will now face multiple life sentences for which he was convicted in absentia, meaning he was not present for the trial, in 1992, for his role in the bombings that killed prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, who were perceived to be against the mafia. He has also been found guilty of numerous other murders.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni celebrated Denaro’s capture Monday, calling it a “great victory” for the country, and proclaimed the nation would not be brought down by the mafia.
Una grande vittoria dello Stato che dimostra di non arrendersi di fronte alla mafia. All’indomani dell’anniversario dell’arresto di Totò Riina, un altro capo della criminalità organizzata, Matteo Messina Denaro, viene assicurato alla giustizia. pic.twitter.com/8d6sHaDloK
— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) January 16, 2023
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Europol said mafias such as Cosa Nostra mainly focus on money laundering and large-scale drug trafficking but are also involved in corruption, currency and goods counterfeiting, and the trafficking of toxic waste.
Denaro’s capture comes almost exactly 30 years since then-head of Cosa Nostra Salvatore Riina was captured by authorities. Riina’s 1993 arrest was part of a crackdown on organized crime on the island of Sicily, which has reduced the power of the mafia in the region of Italy.
