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''Pentito'' (; lit. "repentant"; plural: ''pentiti'') is used colloquially to designate collaborators of justice in Italian
criminal procedure Criminal procedure is the adjudication process of the criminal law. While criminal procedure differs dramatically by jurisdiction, the process generally begins with a formal criminal charge with the person on trial either being free on bail or ...
terminology who were formerly part of criminal organizations and decided to collaborate with a
public prosecutor A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the case in a criminal tria ...
. The judicial category of ''pentiti'' was originally created in 1970s to combat violence and
terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
during the period of left- and right-wing terrorism known as the Years of Lead. During the 1986–87
Maxi Trial The Maxi Trial ( it, Maxiprocesso) was a criminal trial against the Sicilian Mafia that took place in Palermo, Sicily. The trial lasted from 10 February 1986 (the first day of the Corte d'Assise) to 30 January 1992 (the final day of the Supreme ...
, and after the testimony of
Tommaso Buscetta Tommaso Buscetta (; 13 July 1928 – 2 April 2000) was an Italian mobster and a member of the Sicilian Mafia. He became one of the first of its members to turn informant and explain the inner workings of the organization. Buscetta participated i ...
, the term was increasingly applied to former members of
organized crime Organized crime (or organised crime) is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally th ...
who had abandoned their organization and started helping investigators.


Role and benefits

In exchange for the information they deliver, ''pentiti'' receive shorter sentences for their crimes, in some cases even freedom. In the Italian judicial system, ''pentiti'' can obtain personal protection, a new name, and some money to start a new life in another place, possibly abroad. This practice is common in other countries as well. In the United States, criminals testifying against their former associates can enter the
Witness Protection Program Witness protection is security provided to a threatened person providing testimonial evidence to the justice system, including defendants and other clients, before, during, and after a trial, usually by police. While a witness may only require p ...
, and be given new identities with supporting paperwork. The Italian Mafia bosses Buscetta and
Francesco Marino Mannoia Francesco Marino Mannoia (born 5 March 1951) is a former member of the Sicilian Mafia who became a pentito (government witness) in 1989. His nickname was ''Mozzarella''. He is considered to be one of the most reliable government witnesses against ...
were allowed to live in the U.S. under new identities in the Witness Protection Program when Italy did not yet have such a program.Mob Boss and Stoolie Share a Day in Rome Court
''The New York Times'', November 20, 1993
Stille, ''Excellent Cadavers'', p. 302-10


Cases

Among the most famous Mafia ''pentiti'' is
Tommaso Buscetta Tommaso Buscetta (; 13 July 1928 – 2 April 2000) was an Italian mobster and a member of the Sicilian Mafia. He became one of the first of its members to turn informant and explain the inner workings of the organization. Buscetta participated i ...
, the first important ''pentito''. He was helpful to judge
Giovanni Falcone Giovanni Falcone (; 18 May 1939 – 23 May 1992) was an Italian judge and prosecuting magistrate. From his office in the Palace of Justice in Palermo, Sicily, he spent most of his professional life trying to overthrow the power of the Sicilian ...
in describing the
Sicilian Mafia Commission The Sicilian Mafia Commission (Italian: ''Commissione provinciale''), known as Commissione or Cupola, is a body of leading Sicilian Mafia members to decide on important questions concerning the actions of, and settling disputes within the Sicili ...
or ''Cupola'', the
leadership Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets view ...
of the Sicilian Mafia in the 1980s, and identifying the main operational channels that the Mafia used for its business. In Italy, important successes were achieved with the cooperation of ''pentiti'' in the fight against
terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
(especially against the
Red Brigades The Red Brigades ( it, Brigate Rosse , often abbreviated BR) was a far-left Marxist–Leninist armed organization operating as a terrorist and guerrilla group based in Italy responsible for numerous violent incidents, including the abduction ...
), by
Carabinieri The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign polic ...
general Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa (who was later killed by the Mafia). In the period until the 1990s, there were very few, albeit significant, ''pentiti'' such as Tommaso Buscetta, Salvatore Contorno, Antonino Calderone, etc. However, this changed significantly during the early 1990s. From 1992, over a thousand ''mafiosi'' have agreed to collaborate with Italian justice.Martin J. Bull, James L. Newell, ''Italian Politics''
Google Print, p. 111
In some cases, ''pentiti'' have invented stories to obtain reductions in jail time. A famous case regarded the popular TV
anchorman A news presenter – also known as a newsreader, newscaster (short for "news broadcaster"), anchorman or anchorwoman, news anchor or simply an anchor – is a person who presents news during a news program on TV, radio or the Internet ...
Enzo Tortora, who was falsely accused of
cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally for its euphoria, euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from t ...
trafficking and Camorra membership by a ''pentito'' named
Giovanni Melluso Giovanni Melluso (born 1956) was an Italian criminal. He became a significant informant against the Nuova Camorra Organizzata (NCO), a Camorra organization in Naples. He would be used by the Italian Justice Department to testify about the NCO's sh ...
. Tortora was detained for years before being cleared; he developed cancer and died soon after the case was finally solved, some say because of the emotional
stress Stress may refer to: Science and medicine * Stress (biology), an organism's response to a stressor such as an environmental condition * Stress (linguistics), relative emphasis or prominence given to a syllable in a word, or to a word in a phrase ...
of his imprisonment.Enzo Tortora: When justice miscarries
, The Florentine, October 30, 2008


