'Phantom of Corleone' nabbed after four decades (Mafia boss wanted in Italy since 1963)

Reuters via Sydney Morning Herald ^ | April 11, 2006 - 9:13PM

[dead]

Bernardo Provenzano, the chief of the Sicilian Mafia who has been on the run for more than four decades and was Italy's most wanted man, was arrested near Corleone in Sicily on Tuesday, officials said.

It was the state's biggest success against the Mafia in more than 13 years.

Provenzano, known as the "Phantom of Corleone" after the hill town in Sicily made famous by the Godfather films, has been running the Mafia since 1993, when former "boss of bosses" Toto Riina was arrested in the Sicilian capital Palermo.

The last known photograph of mafia boss Bernardo Provenzano taken in 1959.
Photo: Reuters

President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi had expressed his delight over the arrest to Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu, a statement from the presidential palace said.

The news bumped even national election results off the top spot of television news bulletins.

Provenzano, 73, has been wanted since 1963 and was known as Italy's "super-fugitive". The last picture police had of him before his arrest was taken in 1959 when he was 25.

He has been sentenced in absentia to life in prison in connection with the Mafia's most notorious crimes over the past decades, including the killings in 1992 of top anti-Mafia magistrates Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino.

Provenzano was arrested in a farmhouse in the countryside near Corleone and was due to be taken to a jail in Palermo later today, police said.

As a young man he was known as "Binnu the tractor" because of the way he mowed down the enemies of the Corleone clan.

His ability to evade capture for so many years while remaining in Sicily had become legendary.

Last year, Italy's national anti-Mafia prosecutor, Pietro Grasso, caused a storm by saying Provenzano had been protected by politicians and policemen.

Reuters

[Don Corleone]

Hmmmmmm!

[Mikey_1962]

Is this guy related to Nunzio and Tony Pro of Teamsters fame?

[proudpapa]

Last year, Italy's national anti-Mafia prosecutor, Pietro Grasso, caused a storm by saying Provenzano had been protected by politicians and policemen.


No sheet Sherlock!


I'm guessing that he was only "caught" now, because he has some kinda health problem that the Italian government will pay for while he's incarcerated.

[AppyPappy]

His ability to evade capture for so many years while remaining in Sicily had become legendary.

BS. Someone decided it was THEIR turn to run the mob so they ratted him out.

[starbase]

My condolences.

[massgopguy]

If you brought a screenplay to a studio about the last Don getting pinched in Corleone, they'd throw you out for being a cliche monger.

[xarmydog]

He must have been running low on money.So much to pay out,so little time.I smell a rat.Or is that a horses head?

[spetznaz]

You've got a point.

[starbase]

He must have been running low on money.So much to pay out,so little time.

Maybe he should invest in Cuba, unless that revolution thing looks like a goer.

[Sax]

If he's resembling this artist rendition even remotely, he's in good shape for being 73:

[xarmydog]

Isn't that the truth!I really liked your click on.I read it twice!

[Maceman]

Must be all that clean living.

[CollegeRepublican]

The Sicilian by Mario Puzo. One of my favorite books.

[jordan8]

This sort of thing is common in Sicily, his predecessor Toto Riina was "on the run" with the connivance of local politicians for 20 years.