Filippo Marchese
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Filippo Marchese (11 September 1938 in
Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...
– September 1982 in Palermo) was a leading figure in the
Sicilian Mafia 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 a ...
and a
hitman Contract killing is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or persons. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of payment, monetary or otherwise. Either party may be ...
suspected of dozens of
homicide Homicide occurs when a person kills another person. A homicide requires only a volitional act or omission that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from accidental, reckless, or negligent acts even if there is no inten ...
s. Marchese was one of the most feared killers working for mafia boss Vincenzo Chiaracane, closely related to the
Giuseppe Greco Giuseppe Greco (; 4 January 1952 – September 1985) was a hitman and high-ranking member of the Sicilian Mafia. A number of sources refer to him exclusively as Pino Greco, although Giuseppe was his Christian name; "Pino" is a frequent abbr ...
family which was in control of the
Ciaculli Ciaculli is an outlying suburb of Palermo, Sicily, Italy. It counts less than 9500 residents. Ciaculli is close to the suburb of Croceverde. Ciaculli has been important within the history of the Cosa Nostra. The best known Mafia family is the Grec ...
neighbourhood of Palermo. He was the boss of the Mafia family in the Corso dei Mille neighbourhood in
Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...
.


Room of Death

Marchese ran what became known as the ''Room of Death'', a small apartment along the Piazza Sant Erasmo.Corso dei Mille, il più feroce dei clan
La Repubblica, October 20, 1984
Victims who stood in the way of the
Corleonesi The Corleonesi Mafia clan was a faction within the Corleone family of the Sicilian Mafia, formed in the 1970s. Notable leaders included Luciano Leggio, Salvatore Riina, Bernardo Provenzano, and Leoluca Bagarella. Corleonesi affiliates were n ...
, the Mafia clan from the town of
Corleone Corleone (; scn, Cunigghiuni or ) is an Italian town and ''comune'' of roughly 11,158 inhabitants in the Metropolitan City of Palermo, in Sicily. Several Mafia bosses have come from Corleone, including Tommy Gagliano, Gaetano Reina, Jack Dragn ...
, were lured there to be murdered, usually by being
garrotted A garrote or garrote vil (a Spanish word; alternative spellings include garotte and similar variants''Oxford English Dictionary'', 11th Ed: garrotte is normal British English spelling, with single r alternate. Article title is US English spellin ...
. Their bodies were either dissolved in acid or chopped up and dumped out at sea. As many as 100 people – mafiosi who stood in the way of the Commission bosses,
Michele Greco Michele Greco (; 12 May 1924 – 13 February 2008) was a member of the Sicilian Mafia and a convicted murderer. Greco died in prison while serving multiple life sentences. His nickname was ''Il Papa'' ("The Pope") due to his ability to mediate bet ...
,
Salvatore 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 ...
and
Bernardo Provenzano Bernardo Provenzano (; 31 January 1933 – 13 July 2016) was an Italian mobster and chief of the Sicilian Mafia clan known as the Corleonesi, a Mafia faction that originated in the town of Corleone, and ''de facto'' the boss of bosses (''il c ...
, and their associates – were killed there during the
Second Mafia War The Second Mafia War was a period of conflict involving the Sicilian Mafia, mostly taking place from the late 1970s to the early 1990s and involved thousands of homicides. Sometimes referred to as The Great Mafia War or the ''Mattanza'' (Italian ...
.


Vincenzo Sinagra

Like most mafiosi, Filippo Marchese was very elusive, and the primary source of information about his career in crime comes from Vincenzo Sinagra, an
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 ...
. Sinagra was not a member of the Mafia but just a common criminal who, in 1981, made the mistake of stealing from a mafioso. He was given three choices; leave Sicily, die or become a
gofer A gofer, go-fer or gopher is an employee who specializes in the delivery of special items to their superior(s). Examples of these special items include a cup of coffee, a tool, a tailored suit, or a car. Outside of the business world, the term ...
for the Corleonesi. He opted for the third option and ended up working with Marchese in the Room of Death. Sinagra was arrested on August 11, 1982 when he was caught red-handed carrying out a
contract killing Contract killing is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or persons. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of payment, monetary or otherwise. Either party may be ...
, and after a year in custody he decided to become an informant and cooperated with the anti-Mafia judge
Paolo Borsellino Paolo Emanuele Borsellino (; scn, Pàulu Borsellino; 19 January 1940 – 19 July 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 t ...
. He testified at the
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, along with
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 ...
. Sinagra claimed at the Maxi Trial that it was invariably his job to hold the feet of those who died in the Room of Death while Marchese strangled them with a length of rope. Sinagra even claimed that Marchese
masturbate Masturbation is the sexual stimulation of one's own genitals for sexual arousal or other sexual pleasure, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation may involve hands, fingers, everyday objects, sex toys such as vibrators, or combination ...
d whilst snorting
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 ...
and watching victims being tortured. By the time of the Maxi Trial, however, Filippo Marchese was dead.


