Giovanni Falconeborn in Palermo in 1939, was a magistrate Italian engaged in investigation into Cosa Nostra killed in 1992 in the Capaci massacre. Symbol of the fight against the mafia, Falcone introduced New investigative methods And, for some investigations, he coordinated his activities with those of the US judges. He was part of the anti -mafia poolestablished at the Court of Palermo in 1983, and three years later together with Paolo Borsellino He wrote the order of indictment for the maxiprocess against Cosa Nostra, based on the declarations that had released the repentant Tommaso Buscetta. The mafia, led by the Corleonese of Totò Riina and Bernardo Provenzanohe tried to eliminate Falcone for the first time in 1989, without succeeding. In 1992 he organized another attack, which went down in history as Capaci massacrewhich ended with the death of the magistrate and four other people. Today Falcone is considered a herobut when he was alive he was criticized by a part of the ruling class and his own colleagues.
Giovanni Falcone’s youth
Giovanni Falcone was born in Palermo, in the neighborhood of Kalsaon May 18, 1939 by a wealthy family. He attended schools in the Sicilian and teenager capital, in the oratory in which he practiced sports activities, he met for the first time Paolo Borsellinowho would become his colleague and friend. In addition, assisted the Sack of Palermo (A huge building speculation managed by the mafia with the support of the political class) which in the 1950s and 60s distorted the face of the city. In 1957 Falcone enrolled in the Naval Academy of Livorno, but left it after only four months to return to Palermo and enroll in the Faculty of Law.
Graduated in 1961three years later he successfully supported the competition in the judiciary and married to his girlfriend, Rita Bonnici.
The beginning of the career in Giovanni Falcone’s judiciary
In the 1965 Falcone, just twenty -six, began the career of magistrate taking on the task of Praetor of Lentini; The following year he was transferred to the Trapani court, where he served for twelve years. In 1978 he moved to Palermo court where the context was very difficult: Cosa Nostra He was in a growth phase, because he managed enormous cocaine trafficking not only in Italy, but also in the United States. The Corleonese gangled by Totò Riinawhich would shortly have eliminated all the rivals and took control of the “dome”. Falcone began to deal with mafia in the trial against the manufacturer Rosario Spatula and introduced new investigative methods, based on bank investigationssensing that to counter the affairs of Cosa Nostra he had to “chase” the financial traces left by the mafia. His methods aroused some criticisms, but guaranteed important results. In the same period, Falcone divorced Rita Bonnici and took a relationship with his colleague Francesca Morvillowhich in 1986 would become his second wife.
The anti -mafia pool and the maxiprocess
In the early 1980s, the Corleonese gang took over the Cosa Nostra and inaugurated one season of massacreseliminating rival mafia and numerous excellent characters, including the head of the Palermo education office, Rocco Chinnici. Before dying, Chinnici had decided to create a Pool of magistrates anti -mafia: together with Falcone, Paolo Borsellino and other magistrates were part of it. To coordinate the group, after the death of Chinnici, he arrived Antonino Caponnetto.
The most important result obtained by Falcone was the repentance of Tommaso Buscetta – a boss belonging to the defeat faction of the mafia – who told him in detail how Cosa Nostra worked. Thanks to the statements of Buscetta and other repentant, In 1986 was able to take place the maxiprocessthat is, the process to Ben 475 Mafia (partly processed in absentia). Falcone and Borsellino wrote the ordinance of indictment of the defendants and the trial ended with numerous sentences (which in 1992 will be largely confirmed by the Cassation). The maxiprocess represented one fundamental turning point in the fight against the mafia: consequently, for the mafia Falcone and Borsellino they became the main enemies.
Falcone against the mafia: the criticisms, the Addaura, the transfer to Rome
Falcone enjoyed the support of most of thepublic opinionbut his investigative methods also aroused some criticism within of the judiciary and the political-intellectual world. In 1987 he applied to the assignment of Head of the Education Office of the Court of Palermo, that is to take the place of Caponnetto, but the superior council of the judiciary elected another candidate, Antonino Meli.
The mafia did not forget Falcone and in 1989 he organized a dynamite attack, placing a bomb near a house that the judge had rented for the summer, in the locality known as Addora. There bombhowever,, not explodedperhaps due to a malfunction of the detonator (the story has never stopped arousing doubts). Despite the attack, Falcone continued a investigate the crimes and business of the mafia As long as, in 1991, the Minister of Grace and Justice, Claudio Martelli, called him to Rome to direct theCriminal Affairs Office of the Ministry.
The massacre of Capaci and the myth of Falcone
In 1992 the mafia assassinated Falcone during a visit to Sicily. Cosa Nostra He knew that the magistrate could also damage his business from Rome and decided to Eliminate it with a bomb: on May 23 a group of mafia, headed by Giovanni Bruscaplaced a powerful explosive charge under the A29 Palermo-Mazara del Vallo motorway, near the Capaci junctionwhere he knew that the judge would pass. Falcone, landed shortly before at Punta Raisi airport, was personally driving the Fiat Croma who should have led him to Palermo. When the car, followed by a spare car, passed at the Capaci junction, Brusca did deduct the explosivekilling Falcone, his wife Francesca Morvillo and three escort agents, the remaining escort agents and some passing motorists were also injured. Less than two months later, on July 19, the mafia also eliminated Paolo Borsellino.
The death of the two magistrates caused one reaction of the Statewhich in the following months inflicted hard blows to Cosa Nostra, although failing to defeat it. Today Falcone, together with Borsellino, is considered A hero of the fight against organized crime.
