Francesco Pazienza
Encyclopedia
Francesco Pazienza is an Italian
businessman, and former officer of the Italian military intelligence agency, SISMI
. As of April 2007, he has been parole
d to the community of Lerici
, after serving many years in prison, including a 1993 conviction due to his role in the Banco Ambrosiano scandal
, and a 1982 conviction for mishandling state secrets.
Pazienza holds a degree in medicine
from the University of Rome
. He worked as a business consultant in France during the 1970s. In 1979 he was hired into SISMI, and became an assistant to SISMI director, General Giuseppe Santovito. Pazienza left the intelligence agency in wake of the Propaganda Due
scandal that rocked the Italian political scene in 1981. The Banco Ambrosiano scandal, Roberto Calvi
's "suicide," and charges of mishandling state secrets concerned with the 1980 Bologna bombing
, made Pazienza a fugitive
from Italian law.
Eventually, Pazienza ended up in the United States
. A first extradition
request from Italy was handed to the U.S. government in 1984, but Pazienza was not yet arrested. His arrest come only on March 4, 1985. Extradition procedures ensued, and a judge order him to stand trial in Italy, an appeal process did not change that, and Pazienza was handed over to the Italian government in June 1986.
's 1981 assassination attempt
on Pope John Paul II
, Ağca claimed to have been visited by Pazienza in his prison cell at Rome's Ascoli Piceno (this came just after the presiding judge called for pazienza in the court room). That Pazienza visited Ağca was also claimed by a former camorrista
turned pentiti, Giovanni Pandico
. From his New York prison, Pazienza denied ever having visited Ağca; Pazienza was question on this issue by Italian investigative judge, Ilario Martella, in New York. A short time later, Martella dropped the charges of Agca being "coached" by supposed elements from the Italian military intelligence.
had been seen in Miami, Florida, with an unidentified Turk, and repeated his position during the time he was on trial on charges stemming from the 1980 Bologna bombing
. It is unclear if this Turk was Oral Çelik or Abdullah Çatlı
.
, on charges relating the planting of similar explosive materials in a train in 1981, leading a trail away from the actual perpetrators. In 1990, his conviction was reversed on appeals, but a retrial resulted in a definitive prison term handed out in 1995.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
businessman, and former officer of the Italian military intelligence agency, SISMI
SISMI
Servizio per le Informazioni e la Sicurezza Militare was the military intelligence agency of Italy from 1977-2007....
. As of April 2007, he has been parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
d to the community of Lerici
Lerici
Lerici is a town and comune in the province of La Spezia in Liguria , part of the Italian Riviera. Its nearest bay is the Bay of Lerici. The town is connected by ferry to the Cinque Terre and Portovenere....
, after serving many years in prison, including a 1993 conviction due to his role in the Banco Ambrosiano scandal
Banco Ambrosiano
Banco Ambrosiano was an Italian bank which collapsed in 1982. At the centre of the bank's failure was its chairman, Roberto Calvi and his membership in the illegal Masonic Lodge Propaganda Due...
, and a 1982 conviction for mishandling state secrets.
Pazienza holds a degree in medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
from the University of Rome
University of Rome La Sapienza
The Sapienza University of Rome, officially Sapienza – Università di Roma, formerly known as Università degli studi di Roma "La Sapienza", is a coeducational, autonomous state university in Rome, Italy...
. He worked as a business consultant in France during the 1970s. In 1979 he was hired into SISMI, and became an assistant to SISMI director, General Giuseppe Santovito. Pazienza left the intelligence agency in wake of the Propaganda Due
Propaganda Due
Propaganda Due , or P2, was a Masonic lodge operating under the jurisdiction of the Grand Orient of Italy from 1945 to 1976 , and a pseudo-Masonic or "black" or "covert" lodge operating illegally from 1976 to...
scandal that rocked the Italian political scene in 1981. The Banco Ambrosiano scandal, Roberto Calvi
Roberto Calvi
Roberto Calvi was an Italian banker dubbed "God's Banker" by the press because of his close association with the Holy See. A native of Milan, Calvi was Chairman of Banco Ambrosiano, which collapsed in one of modern Italy's biggest political scandals...
