Giovanni Falcone, one of the architects of the Maxi Trial.

The Maxi Trial was a criminal trial that took place in Sicily during the mid-1980s that saw hundreds of defendants on trial for a multitude of crimes relating to Mafia activities. Judge Giovanni Falcone. ... Judge Giovanni Falcone. ... Giovanni Falcone. ... Sicily (Sicilia in Italian and Sicilian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,700 sq. ... The Mafia, also referred to in Italian as Cosa Nostra, which is generally translated our thing in the Italian language, is an organized criminal secret society which evolved in mid-19th century Sicily. ...

Preceding Events

The existence and crimes of the Mafia had been denied or merely downplayed by many people in authority for decades, despite proof of its criminal activities dating back to the 19th Century. In fact it was only in 1980 that it was first seriously suggested that being a member of the Mafia should be a specific criminal offence by Communist politician Pio La Torre, and that law only came into effect two-years later after La Torre had been gunned down for making that very suggestion. Communism - Wikipedia /**/ @import /w/skins-1. ... A politician is an individual involved in politics to the extent of holding or running for public office. ...

During the early 1980s, a Mafia War had raged as Corleonesi boss Salvatore Riina decimated other Mafia Families, resulting in hundreds of murders, including several high-profile authority figures such as Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa, head of counter-terrorism who had arrested Red Brigades founders in 1974. His murder has been linked to Aldo Moro's assassination and Gladio's strategy of tension. The increasing public revulsion at such killings gave the necessary momentum for Magistrates like Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino to try to deliver a serious blow to the far-reaching criminal organization on the island. Salvatore Riina Salvatore Riina, also known as Totò Riina (born November 16, 1930) is one of the most infamous members of the Sicilian Mafia. ... Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa (September 27, 1920, Saluzzo, province of Cuneo – 3 September 1982, Palermo) was a general of the Italian carabinieri notable for campaigning against terrorism during Italys 1970s strategy of tension, and later assassinated by the Mafia in Palermo. ... The Red Brigades (Brigate Rosse) are a militant group located in Italy. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1974 calendar). ... Aldo Moro. ... Operation Gladio Operation Gladio was a clandestine stay-behind operation sponsored by the CIA and NATO to counter communist influence in Italy, as well as in other European countries. ... The Strategy of Tension (Italian; strategia della tensione) is a way to control and manipulate public opinion using propaganda, disinformation, psychological warfare, agents provocateurs and terror. ... Giovanni Falcone. ... Paolo Borsellino (January 19, 1940 Palermo - July 19, 1992 Palermo) was an Italian anti-mafia judge. ...

Location and Defendants

Never before in the history of the Mafia had so many Mafiosi been on trial at the same time. A total of 474 defendants were facing charges, although 119 of them were to be tried in absentia as they were fugitives and still on the run (Salvatore Riina was one of these absent defendants.) The Mafia, also referred to in Italian as Cosa Nostra, which is generally translated our thing in the Italian language, is an organized criminal secret society which evolved in mid-19th century Sicily. ... In Absentia is the eighth studio album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, first released in September 24, 2002. ...

Amongst those present were Luciano Leggio, Riina's predeccesor, who acted as his own lawyer, and also Giuseppe "Pippo" Calò and Michele Greco (the latter was the uncle of the infamous mass-killer Pino Greco.) Luciano Leggio at his murder trial in 1974 Luciano Leggio (some sources spell his surname Liggio) (1925–January 16, 1993) was a powerful member of the Sicilian Mafia. ... A lawyer is a person who advises clients in legal matters and represents them in courts of law and in other forms of dispute resolution. ... Giuseppe Pippo Calo (born 1931) is a member of the Sicilian Mafia. ... Pino Greco (died late 1985) was a hitman and member of the Sicilan Mafia. ...

The Maxi trial took place next to the Ucciardone (the Palermo prison) in a bunker specially designed to try the defendants. It was a large octagonal building made from Reinforced concrete that was able to prevent rocket attacks, inside there were cages built in to the green walls holding the many defendents in large groups. There were over six-hundred members of the press as well as many carabinieri wielding machine guns and a 24 hour air defense system keeping an eye on the defendents. Nickname: Palermu Motto: Official website: http://www. ... One of the 8 semi-regular tessellations: octagons and squares An octagon is a polygon that has eight sides. ... Reinforced concrete at Sainte Jeanne dArc Church (Nice, France): architect Jacques Dror, 1926–1933 Reinforced concrete (ferro concrete) is concrete in which reinforcement bars (rebars) or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the material that would otherwise be brittle. ... The Carabinieri is the shortened (and common) name for the Arma dei Carabinieri, an Italian military corps of the gendarmerie type with police functions, which also serves as the Italian military police. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... American troops man an anti-aircraft gun near the Algerian coastline in 1943 Anti-aircraft warfare, or air defense, is any method of combating military aircraft from the ground. ...

