Mafia boss Matteo Denaro, Italy's most wanted man, arrested in Sicily
NBCMAR 19 2023
Even after 30 years of evading capture, Matteo Messina Denaro still has a healthy following of devoted fans. To his cohort of followers, he is a Robin Hood who works for the poor and corrects mistakes. In his eyes, he is a philosopher and even a folk hero. As one of the world's most wanted men, he continued to live lavishly and serve his "family." He carried no shame and no remorse for his actions, in fact, he continued the family business while in hiding. This arrest is the first step towards justice for his victims.
This arrest is a turning point in Italy's decades-long battle against organized crime as the alleged Cosa Nostra crime syndicate chief Messina Denaro had been on the country's most wanted list since the early 1990s. Myths about his ability to dodge authorities and theories that he was receiving protection from state officials had emerged during his 30 years of evading capture. Hopefully, it will not take another 30 years to bring the next Mafia leader to justice.
Yes, Messina Denaro was arrested but the Italian law is not up to snuff in holding mafia members accountable for their violent and heinous crimes. Despite protests across the political divide, Cosa Nostra's key operator Giovanni Brusca has been on a four-year probation after serving a 25-year sentence for his role in attacks including the one that killed anti-mafia prosecutor Giovanni Falcone and the murder of Di Matteo, while the truth about these crimes remains unknown. The law seems to be working against the victims.