Downfall

Marchese had been a valuable asset to the Corleonesi during the
Second Mafia War The Second Mafia War was a period of conflict involving the Sicilian Mafia, mostly taking place from the late 1970s to the early 1990s and involved thousands of homicides. Sometimes referred to as The Great Mafia War or the ''Mattanza'' (Italian ...
in 1981–82. Afterwards his violent nature was of no further use, and potentially marked him out as a threat to the leadership of the Commission bosses,
Michele Greco Michele Greco (; 12 May 1924 – 13 February 2008) was a member of the Sicilian Mafia and a convicted murderer. Greco died in prison while serving multiple life sentences. His nickname was ''Il Papa'' ("The Pope") due to his ability to mediate bet ...
and
Salvatore 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 ...
. Sometime in September 1982, Filippo Marchese was led, with a pretext, to a warehouse by
Salvatore Montalto Salvatore may refer to: * Salvatore (name), a given name and surname, including a list of people with the name * "Salvatore" (song), by Lana Del Rey, 2015 * Salvatore (band), a Norwegian instrumental rock band * '' Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams' ...
. There he met fellow killers
Pino Greco Pino or Piño may refer to: People * Danny Pino (born 1974), American actor * Domenico Pino (1760–1826), Italian general of the Napoleonic Wars * Fernando Solanas (born 1936), aka "Pino" Solanas, Argentine filmmaker * Frank J. Pino (1909 ...
,
Giuseppe Giacomo Gambino Giuseppe Giacomo Gambino (Palermo, May 21, 1941 – Milan, November 30, 1996), also known as ''u tignusu'' (the bald one), was a member of the Mafia and head of the San Lorenzo mandamento. Giuseppe Giacomo Gambino was considered the deputy of To ...
and Salvatore Cucuzza, who quickly grabbed and strangled him. His body was subsequently dissolved in acid, like many of Marchese's own victims. In order to confuse and weaken the reaction of Marchese's friends and relatives, Riina and his allies put out the rumor that Marchese had accidentally shot himself while cleaning a gun, and had to be quietly buried due to his notoriety. Already during the Maxi Trial there was speculation on whether he was dead, as Salvatore Contorno had learned, while in jail, that Marchese had been murdered, but the details surrounding his death were finally revealed when Cucuzza, one of his killers, became a pentito. Marchese's killer, Greco, himself was killed in 1985 by two of his own men on Toto Riina's orders, his underboss
Vincenzo Puccio Vincenzo Puccio (November 27, 1945 – May 11, 1989) was a member of the Sicilian Mafia. He was from Palermo and joined the Ciaculli Mafia family sometime in the late 1970s, although like many other members of that particular family he operated ...
and a lieutenant,
Giuseppe Lucchese Giuseppe Lucchese (; born September 2, 1959), known as ''Occhi di ghiaccio'' (Eyes of ice), is a member of the Sicilian Mafia from the Brancaccio neighbourhood in Palermo. He was one of the favourite hitmen of the Corleonesi, headed by Totò Rii ...
, who later became boss of the
Brancaccio Brancaccio is a neighbourhood in the municipality of Palermo, Sicily, in Italy. It is a semi-traditional area of the working class. It was important in the history of the Cosa Nostra. Antimafia priest Pino Puglisi Giuseppe "Pino" Puglisi (, ; ...
-
Ciaculli Ciaculli is an outlying suburb of Palermo, Sicily, Italy. It counts less than 9500 residents. Ciaculli is close to the suburb of Croceverde. Ciaculli has been important within the history of the Cosa Nostra. The best known Mafia family is the Grec ...
mandamento Mandamento may refer to: * Mandamento (administrative district) * Mandamento (Sicilian Mafia) See also * Capomandamento Within Cosa Nostra a mandamento is traditionally a district of three geographically contiguous Mafia cosche (families contr ...
after Puccio was killed by
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 ...
in 1989, while Puccio was in prison. Giuseppe Giacomo Gambino, on the other hand, committed suicide in prison in 1996.


Family and relatives

Filippo Marchese's two nephews, Antonino and
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 ...
, subsequently murdered Vincenzo Puccio in 1989 on Riina's orders, but then Riina deliberately destroyed their alibi.
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 ...
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 ...
in September 1992 after he realized his godfather and mentor Riina had betrayed him. Marchese’s niece, Vincenza Marchese, was married to
Leoluca Bagarella Leoluca Bagarella (; born 3 February 1942) is an Italian criminal and member of the Sicilian Mafia. He is from the town of Corleone. Following Salvatore Riina's arrest in early 1993, Bagarella became the head of the stragist strategy faction, opp ...
of the
Corleonesi The Corleonesi Mafia clan was a faction within the Corleone family of the Sicilian Mafia, formed in the 1970s. Notable leaders included Luciano Leggio, Salvatore Riina, Bernardo Provenzano, and Leoluca Bagarella. Corleonesi affiliates were n ...
clan and Totò Riina's brother-in-law. Bagarella was rumoured to have killed his wife Vincenza sometime after her brother
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 ...
co-operated with the government and 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 ...
(informant). When Bagarella was arrested on June 24, 1995 – after four years on the run with his wife – there was no sign of Vincenza, just a bunch of flowers in front of her picture on the mantelpiece – a sign of mourning. However, other sources said that Vincenza had committed suicide after her brother 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.Longrigg, ''Mafia Women'', p. 122


References

*Dickie, John (2004). ''Cosa Nostra. A history of the Sicilian Mafia'', London: Coronet, *Jamieson, Alison (2000), ''The Antimafia. Italy’s Fight Against Organized Crime'', London: MacMillan Press *Longrigg, Clare (1998). ''Mafia Women'', London: Vintage * Stille, Alexander (1995). ''Excellent Cadavers. The Mafia and the Death of the First Italian Republic'', London: Vintage {{DEFAULTSORT:Marchese, Filippo 1938 births 1982 deaths Gangsters from Palermo Mafiosi murdered by the Corleonesi People murdered in Italy Italian prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Italy Sicilian mafiosi sentenced to life imprisonment People convicted of murder by Italy