It wasn't exactly a secret. Bernardo Provenzano considered him reliable and mafia boss Nino Giuffe' confirmed it. Between 1993 and 1994 the “super” justice collaborator recalls that after a half a dozen meetings among leading mafia bosses uncle Bino said: 'We're in good hands, we can trust him”. Until this moment meetings between senator Marcello Dell'Utri (Pdl) and the elderly Corleonese man of honor who had headed Cosa Nostra for ten years had merely been hypothesized . Today, the cards on the table are being mixed and those same encounters, the ones in which political resolutions to the numerous problems of the mafia were discussed have become a certainty. Massimo Ciancimino, the former mayor of Palermo's son reveals everything he knows. Vito Ciancimino played a leading role during an important part of the negotiation between State and Sicilian clans of the early '90's. Ciancimino Junior says: “ They had a close relationship, a very close relationship. I am sure they knew one another, they had personal ties. As a matter of fact, whenever my father needed a favour from that party ( Forza Italia ndr) or information, law drafts, his reference point was always Lo Verde ( one of Provenzano's aliases ndr). Often times, Lo Verde sent documents containing law bills directly to my home, or manipulations of things (confiscation ndr) of assets...”

This is probably, the most important revelation contained inside the twenty – two reports deposited two days ago by young Ciancimino during the trial against former head of the italian police force called Ros, general Mario Mori and concerning Provenzano's missed arrest. For many months, in front of magistrates from Caltanissetta and Palermo, Ciancimo Junior has attempted to reconstruct a piece of Italian history by handing over reserved documents which belonged to his father, notes he had received from Provenzano. Ciancimino has also been trying to clarify his father's explanations about events which developed in Sicily, explanations which don Vito, the former Christian Democrat mayor of Palermo was writing in a book before he died. Massimo Ciancimino is now exposing the mysteries of recent Italian history: from Ustica to Moro, from the murders of Michele Reina, Pietro Scaglione and, Piersanti Mattarella. Ciancimino goes even further and rebuilds the modality by which a bribe was payed “by Romano Tronci to Member of Parliament Enrico La Loggia ( former Christian Democrat, then minister of Forza Italia). He tells of “a lump sum of money ( 250,000 Euros )” handed over to an accountant in 2005 so that it be turned over to the president for the Commission of Constitutional Affairs of the senate, Carlo Vizzini.

From the instant replay of Ciancimino's memories a likely portrait emerges of what is known as the grey area, even though his testimony remains to be verified. The grey area, the border line between the mafia and the Sicilian bourgeoisie historically accustomed to cohabiting and doing business with the mafia. A fine thread which begins in Palermo and winds up in Rome. According to Massimo Ciancimino the knot of the thread is Arcore. Thirty – five years ago Dell'Utri, “ surely managed money which belonged to Stefano Bontade (head of the Palermo mafia killed in 1981 ndr) as well as money that appertained to people who were close to him”. Ciancimino Junior gave public prosecutors many leads to follow in order to verify his story: names of commercial companies of mafia families such as Bonura and Buscemi ( already, both resulted to be partners of the Ferruzzi group of Ravenna ), diamond traders' identities as witnesses of movements of capital and, his father's notes. But, for the moment, all this information remains covered by investigative secret. Only Ciancimino's story of what happened after has already been judicially recognized and documented. The after goes back to 1992 when Cosa Nostra murders Euro – MP Salvo Lima, a man of Andreotti who had been the intermediary between big league politics and mafia clans. At that point, Vito Ciancimino whom had already been arrested and condemned but,was still a free man, flirts with the thought of taking Lima's place. He boasts of his ancient friendship with Provenzano. The italian police force Ros , who want to capture Toto' Riina, often knock at don Vito's door. Don Vito believes that he is going to become the new reference point between State and mafia. But, things don't go according to his plans and the situation changes drastically in no time at all. Don

Vito ends up in jail and his figure is substituted. “ By whom? By someone who wanted to step over him?” ask public prosecutors. Ciancimino answers firmly: “ My father said that Marcello Dell'Utri, who was a person he did not appreciate because he believed him to be too impulsive, was the only one able to handle a situation like this one”. According to the former mayor's son, those words were not hypothetical. In fact, throughout the years, Provenzano's personal relationship with the founder of Forza Italia was proven on a number of given occassions. For example: a note received directly from the bosse's hands in September 2001 reads: “ Dearest engineer (don Vito) I read what M (Massimo ndr) gave me... Our Sen and our new Pres told me they are going to push the new solution to resolve your suffering. As soon as I receive information I will pass it on to you, the lawyer is well – intentioned. Our friend Z has asked to meet with the Sen. I read that you are not happy about this and that we must buy time because we're dealing with appointing positions in gas. He told me you are in the hospital. Get well soon and may the good Lord assist us”.

Massimo Ciancimino, who has been able to acknowledge his father's ability to operate in the Fininvest world when he managed to have a friend hired in Publitalia in just 20 days, translates. “Our Sen” is Dell'Utri, the “new Pres” is the Sicilian governor Toto' Cuffaro, while “the lawyer” is Nino Mormino, defense attorney of the entire Cosa Nostra reign, Dell' Utri's faithful lawyer and, in that precise moment, also vice – president of the justice commission of the House of Commons. Three politicians who have been under inquiry for mafia related events ( the first two sentenced in first degree, the third's proceedings filed away) and whom were busy trying to eliminate the last portion of don Vito's sentence which forced him to house arrest through a clemency order. This is one of the reasons why, in '96, pro – mafia law drafts, which were then presented in parliament, ended up in Ciancimino's hands. Sometimes the drafts were passed over by Provenzano. This is Ciancimino's version who also explains that “our friend Z”, was his cousin, Enzo Zanghi. Investigators focused on Zanghi in 1998, when two mafiosi who had ties with Provenzano had spoken of him as the person who  asked for votes for Dell'Utri during the European elections.

Not all of Ciancimino Junior's words can be taken as absolute truth. Investigators are trying to decifer the notes written in 2000. They are attempting to understand the presence of a “senator friend” in those notes, during a time in which Dell'Utri was only a member of Parliament. According to young Ciancimino the “senator friend” is Berlusconi's right – hand man. The fact is, that Ciancimino's words seem to concern not just a few people. Ciancimino reported to Il Fatto Quotidiano (newspaper) that, in the last few days he has been approached by Dell'Utri's prolocutor, probably in light of a summoning during the senator's appeal trial. In Palermo, but not only in Palermo, everyone seems to be holding their breath.

Peter Gomez (il Fatto Quotidiano, 13 gennaio 2010)

italian version

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