Matteo Messina Denaro: The Demise of a Mafia Kingpin

L'autopsia sulla salma di Messina Denaro. Le reazioni alla notizia della morte

Matteo Messina Denaro has passed away. The Cosa Nostra boss, head of the mafia family in Castelvetrano, and considered one of the world's most dangerous criminals, breathed his last in the hospital of L'Aquila. He was admitted due to complications arising from a severe colon cancer that had afflicted him.

As anticipated at the time of his arrest on January 16, 2023, following nearly three decades on the run, illness granted Matteo Messina Denaro only a few more months of life.

Born on April 26, 1962, in Castelvetrano, Matteo Messina Denaro, also known by the aliases "U Siccu" and Diabolik, was 61 years old.

The undisputed head of the Castelvetrano district and the Trapani mafia, he was regarded as one of the most significant bosses in all of Cosa Nostra. Condensing his criminal biography into a few lines is a challenge (in this regard, it's worth noting the extensive investigative work carried out by Giacomo Di Girolamo, director of Tp24, in his book "L'invisibile").

Matteo's rise within Cosa Nostra began when his father Francesco decided to align himself with boss Mariano Agate alongside Totò Riina in the Second Mafia War, against the Palermo families that had previously dominated the organization. In particular, Matteo played a crucial role in forging the alliance between the Capo dei Capi and the Graviano Brothers, Filippo and Giuseppe.

He was a key figure during the 1992-1993 period of Mafia bombings. Considered extremely close to Totò Riina, he possessed knowledge of the shadowy and significant pieces of the State-mafia negotiations.

He remained on the list of the world's ten most wanted fugitives until the day of his arrest near a private clinic in Palermo.