Matteo Messina Denaro, the last 'godfather' of the Sicilian mafia and one of the world's most-wanted criminals, has been arrested in Palermo after 30 years on the run. The 60-year-old Cosa Nostra boss was apprehended at a private clinic in the Sicilian city, where he had been receiving treatment under the false name 'Andrea Bonafede' for about a year.
Denaro was taken away at about 9.35am to the applause of other patients and moved to the San Lorenzo barracks. According to police sources, he tried to escape when he saw police arriving but did not resist once surrounded. He was convicted in absentia in 2002 and sentenced to life in prison for personally killing or ordering the murder of dozens of people.
Nicknamed 'Diabolik' or 'U Siccu' (the skinny one), Denaro was born in Castelvetrano, Sicily, in 1962. His father was a powerful Cosa Nostra boss, and Denaro built an illicit multibillion euro empire in waste, wind energy and retail sectors. He is believed to hold the key to some of the most heinous mafia crimes, including the bomb attacks that killed anti-mafia magistrates Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino.
Italy's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, said: 'This is a great victory for the Italian state, which shows we should never surrender to the mafia.' The Palermo chief prosecutor, Maurizio De Lucia, added: 'The arrest is the result of long and difficult investigations. The dedication of the Carabinieri and all police forces have been fundamental.'
The quest to locate Denaro was complicated by the near-complete absence of recent photographs. Authorities reconstructed his appearance digitally using computer technology and information from mafia turncoats. Some informants revealed he underwent facial plastic surgery and had his fingerprints removed. Over the years, dozens of people were arrested in cases of mistaken identity.
Despite his powerful protection network, Denaro became increasingly isolated in recent years as police seized his businesses and arrested over 100 of his confederates, including family members. In August 2021, Italian public TV broadcaster Rai released a recording of Denaro's voice from 1993, and in September 2021, police released a video from 2009 showing his face from a distance.
