Felice Maniero (born September 2, 1954) is a former Italian crime boss who was the head of the
Mala del Brenta
The Nuova Mala del Brenta (), also known as Mafia veneta ("Venetian Mafia") or Mafia del Piovese, is an organized crime group based in the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, north-eastern Italy.
The criminal organization's structure is like a ...
, a criminal organisation based in the region of
Veneto
Veneto (, ; vec, Vèneto ) or Venetia is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about five million, ranking fourth in Italy. The region's capital is Venice while the biggest city is Verona.
Veneto was part of the Roman Empire unt ...
throughout the 1980s and 1990s. His nickname is ''Faccia d'Angelo'' ("Angel Face"), which he shares with the
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
ese mobster
Francis Turatello
Francesco Turatello (Asiago, 1944 – Nuoro, August 17, 1981) was an important Italian crime figure, and mob boss who operated during the 1970s mainly in the city of Milan. He was popularly known by his pseudonym Francis Turatello. His nickna ...
and
boss
Edoardo Contini
Edoardo Contini (; born July 6, 1955) is an Italian Camorra boss. He is the founder and head of the Contini clan, a Camorra clan with its central base in the Arenaccia, that also operates in the Poggioreale, Vasto, Mercato and San Carlo all ...
. He was born at
Campolongo Maggiore
Campolongo Maggiore is a town in the Metropolitan City of Venice, Veneto, Italy. It is northeast of SS516.
The Cunetta Brenta separates the principal village from Bojon, the main frazione
A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ...
, in the
province of Venice
The Province of Venice (''Provincia di Venezia'') was a province in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Its capital was the city of Venice.
It had an area of 2,467 km2, and a total population of 846,962 (2011). The province became the Met ...
. Originally the leader of a small band of thieves, through connections with
Sicilian mafiosi
Sicilian refers to the autonomous Italian island of Sicily.
Sicilian can also refer to:
* Sicilian language, a Romance language spoken on the island of Sicily, its satellite islands, and southern Calabria
* Sicilians, people from or with origins ...
in exile in Veneto he was able to expand and enlarge his organization and modeled it after the mafia. He was a prolific drug trafficker and was particularly notorious for taking part in many
armed robberies
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or by use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the perso ...
, some with extremely high loots.
In February, 1995, Maniero became a
pentito
''Pentito'' (; lit. "repentant"; plural: ''pentiti'') is used colloquially to designate collaborators of justice in Italian criminal procedure terminology who were formerly part of criminal organizations and decided to collaborate with a public ...
(collaborator with Italian Justice), and subsequently helped in dismantling his organization. However, Maniero allegedly continued a number of criminal activities while many of his former henchmen re-organised the Mala del Brenta in order to ensure its survival.
On 23 August 2010, Maniero was set free.
Notes
References
*Dianese, Maurizio (1995). ''Il bandito Felice Maniero'', il Cardo editore, Venice.
*Guerretta, Danilo; Zornetta, Monica (2006). ''A casa nostra. Cinquant'anni di mafia e criminalità in Veneto'', Dalai Editore, Milan.
*Zornetta, Monica (2013). ''La resa. Ascesa, declino e «pentimento» di Felice Maniero'', Baldini & Castoldi, Milan.
External links
A fan site dedicated to the criminal personality of Felice ManieroProfile of Felice Maniero
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maniero, Felice
1954 births
Living people
People from the Metropolitan City of Venice
Veneti malavitosi
Pentiti