The Trial

After several years of planning, the trial began on February 10, 1986. The presiding judge was Alfonso Giordano, flanked by two other judges who were 'alternates', should anything fatal happen to Giordano before the end of what was going to be lengthy trial. The charges faced by the defendants included 120 murders, drug trafficking, extortion and, of course, the new law that made it an offence to be a member of the Mafia, the first time that law would be put to the test. February 10 is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Retail selling Street selling is the bottom of the chain and can be accomplished through purchasing from prostitutes, through cloaked retail stores or refuse houses for users in the act located in red-light districts which often also deal in paraphernalia, dealers marketing merriment at night clubs and other events... Extortion is a criminal offense, which occurs when a person obtains money, behaviour, or other goods and/or services from another by wrongfully threatening or inflicting harm to this person, reputation, or property. ...

Judge Giordano won a lot of praise for remaining patient and fair during such a mammoth case with so many defendents. Some of the defendants indulged in disruptive and rather alarming behaviour, such as one who literally stapled his mouth shut to signify his refusal to talk, another who feigned madness by frequently screaming and fighting with guards even whilst he was in a straitjacket and one who threatened to cut his own throat if a statement of his was not read out to the court. A Posey seen from the rear (with some added restraints) A leather straitjacket A straitjacket is a garment shaped like a jacket with overlong sleeves. ...

Most of the crucial evidence came from Tommaso Buscetta a Mafioso captured in 1982 in Brazil, where he had fled two-years previously after escaping from prison whilst on day release during a prison sentence for double-murder. He had lost many relatives during the Mafia war, including two sons, as well as many Mafiosi allies such as Stefano Bontade and Salvatore Inzerillo, and so had decided to cooperate with the Sicilian magistrates. The Corleonesi continued its vendetta against Buscetta by killing several more of his relatives. Testifying against the Corleonesi was the only way he had left of avenging his murdered family and friends. Tommaso Buscetta (in sunglasses) is lead into court at the Maxi Trial, circa 1986 Tommaso Buscetta (July 13, 1928 - April 4, 2000) was a Sicilian mafioso, and later repented. ... Stefano Bontade (April 23, 1939 - April 23, 1981) was a powerful member of the Sicilan Mafia. ... Salvatore Inzerillo (died May 11, 1981) was a member of the Sicilian Mafia. ...

Tommaso Buscetta (in sunglasses) is lead into court at the Maxi Trial.

Some evidence was also presented posthumously from Leonardo Vitale. Although Buscetta is widely regarded as the first pentiti (and was certainly the first to be taken seriously), back in 1973, 32-year-old Leonardo Vitale had turned himself in at a Palermo police station and confessed to being in the Mafia. He said he had committed many crimes for them, including two murders. He said he had been having a 'spiritual crisis' and felt remorse. However, his information was largely ignored because his unusual behaviour, such as self mutilation as a form of personal penitence, lead to many to regarded him as being mentally ill and his detailed confessions therefore unworthy of being taken seriously. The only Mafiosi convicted by his testimony were Vitale himself and his Uncle. Vitale was held in a mental asylum then released in June 1984; six-months later he was shot dead by a Mafia hitman in front of his mother and sister. At the start of the Maxi Trial, Giovanni Falcone told the court that "it is to be hoped that at least after his death Vitale will get the credence he deserved." Image File history File links Mafia informant Tommaso Buscetta in court, circa 1986. ... Pentiti (Italian, literally meaning those who have repented) are former members of the Italian Mafia or similar criminal or terrorist organisations who have abandoned their criminal/terrorist organisation and helped police to discover as much as possible about the respective organisation, criminals, and in general anything related to their former... Self-harm (SH) is deliberate injury to ones own body. ... The Scream, the famous painting commonly thought of as depicting the experience of mental illness. ... A psychiatric hospital (also called a mental hospital or asylum) is a hospital specializing in the treatment of persons with mental illness. ...

There were many critics of the Maxi Trial. Some implied that the defendents were being victimized as part of some sort of vendetta of the magistrates. The Sicilian writer Leonardo Sciascia said that: "There is nothing better for getting ahead in the magistracy than taking part in Mafia trials." Cardinal Pappalardo of the Catholic Church gave a controversial interview where he said that the Maxi Trial was "an oppressive show" and stated that abortion killed more people than the Mafia. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official in the Roman Catholic Church, ranking just below the Pope and appointed by him as a member of the College of Cardinals during a consistory. ... The name Catholic Church can mean a visible organization that refers to itself as Catholic, or the invisible Christian Church, viz. ...

