Leoluca Bagarella
Encyclopedia
Leoluca Bagarella is an Italian
criminal and member of the Sicilian
Mafia
. He is from the town of Corleone
and was a member of the Corleonesi
.
in the late 1950s when Leggio wiped out the former Mafia boss of Corleone Michele Navarra
and his men. Bagarella became the brother-in-law of Salvatore Riina
when, in 1974, Bagarella's sister, Ninetta married Riina. That was the same year Leggio was imprisoned and Riina became the boss of the Corleonesi. The Brother-In-Law became Leoluca's nickname because of his relationship to Riina. Bagarella's own wife, Vincenza Marchese, was the sister of Giuseppe Marchese
and the niece of Filippo Marchese
, a notorious killer and high ranking member of the Corleonesi.
According to the pentito
, Tommaso Buscetta
who had spent three months with Bagarella in a prison infirmary, Bagarella is said to have mental problems and has been involved in possibly 300 murders. http://archives.tcm.ie/breakingnews/2002/07/16/story59912.asp Bagarella also killed police chief Boris Giuliano
as well as a nephew of Tommaso Buscetta
's, one of many of Buscetta's relatives to die since he betrayed the Mafia.
Two of Bagarella's brothers were also Mafiosi; his elder brother, Calogero Bagarella
, was shot dead on December 10, 1969, in the Viale Lazio in Palermo, during a shootout with rival mafioso Michele Cavataio
and Cavataio's men, known as the Viale Lazio bloodbath. A second brother, Giuseppe, was murdered in prison in 1972.
Following Riina's arrest in early 1993, Bagarella is believed to have taken over a section of the Corleonesi, rivalling Riina's primary successor, Bernardo Provenzano
. However, just two-years later, on June 24, 1995, Bagarella was arrested, having been a fugitive
for four years. When he was arrested at his home the carabinieri noticed that there was no sign of his wife, just a bunch of flowers in front of her picture on the mantelpiece – a sign of mourning. Bagarella was wearing a locket with her picture – another sign of mourning. Rumours muttered that Bagarella had killed his wife (hanging her in her weddingdress in their kitchen), unable to stand the shame of being married to the sister of an infame, a mafioso turned pentito
. However, other sources said that Vincenza had committed suicide after Giuseppe Marchese
began collaborating with authorities. Another version was that she was clinically depressed, after a series of miscarriages. She had left a letter declaring her shame and asking her husband for forgiveness.
Tommaso Buscetta
knew him in prison back in the 1970s and had the following to say about Bagarella: "I prefer not to speak about him, I think he doesn't belong to the human species...in prison everybody feared him. I remember we stayed three months together in the prison infirmary and the only words he told me were good morning and good evening"
Bagarella was convicted of multiple murder and imprisoned for life
. In 2002 he protested about his treatment under a new law that placed heavy restrictions on jailed Mafia bosses to prevent them from running their criminal empires from behind bars. At a court appearance that June, Bagarella made some thinly veiled threats to the Italian government, saying the Mafia is "tired of being exploited, humiliated, oppressed and used like goods exchanged among the various political forces." Some interpreted this as a sign the Mafia was annoyed that its previously cozy relationship with politicians had broken down, as if the harsh restrictions on the Mafia bosses was betraying some sort of clandestine promise made to them by (unnamed) politicians.
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...
criminal and member of the Sicilian
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,...
Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
. He is from the town of Corleone
Corleone
Corleone is a small town and comune of approximately 12,000 inhabitants in the Province of Palermo in Sicily, Italy....
and was a member of 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...
.
Biography
Bagarella sided with Luciano LeggioLuciano Leggio
Luciano Leggio was an Italian criminal and leading figure of the Sicilian Mafia. He was the head of the Corleonesi, the Mafia faction that originated in the town of Corleone...
in the late 1950s when Leggio wiped out the former Mafia boss of Corleone Michele Navarra
Michele Navarra
Michele Navarra was a powerful member of the Sicilian Mafia. He was a qualified physician and headed the Mafia Family from the town of Corleone...
and his men. Bagarella became the brother-in-law of Salvatore Riina
Salvatore Riina
Salvatore "Totò" Riina is a member of the Sicilian Mafia who became the most powerful member of the criminal organization in the early 1980s. Fellow mobsters nicknamed him The Beast due to his violent nature, or sometimes The Short One due to his diminutive stature...
when, in 1974, Bagarella's sister, Ninetta married Riina. That was the same year Leggio was imprisoned and Riina became the boss of the Corleonesi. The Brother-In-Law became Leoluca's nickname because of his relationship to Riina. Bagarella's own wife, Vincenza Marchese, was the sister of Giuseppe Marchese
Giuseppe Marchese
Giuseppe Marchese was a member of the Sicilian Mafia, who turned state witness . Giuseppe Pino Marchese was born in Palermo. His father Vincenzo Marchese was a powerful Mafia boss and his uncle Filippo Marchese was the head of the Corso dei Mille Mafia family.-Early Mafia career:He learned the...
and the niece of Filippo Marchese
Filippo Marchese
Filippo Marchese was a leading figure in the Sicilian Mafia and a hitman suspected of dozens of homicides. He was the boss of the Mafia family in the Corso Dei Mille neighbourhood in Palermo....