's "suicide," and charges of mishandling state secrets concerned with the 1980 Bologna bombing
Bologna massacre
The Bologna massacre was a terrorist bombing of the Central Station at Bologna, Italy, on the morning of Saturday, 2 August 1980, which killed 85 people and wounded more than 200. The attack has been materially attributed to the neo-fascist terrorist organization Nuclei Armati Rivoluzionari...
, made Pazienza a fugitive
Fugitive
A fugitive is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from private slavery, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals...
from Italian law.
Eventually, Pazienza ended up in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. A first extradition
Extradition
Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties...
request from Italy was handed to the U.S. government in 1984, but Pazienza was not yet arrested. His arrest come only on March 4, 1985. Extradition procedures ensued, and a judge order him to stand trial in Italy, an appeal process did not change that, and Pazienza was handed over to the Italian government in June 1986.
Mehmet Ali Ağca
During the trial of Mehmet Ali AğcaMehmet Ali Agca
Mehmet Ali Ağca is a Turkish assassin who murdered left-wing journalist Abdi İpekçi on February 1, 1979 and later shot and wounded Pope John Paul II on May 13, 1981, after escaping from a Turkish prison. After serving 19 years of imprisonment in Italy, he was deported to Turkey, where he served a...
's 1981 assassination attempt
1981 Pope John Paul II assassination attempt
The first attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II took place on Wednesday, May 13, 1981, in St. Peter's Square at Vatican City. The Pope was shot and critically wounded by Mehmet Ali Ağca while he was entering the square. The Pope was struck 4 times, and suffered severe blood loss. Ağca was...
on Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
, Ağca claimed to have been visited by Pazienza in his prison cell at Rome's Ascoli Piceno (this came just after the presiding judge called for pazienza in the court room). That Pazienza visited Ağca was also claimed by a former camorrista
Camorra
The Camorra is a Mafia-type criminal organization, or secret society, originating in the region of Campania and its capital Naples in Italy. It is one of the oldest and largest criminal organizations in Italy, dating to the 18th century.-Background:...
turned pentiti, Giovanni Pandico
Giovanni Pandico
Giovanni Pandico is a former Italian Camorrista who was a member of the Nuova Camorra Organizzata , a Camorra organization in Naples. Pandico rose to become one of Camorra boss, Raffaele Cutolo's underwriters within the organization. After twelve years of imprisonment, he decided to collaborate...
. From his New York prison, Pazienza denied ever having visited Ağca; Pazienza was question on this issue by Italian investigative judge, Ilario Martella, in New York. A short time later, Martella dropped the charges of Agca being "coached" by supposed elements from the Italian military intelligence.
Banco Ambrosiano
When Pazienza was still a fugitive, he was questioned in the United States by Customs agents regarding the disappearance of funds from the Banco Ambrosiano. Pazienza claims that these Customs agents had told him that Stefano Delle ChiaieStefano Delle Chiaie
Stefano Delle Chiaie is a neofascist Italian activist . He went on to become a wanted man worldwide, suspect to be involved in Italy's strategy of tension, but was acquitted. He was a friend of Licio Gelli, grandmaster of P2 masonic lodge...
had been seen in Miami, Florida, with an unidentified Turk, and repeated his position during the time he was on trial on charges stemming from the 1980 Bologna bombing
Bologna massacre
The Bologna massacre was a terrorist bombing of the Central Station at Bologna, Italy, on the morning of Saturday, 2 August 1980, which killed 85 people and wounded more than 200. The attack has been materially attributed to the neo-fascist terrorist organization Nuclei Armati Rivoluzionari...
. It is unclear if this Turk was Oral Çelik or Abdullah Çatlı
Abdullah Çatli
Abdullah Çatlı was a Turkish convicted drug trafficker, and contract killer for the Counter-Guerrilla. He led the youth branch of the Nationalist Movement Party...
.
Bologna bombing
Pazienza was sentenced in 1988 for trying to divert the investigation into the 1980 bombing of the Bologna train stationBologna massacre
The Bologna massacre was a terrorist bombing of the Central Station at Bologna, Italy, on the morning of Saturday, 2 August 1980, which killed 85 people and wounded more than 200. The attack has been materially attributed to the neo-fascist terrorist organization Nuclei Armati Rivoluzionari...
, on charges relating the planting of similar explosive materials in a train in 1981, leading a trail away from the actual perpetrators. In 1990, his conviction was reversed on appeals, but a retrial resulted in a definitive prison term handed out in 1995.