Other critics suggested that the word of informants - primarily Buscetta - was not the ideal way to judge other people, as even an informant who has truly repented is still a former criminal, liar and murderer and may still have a vested interest in modifying their testimony to suit their needs or even settle vendettas. It was also said that such a huge trial with so many defendents was not making allowances for the individuals, an attempt to "deliver justice in bulk" as one journalist put it.

The information that Buscetta gave judges Falcone and Borselino was highly important, and was termed 'The Buscetta Theorem', in that the believability of his claims of the existence of the Mafia was central to the case. Buscetta gave a new understanding to how the Mafia functioned and how the clandestine groups of hierarchy in the Sicilian Cupola (the Sicilian version of the commission) actually agreed on policy and business. For the first time the Mafia had been prosecuted as an entity rather than a collection of individual crimes.

The Verdicts

Luciano Leggio at the Maxi Trial. He was eventually acquitted, although he was already serving an existing sentence for murder

The trial ended on December 16, 1987, almost two years after it commenced. Image File history File links LeggioMaxiTrial. ... Image File history File links LeggioMaxiTrial. ... Luciano Leggio at his murder trial in 1974 Luciano Leggio (some sources spell his surname Liggio) (1925–January 16, 1993) was a powerful member of the Sicilian Mafia. ... December 16 is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Of the 474 defendants - both those present and those tried in absentia - 360 were convicted. They included Michele Greco, as well as the fugitives Salvatore Riina and Bernardo Provenzano. 2,665 years of prison sentences were shared out between the guilty. Michele Greco (born May 12, 1924) is a member of the Sicilian Mafia, currently incarcerated for multiple murder. ... Bernardo Provenzano in 1959, aged 26. ...

114 were acquitted, including Luciano Leggio, who had been charged with helping to run the Corleonesi Mafia Family from behind bars. The judge decided there was not enough evidence. It made little difference to Leggio's position though; he was already serving life imprisonment for murder and remained behind bars until his death six years later. Luciano Leggio at his murder trial in 1974 Luciano Leggio (some sources spell his surname Liggio) (1925–January 16, 1993) was a powerful member of the Sicilian Mafia. ... Life imprisonment is a term used for a particular kind of sentence of imprisonment. ...

The significant number of acquittals did manage to silence some of the critics who had believed that it was a show trial whereby nearly everyone would be convicted. The term show trial serves most commonly to label a type of public trial in which the judicial authorities have already determined the guilt of the accused: the actual trial has as its only goal to present the accusation and the verdict to the public as an impressive example and...

Of those who were acquitted, eighteen were later murdered by the Mafia, including one, Antoninio Ciulla, who was shot dead within an hour of being released as he drove home for a celebratory party.

Appeals

The Maxi Trial was largely regarded as a success. However, the appeals process soon began, which resulted in a shocking number of successful appeals on minor technicalities. Most of this was thanks to Corrado Carnevale, a judge in the pay of the Mafia who was handed control over most of the appeals by the corrupt politician Salvatore Lima. Corrado Carnevale was an Italian High Court judge who colluded with the Mafia. ... Salvatore Lima (January 23, 1928 - March 12, 1992) was an Italian politician from Sicily who was murdered by the Mafia, with whom he was alleged to have ties with. ...

Carnevale was eventually nicknamed l'ammazza-sentenze - "The Sentence Killer" - because of his tendency to overturn Mafia convictions for trivial reasons. He threw out some drug-trafficking convictions, for example, because wiretapped conversations presented as evidence referred to the moving of "shirts" and "suits" instead of narcotics, even though it was well known that these were the codenames the members of that particular drug-ring employed for narcotics. He also released one Mafiosi, who had been convicted of murder, on the grounds of ill-health. Despite being supposedly at death's door, the mobster immediately fled to Brazil with his illicit fortune and his family. Telephone tapping or Wire tapping/ Wiretapping (in US) describes the monitoring of telephone conversations by a third party, often by covert means. ... The term narcotic, derived from the Greek word for stupor, originally referred to a variety of substances that induced sleep (such state is narcosis). ...

