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 was apprehended at a private clinic in the Sicilian city, where he had been receiving treatment under the false name Andrea Bonafede.
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 officers arriving but did not resist once surrounded. He was convicted in absentia in 2002 to life in prison for multiple murders, including the bombings that killed anti-mafia magistrates Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino.
Nicknamed 'Diabolik' or 'U Siccu' (the skinny one), Denaro built a multibillion-euro empire in waste, wind energy and retail sectors. He was known for his luxurious lifestyle, wearing expensive suits, a Rolex and Ray-Ban sunglasses. His arrest was hailed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as 'a great victory for the Italian state'.
The hunt for Denaro was complicated by a lack of recent photographs, with authorities using digital reconstruction and information from mafia informants. Over the years, dozens of people were mistakenly arrested, including a British man in the Netherlands in 2021. Despite his powerful protection network, Denaro became increasingly isolated as police seized his businesses and arrested over 100 associates.