Important ''pentiti'' of the Sicilian Mafia

*
Leonardo Vitale Leonardo Vitale (; 27 June 1941 – 2 December 1984) was a member of the Sicilian Mafia who was one of the first to become an informant, or ''pentito'', although originally his confessions were not taken seriously. Vitale was a " man of honour" or ...
(1941–1984) was the first to become a ''pentito'' in 1973, although originally his confessions were not taken seriously. *
Tommaso Buscetta Tommaso Buscetta (; 13 July 1928 – 2 April 2000) was an Italian mobster and a member of the Sicilian Mafia. He became one of the first of its members to turn informant and explain the inner workings of the organization. Buscetta participated i ...
(1928–2000) was the first high-profile ''pentito'' against the Sicilian Mafia. He started to collaborate with the anti-Mafia prosecutor
Giovanni Falcone Giovanni Falcone (; 18 May 1939 – 23 May 1992) was an Italian judge and prosecuting magistrate. From his office in the Palace of Justice in Palermo, Sicily, he spent most of his professional life trying to overthrow the power of the Sicilian ...
in 1984. His testimony was of crucial importance in the landmark
Maxi Trial The Maxi Trial ( it, Maxiprocesso) was a criminal trial against the Sicilian Mafia that took place in Palermo, Sicily. The trial lasted from 10 February 1986 (the first day of the Corte d'Assise) to 30 January 1992 (the final day of the Supreme ...
of 1986–87. *
Salvatore Contorno Salvatore Contorno (; born 28 May 1946), called Totuccio, is a former member of the Sicilian Mafia who turned into a state witness (''pentito'') against Cosa Nostra in October 1984, following the example of Tommaso Buscetta. He gave detailed acco ...
(born 1946) started to collaborate in October 1984, following the example of Buscetta. *
Leonardo Messina Leonardo "Narduzzo" Messina (born San Cataldo, September 22, 1955) is a Sicilian former mafioso who became a government informant or "pentito" in 1992. His testimony led to the arrest of over 200 mafiosi during the so-called "Operation Leopard" ( ...
(born 1955), member of the San Cataldo clan, who became an informant in 1992. He was the greater accuser of
Giulio Andreotti Giulio Andreotti ( , ; 14 January 1919 – 6 May 2013) was an Italian politician and statesman who served as the 41st prime minister of Italy in seven governments (1972–1973, 1976–1979, and 1989–1992) and leader of the Christian Democra ...
. *
Antonino Giuffrè Antonino "Nino" Giuffrè (; born 21 July 1945) is an Italian mafioso from Caccamo in the Province of Palermo, Sicily. He became one of the most important Mafia turncoats after his arrest in April 2002. Giuffrè was known in Mafia circles as (" ...
(born 1945), boss of
Caccamo Caccamo (Sicilian language, Sicilian: ''Càccamu'') is a town and ''comune'' located on the Tyrrhenian Sea, Tyrrhenian coast of Sicily in the Metropolitan City of Palermo. History The official founding of Caccamo was not until 1093, when the No ...
and member of Corleonesi, turned informant in 2002, after his arrest. *
Antonino Calderone Antonino Calderone (October 24, 1935January 10, 2013) was a Sicilian Mafioso who turned state witness (''pentito'') in 1987 after his arrest in 1986. Antonino was born in Catania, the brother of Giuseppe Calderone, the boss of the local Mafia. ...
(1935–2013) started to collaborate in April 1987. *
Francesco Marino Mannoia Francesco Marino Mannoia (born 5 March 1951) is a former member of the Sicilian Mafia who became a pentito (government witness) in 1989. His nickname was ''Mozzarella''. He is considered to be one of the most reliable government witnesses against ...
(born 1951) started to collaborate in October 1989 because his brother had been murdered. He was the first ''pentito'' who used to belong to the winning faction of the Second Mafia War (1981–83). *
Giovanni Brusca Giovanni Brusca (; born 20 February 1957) is an Italian mobster and former member of the Corleonesi clan of the Sicilian Mafia. He had a major role in the 1992 murders of Antimafia Commission prosecutor Giovanni Falcone and businessman Ignazio ...
(born 1957), the murderer of anti-Mafia prosecutor Falcone, began to collaborate in 1996. *
Santino Di Matteo Santino Di Matteo (born 7 December 1954), also known as ''Mezzanasca'', is an Italian former member of the Sicilian Mafia from the town of Altofonte in the province of Palermo, Sicily, Italy. Di Matteo took part in the killing of Antimafia judge ...
(born 1954), became an informant in 1993 after his arrest; offered information relating to the
Capaci bombing The Capaci bombing ( it, Strage di Capaci) was a terror attack by the Sicilian Mafia that took place on 23 May 1992 on Highway A29, close to the junction of Capaci, Sicily. It killed magistrate Giovanni Falcone, his wife Francesca Morvillo ...
, for this reason his son Giuseppe was kidnapped, murdered and dissolved in acid. *
Salvatore Cancemi Salvatore Cancemi (; 19 March 1942 – 14 January 2011) was an Italians, Italian mobster and member of the Sicily, Sicilian Sicilian Mafia, Mafia from Palermo. He is the first member of the Sicilian Mafia Commission that turned himself in volu ...
(1942–2011), another of Falcone's assassins, turned himself to the
Carabinieri The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign polic ...
in July 1993 and immediately began collaborating. *
Giuseppe Marchese Giuseppe Marchese (born 12 December 1963) is a former member of the Sicily, Sicilian Sicilian Mafia, Mafia, who turned state witness (pentito). Giuseppe ''Pino'' Marchese was born in Palermo in a family with long-standing ties to the Mafia. His fat ...
(1963), Filippo Marchese's nephew and who became an informant in 1992. *
Gaspare Mutolo Gaspare Mutolo (Palermo, February 5, 1940) is a Sicilian mafioso, also known as "Asparino".Cosa Nostra The Sicilian Mafia, also simply known as the Mafia and frequently referred to as Cosa nostra (, ; "our thing") by its members, is an Italian Mafia-terrorist-type organized crime syndicate and criminal society originating in the region of Sicily ...
and Italian politicians.