, a notorious killer and high ranking member of the Corleonesi.
According to the pentito
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...
, Tommaso Buscetta
Tommaso Buscetta
Tommaso Buscetta was a Sicilian mafioso. Although he was not the first pentito in the Italian witness protection program, he is widely recognized as the first important one breaking omertà...
who had spent three months with Bagarella in a prison infirmary, Bagarella is said to have mental problems and has been involved in possibly 300 murders. http://archives.tcm.ie/breakingnews/2002/07/16/story59912.asp Bagarella also killed police chief Boris Giuliano
Boris Giuliano
Giorgio Boris Giuliano was a police chief from Palermo, Sicily. He was the head of Palermo's Flying Squad ....
as well as a nephew of Tommaso Buscetta
Tommaso Buscetta
Tommaso Buscetta was a Sicilian mafioso. Although he was not the first pentito in the Italian witness protection program, he is widely recognized as the first important one breaking omertà...
's, one of many of Buscetta's relatives to die since he betrayed the Mafia.
Two of Bagarella's brothers were also Mafiosi; his elder brother, Calogero Bagarella
Calogero Bagarella
Calogero Bagarella was an Italian criminal and member of the Sicilian Mafia. He was from the town of Corleone and belonged to the Mafia clan of Corleonesi.-Biography:...
, was shot dead on December 10, 1969, in the Viale Lazio in Palermo, during a shootout with rival mafioso Michele Cavataio
Michele Cavataio
Michele Cavataio , also known as The Cobra was a powerful member of the Sicilian Mafia. He was the boss of the Acquasanta mandamento in Palermo and was a member of the first Sicilian Mafia Commission. Some sources spell his surname as Cavatajo.Cavataio was one of the most feared mafioso gangsters...
and Cavataio's men, known as the Viale Lazio bloodbath. A second brother, Giuseppe, was murdered in prison in 1972.
Following Riina's arrest in early 1993, Bagarella is believed to have taken over a section of the Corleonesi, rivalling Riina's primary successor, Bernardo Provenzano
Bernardo Provenzano
Bernardo Provenzano is a member of the Sicilian Mafia and is suspected of having been the head of the Corleonesi, a Mafia faction that originated in the village of Corleone, and de facto capo di tutti capi of the entire Sicilian Mafia until his arrest in 2006.His nickname is Binnu u tratturi...
. However, just two-years later, on June 24, 1995, Bagarella was arrested, having been 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...
for four years. When he was arrested at his home the carabinieri noticed that there was no sign of his wife, just a bunch of flowers in front of her picture on the mantelpiece – a sign of mourning. Bagarella was wearing a locket with her picture – another sign of mourning. Rumours muttered that Bagarella had killed his wife (hanging her in her weddingdress in their kitchen), unable to stand the shame of being married to the sister of an infame, a mafioso turned pentito
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...
. However, other sources said that Vincenza had committed suicide after Giuseppe Marchese
Giuseppe Marchese
Giuseppe Marchese was a member of the Sicilian Mafia, who turned state witness . Giuseppe Pino Marchese was born in Palermo. His father Vincenzo Marchese was a powerful Mafia boss and his uncle Filippo Marchese was the head of the Corso dei Mille Mafia family.-Early Mafia career:He learned the...
began collaborating with authorities. Another version was that she was clinically depressed, after a series of miscarriages. She had left a letter declaring her shame and asking her husband for forgiveness.
Tommaso Buscetta
Tommaso Buscetta
Tommaso Buscetta was a Sicilian mafioso. Although he was not the first pentito in the Italian witness protection program, he is widely recognized as the first important one breaking omertà...
knew him in prison back in the 1970s and had the following to say about Bagarella: "I prefer not to speak about him, I think he doesn't belong to the human species...in prison everybody feared him. I remember we stayed three months together in the prison infirmary and the only words he told me were good morning and good evening"
Bagarella was convicted of multiple murder and imprisoned for life
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
. In 2002 he protested about his treatment under a new law that placed heavy restrictions on jailed Mafia bosses to prevent them from running their criminal empires from behind bars. At a court appearance that June, Bagarella made some thinly veiled threats to the Italian government, saying the Mafia is "tired of being exploited, humiliated, oppressed and used like goods exchanged among the various political forces." Some interpreted this as a sign the Mafia was annoyed that its previously cozy relationship with politicians had broken down, as if the harsh restrictions on the Mafia bosses was betraying some sort of clandestine promise made to them by (unnamed) politicians.