By 1989, only 60 defendants remained behind bars, and many were not exactly doing hard-time, with several residing in prison hospitals and taking it easy whilst malingering with phantom illnesses. One convicted Mafiosi had a private hospital ward to himself and had several common (non-Mafiosi) criminals as his servants, supposedly whilst suffering from a brain tumor that, suspiciously, did not show any symptoms whatsoever. Malingering is a psychological term that refers to an individual faking the symptoms of mental or physical disorders. ... A brain tumor is any intracranial mass created by an abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells either normally found in the brain itself: neurons, glial cells (astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, ependymal cells), lymphatic tissue, blood vessels), in the cranial nerves (myelin producing Schwann cells), in the brain envelopes (meninges), skull, pituitary and...

Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino complained about these events but found it hard to be taken seriously as, so it seemed, the state's anti-Mafia crusade lost momentum and their opinions went largely unheard. One informer later said that the Mafia tolerated the Maxi Trials because they assumed those convicted would soon be quietly released once the public had lost interest, and the Mafia could continue with business as usual. It seemed, for a while, that they were correct in this assumption.

Aftermath

In January 1992, Falcone and Borsellino managed to take charge of further Maxi Trial appeals. Not only did they turn many appeals down, they reversed previous successful ones, resulting in many Mafiosi who had recently swaggered out of prison after their convictions were overturned being unceremoniously rounded up and put back behind bars, in many cases for the rest of their lives. This naturally angered the Mafia bosses, particularly Salvatore Riina, who had been hoping his in absentia sentence for murder would be reversed and allow him to retire in peace with his immense criminal fortune.

That summer, Falcone and Borsellino were murdered in audacious bomb attacks. This resulted in public revulsion and a major crackdown against the Mafia that seriously weakened the organization.

Salvatore Riina was eventually captured, as were other Mafiosi like Giovanni Brusca. Corrado Carnevale, the "Sentence Killer", was sacked and imprisoned for being in league with the Mafia. Salvatore Lima would have probably faced a similar fate but he was murdered in 1992 for not preventing the reversal of the appeals at the start of that year. Giovanni Brusca (born 1957 in San Giuseppe Jato) is a former member of the Sicilian Mafia. ...

Whether the Maxi Trial was a success or not is impossible to judge without taking into account subsequent events. The trial's primary success, at its very outset, was in holding the Mafia as an organization into account for its activities rather than just its individual members for isolated crimes (this approach was personified in the USA via the RICO Act). However, the corrupted appeals process largely undid the work of the trial, but, although it took several years and cost the lives of two judges, the Maxi Trial eventually set off a chain-reaction that lead to a severe weakening of the Mafia and the eventual capture of those who escaped the trial's initial net, such as Riina and Brusca. RICO or the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act is a United States law which provides for extended penalties for criminal acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. ...

See also

• Mani pulite
• Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa's murder, ordered by Salvatore Riina
• Gladio clandestine NATO secret paramilitary organization, involved in Italy's strategy of tension and in various terrorist acts, starting from the 1969 Piazza Fontana bombing

Mani pulite (Italian for clean hands) was a nationwide Italian police investigation into political corruption held in the 1990s, following the scandal of Banco Ambrosiano in 1982, which implicated mafia, Vatican Bank and P2. ... Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa (September 27, 1920, Saluzzo, province of Cuneo – 3 September 1982, Palermo) was a general of the Italian carabinieri notable for campaigning against terrorism during Italys 1970s strategy of tension, and later assassinated by the Mafia in Palermo. ... Salvatore Riina Salvatore Riina, also known as Totò Riina (born November 16, 1930) is one of the most infamous members of the Sicilian Mafia. ... Operation Gladio Operation Gladio was a clandestine stay-behind operation sponsored by the CIA and NATO to counter communist influence in Italy, as well as in other European countries. ... The Strategy of Tension (Italian; strategia della tensione) is a way to control and manipulate public opinion using propaganda, disinformation, psychological warfare, agents provocateurs and terror. ... The Piazza Fontana bombing refers to the terrorist bombing on December 12th 1969 in the offices of Banca Nazionale dellAgricoltura (National Agrarian Bank) in Piazza Fontana, Milan, Italy. ...

References

Excellent Cadavers (1995) Alexander Stille, Vintage ISBN 0099594919 Alexander Stille is an American author and journalist. ... The International Standard Book Number, or ISBN (sometimes pronounced is-ben), is a unique identifier for books, intended to be used commercially. ...

The Antimafia (2000) Alison Jamieson, MacMillan Press Ltd ISBN 033380158 The International Standard Book Number, or ISBN (sometimes pronounced is-ben), is a unique identifier for books, intended to be used commercially. ...

Cosa Nostra (2004) John Dickie, Coronet, ISBN 0340824352 The International Standard Book Number, or ISBN (sometimes pronounced is-ben), is a unique identifier for books, intended to be used commercially. ...