Other important ''pentiti''

*
Pasquale Barra Pasquale Barra (; 18 January 1942 – 27 February 2015) was an Italian Camorrista who was a senior member and hitman for the Nuova Camorra Organizzata (NCO), a Camorra organization in Naples. Barra has the distinction of being the first NCO memb ...
(1942–2015), the first ''pentito'' and high-ranking member of
Raffaele Cutolo Raffaele Cutolo (; 4 November 1941 – 17 February 2021) was an Italian crime boss, leader of the Nuova Camorra Organizzata (NCO), an organisation he built to renew the Camorra. Cutolo had a variety of nicknames including o Vangelo'' ("the gosp ...
's
Nuova Camorra Organizzata The Nuova Camorra Organizzata (Italian: New Organized Camorra) was an Italian Camorra criminal organization founded in the late 1970s by a Neapolitan Camorrista, Raffaele Cutolo, in the region of Campania. It was also known by the initials NCO. ...
. *
Pasquale Galasso Pasquale Galasso (Poggiomarino, May 17, 1955) is a former boss of the Galasso clan, a clan of the Camorra, the Neapolitan crime organization. Since August 1992, he has been a pentito (a criminal turned state witnesses), collaborating with the It ...
(born 1955), former high-ranking member of the
Nuova Famiglia The Nuova Famiglia (Italian: "New Family") was an Italian Camorra confederation created in the 1970s and headed by the most powerful Camorra bosses of the time, Carmine Alfieri, the Nuvoletta brothers, Michele Zaza, Luigi Giuliano and Antonio Ba ...
faction of the Camorra. *
Carmine Alfieri Carmine Alfieri (; born February 18, 1943) is an Italian Camorra boss, who rose from Piazzolla di Nola to become one of the most powerful members of Neapolitan Camorra in the 1980s. As boss of the Alfieri clan, he was one of the most influential ...
(born 1943), former ''Boss of Bosses'' of the
Nuova Famiglia The Nuova Famiglia (Italian: "New Family") was an Italian Camorra confederation created in the 1970s and headed by the most powerful Camorra bosses of the time, Carmine Alfieri, the Nuvoletta brothers, Michele Zaza, Luigi Giuliano and Antonio Ba ...
. * Carmine Schiavone (1943–2015), former high-ranking member of the
Casalesi clan The Casalesi clan is a clan within the Camorra, an Italian criminal organization, operating from Casal di Principe and San Cipriano d'Aversa in the province of Caserta between Naples and Latium. Formed by Antonio Bardellino, it is a confederat ...
. * Maurizio Abbatino, former boss of the
Banda della Magliana The Banda della Magliana (, ''Magliana Gang'') is an Italian criminal organization based in Rome. It was founded in 1975. Given by the media, the name refers to the original neighborhood, the Magliana, of some of its members. The ''Banda dell ...
. *
Felice Maniero Felice Maniero (born September 2, 1954) is a former Italian crime boss who was the head of the Mala del Brenta, a criminal organisation based in the region of Veneto throughout the 1980s and 1990s. His nickname is ''Faccia d'Angelo'' ("Angel Fac ...
(born 1954), former boss 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 ...
.


