Giuseppe Farinella
Encyclopedia
Giuseppe Farinella is a Sicilian
mafioso, boss of the San Mauro Castelverde
family and a one-time member of the Sicilian Mafia Commission
.
San Mauro Castelverde
, a village on 1,000 meters above sea level in the Madonie
mountain range in the province of Palermo
, is the stronghold of the Farinella Mafia family that goes back to the 19th century. It is often used as a hide out for fugitive mafiosi.
For many years Giuseppe Don Peppino Farinella was the uncontested chieftain of the area. He became the "capo mandamento" of Gangi-San Mauro Castelverde
area, and his influence reached into the province of Messina
. He was a member of the Sicilian Mafia Commission
since the late 1970s, according to the pentiti
Salvatore Cancemi
, Francesco Di Carlo
and Giovanni Brusca
. He was close to the Corleonesi
, and supported them during the Second Mafia War
.
An old fashioned mafia boss, Don Peppino, did not allow his men to extort local shopkeepers, which was common among mafiosi from the countryside. Revenues were not considered worthwhile compared to the money that could be extorted from companies that won public tenders in construction. Moreover, not extorting local shopkeepers Mafia bosses increased their legitimacy among the locals. "Don Peppino did not want his men to extort a pizzo
from the shopkeepers, according to a victim, because the latter, in contrast to entrepreneurs, did not carry out any speculative activity and the because he … thought that asking shopkeepers for a tangente
seemed like begging for alms."
Farinella was arrested on March 21, 1992. As member of the Commission he was held responsible for the killing of the two prominent anti-mafia judges Paolo Borsellino
and Giovanni Falcone
, receiving life sentences. In January 1993, he was also sentenced to nine years in prison in the trial against the Mafia in Madonie
area. He was considered to be the Mafia boss of the area.
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
mafioso, boss of the San Mauro Castelverde
San Mauro Castelverde
San Mauro Castelverde is a comune in the province of Palermo in Sicily. As of 2011 San Mauro Castelverde had an estimated population of 1,896....
family and a one-time member of the Sicilian Mafia Commission
Sicilian Mafia Commission
The Sicilian Mafia Commission, known as Commissione or Cupola, is a body of leading Mafia members to decide on important questions concerning the actions of, and settling disputes within the Sicilian Mafia or Cosa Nostra...
.
San Mauro Castelverde
San Mauro Castelverde
San Mauro Castelverde is a comune in the province of Palermo in Sicily. As of 2011 San Mauro Castelverde had an estimated population of 1,896....
, a village on 1,000 meters above sea level in the Madonie
Madonie
The Madonie are one of the principal mountain groups in Sicily, southern Italy, part of the Sicilian portion of the Apennines. It is located in Palermo Province...
mountain range in the province of Palermo
Province of Palermo
The Province of Palermo is a province in the autonomous region of Sicily, a major island in Southern Italy. Its capital is the city of Palermo. The Province of Palermo has 82 comuni , 1,239,272 inhabitants, and is 4,992 km² .-External links:...
, is the stronghold of the Farinella Mafia family that goes back to the 19th century. It is often used as a hide out for fugitive mafiosi.
For many years Giuseppe Don Peppino Farinella was the uncontested chieftain of the area. He became the "capo mandamento" of Gangi-San Mauro Castelverde
San Mauro Castelverde
San Mauro Castelverde is a comune in the province of Palermo in Sicily. As of 2011 San Mauro Castelverde had an estimated population of 1,896....
area, and his influence reached into the province of Messina
Province of Messina
Messina is a province in the autonomous island region of Sicily in Italy. Its capital is the city of Messina.-Geography and demography :...
. He was a member of the Sicilian Mafia Commission
Sicilian Mafia Commission
The Sicilian Mafia Commission, known as Commissione or Cupola, is a body of leading Mafia members to decide on important questions concerning the actions of, and settling disputes within the Sicilian Mafia or Cosa Nostra...
since the late 1970s, according to the pentiti
Pentito
Pentito designates people in Italy who, formerly part of criminal or terrorist organizations, following their arrests decide to "repent" and collaborate with the judicial system to help investigations...
Salvatore Cancemi
Salvatore Cancemi
Salvatore Cancemi was a member of the Sicilian Mafia. He would be the first member of the Sicilian Mafia Commission that turned himself in voluntarily and became a pentito, a collaborator with the Italian judicial authorities...
, Francesco Di Carlo
Francesco Di Carlo
Francesco Di Carlo is a member of the Mafia who turned state witness in 1996...
and Giovanni Brusca
Giovanni Brusca
Giovanni Brusca is a former member of the Sicilian Mafia. He murdered the anti-Mafia prosecutor Giovanni Falcone in 1992 and once stated that he had committed between 100 and 200 murders but was unable to remember the exact number...
. He was close to the Corleonesi
Corleonesi
The Corleonesi is the name given to a faction within the Sicilian Mafia that dominated Cosa Nostra in the 1980s and the 1990s. It was called the Corleonesi because its most important leaders came from the town of Corleone, first Luciano Leggio and later Totò Riina, Bernardo Provenzano and Leoluca...
, and supported them during the Second Mafia War
Second Mafia War
The Second Mafia War was a conflict within the Sicilian Mafia, mostly taking place in the early 1980s. As with any criminal organization, the history of the Sicilian Mafia is replete with conflicts and power struggles, and the violence that results from them, but these are generally localised and...
.
An old fashioned mafia boss, Don Peppino, did not allow his men to extort local shopkeepers, which was common among mafiosi from the countryside. Revenues were not considered worthwhile compared to the money that could be extorted from companies that won public tenders in construction. Moreover, not extorting local shopkeepers Mafia bosses increased their legitimacy among the locals. "Don Peppino did not want his men to extort a pizzo
Pizzo (extortion)
In Southern Italy, the pizzo is protection money paid by a business to the Mafia, usually coerced and constituting extortion. The term is derived from the Sicilian pizzu . To wet someone's beak is to pay protection money...
from the shopkeepers, according to a victim, because the latter, in contrast to entrepreneurs, did not carry out any speculative activity and the because he … thought that asking shopkeepers for a tangente
Bribery
Bribery, a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or...
seemed like begging for alms."
Farinella was arrested on March 21, 1992. As member of the Commission he was held responsible for the killing of the two prominent anti-mafia judges Paolo Borsellino
Paolo Borsellino
Paolo Borsellino was an Italian anti-Mafia magistrate who was killed by a Mafia car bomb in Palermo, less than two months after his fellow anti-Mafia magistrate Giovanni Falcone had been assassinated....
and Giovanni Falcone
Giovanni Falcone
Giovanni Falcone was an Sicilian/Italian prosecuting magistrate born in Palermo, Sicily. From his office in the Palace of Justice in Palermo, he spent most of his professional life trying to overthrow the power of the Mafia in Sicily...
, receiving life sentences. In January 1993, he was also sentenced to nine years in prison in the trial against the Mafia in Madonie
Madonie
The Madonie are one of the principal mountain groups in Sicily, southern Italy, part of the Sicilian portion of the Apennines. It is located in Palermo Province...
area. He was considered to be the Mafia boss of the area.