Cultural acceptance

In some southern Italian communities, the Mafia has a significant presence, and in these areas becoming a ''pentito'' is tantamount to a death sentence. Indeed, the Mafia family of
Totò Riina Salvatore Riina (; 16 November 1930 – 17 November 2017), called (, Totò being the diminutive of Salvatore), was an Italian mobster and chief of the Sicilian Mafia, known for a ruthless murder campaign that reached a peak in the early 1990s ...
based in the town of Corleone habitually extended the death sentence of the ''pentiti'' over to their relatives. For example, several of
Tommaso Buscetta Tommaso Buscetta (; 13 July 1928 – 2 April 2000) was an Italian mobster and a member of the Sicilian Mafia. He became one of the first of its members to turn informant and explain the inner workings of the organization. Buscetta participated i ...
's close family members were killed in a long series of murders. Since the ''pentito'' himself is physically protected by the police, retribution on his family is common; therefore, when there are rumors of a mafioso collaborating with the police, the family usually condemns that person immediately to avoid retaliation. For example, when Vincenzo Sinagra began collaborating with the authorities his entire family disowned him.


Commentary on the term

It is often pointed out that the correct term should be ''collaboratori di giustizia'', or "collaborators with justice". The word ''pentito'' implies a moral judgment that is considered inappropriate for the courts of justice to make.


Criticism

In Italy, ''pentiti'' have come under criticism because of the favours they receive and because: *they would invent stories to receive benefits; *they would invent stories to persecute people they do not like; *their employment is seen as a reward for criminals, instead of a punishment; *They would be unreliable since they come from a criminal organization. Criticism comes most often from politicians, especially when they or an associate of theirs is under investigation for connections to
the Mafia "Mafia" is an informal term that is used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the original “Mafia”, the Sicilian Mafia and Italian Mafia. The central activity of such an organization would be the arbitration of d ...
. It is therefore interpreted by some as an attempt to discredit one's own accusers, instead of a genuine preoccupation of the common citizen's
civil right Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' political freedom, freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and ...
s.
Luciano Violante Luciano Violante (born 25 September 1941) is an Italian judge and politician, Member of Parliament from 1979 to 2008. He is particularly interested in questions of justice, the struggle against the Mafia and institutional reform. Biography Viola ...
, a politician and former president of the Italian
Antimafia Commission The Italian parliamentary Antimafia Commission ( it, Commissione parlamentare antimafia) is a bicameral commission of the Italian Parliament, composed of members from the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. The first commission, formed in 1963, was ...
, countered that "We do not find information about the Mafia among
nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...
s."Luciano Violante, ''Non è la piovra: Dodici tesi sulle mafie italiane'' ("It is not the octopus: twelve theses on Italian Mafias"),
Einaudi Einaudi is an Italian surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Luigi Einaudi (1874–1961), Italian politician *Mario Einaudi (1905–1994), Italian political scientist, son of Luigi *Giulio Einaudi (1912–1999), Italian publisher, son o ...
, 1994, .
Laws have been passed that bar ''pentiti'' from obtaining substantial benefits unless their revelations are later deemed new material, and lead to concrete results. There have been proposals to accept revelations only for six months, after which their revelations could not be used in court. This has had the effect of reducing the appeal of becoming a ''pentito'' since a single mafia associate does not know whether his knowledge will be useful to the prosecutors at the time of defection. Defection from the mafia in Italy have subsequently sharply reduced from the height reached in the early nineties, and results in the fight against mafia have reduced accordingly.


See also

* :Pentiti *
Informant An informant (also called an informer or, as a slang term, a “snitch”) is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law-enforcement world, where informan ...
*
Turn state's evidence A criminal turns state's evidence by admitting guilt and testifying as a witness for the state against their associate(s) or accomplice(s), often in exchange for leniency in sentencing or immunity from prosecution.Howard Abadinsky, ''Organized C ...


References


Bibliography

* Stille, Alexander (1995). ''Excellent Cadavers. The Mafia and the Death of the First Italian Republic'', New York: Vintage {{Authority control
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 ...
Organized crime members by role Defectors by type