Life sentences confirmed for mafia members
UPI
March 18, 2013


PALERMO, Italy, March 18 (UPI) -- An Italian appeals court on Monday confirmed the life sentences of mobsters who were involved in the murder of the son of an informant.

The life sentences handed to Brancaccio mafia boss Giuseppe Graviano, fugitive Trapani boss Matteo Messina Denaro, Francesco Giuliano, Salvatore Benigno and Luigi Giacolone were all confirmed by the Palermo appeals court's ruling Monday, Italy's ANSA news agency reported.

The court also raised the damages to be paid to the mother and brother of the victim; the mother's compensation was raised from $129,580 to $388,740 and the brother's increased from $64,790 to $194,370.

The five defendants were convicted of Giuseppe Di Matteo, the 11-year-old son of former mobster Santino Di Matteo in November 1993. They then held him captive for more than two years before strangling him and dissolving his body in acid in January 1996.

Santino Di Matteo allegedly participated in the assassination of Judge Giovanni Falcone in 1992. After his arrest in June 1993, he became a government witness.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2...pt=hs&or=tn

So how exactly did Denaro get a life sentence in this if he is on the run? In Italy they give guy's life sentences without a trial?

Sure thing! Almost all fugitives are convicted in absentia. Messina-Denaro's got multiple life sentences already. Italy=Guilty until proven innocent.

It's of interest to note, that these are the last of the 5 that were still trying to appeal. There have been 42 convictions around this crime up until now.

By the way, here's the aritcle in Italian if anyone's interested. It's a lot more informative. I'll briefly translate it:

http://www.grandangoloagrigento.it/uccis...rettante-belve/

The Appeal Court of Palermo has held up 5 life sentences for the heinous murder of little Giuseppe De Matteo, who was kidnapped, strangled and dissolved in acid, Jan 11, 1996 after being held for 779 days. Gasparre Spatuzza also got 12 years for his part in the crime and at the Appeals trial pointed the finger at his former friends, telling what happened on Nov 23, 1993, when a commando of mafiosi, disguised as policemen, went to pick up the child while he was horse training.

Up until now, these 5 defendants had been left out of the investigation, which over the years has led to 42 convictions.

Of those hours, Spatuzza remembers everything: The screams of joy as little Giuseppe believed he was being taken to see his father, who had been in hiding and protected. As he was taken, tied up and put in a van, he realized he'd not be seeing his father again.

Spatuzza recalls, "In the beginning, Giuseppe was screaming, 'Papa, I love you, I love you.' Then we tied him up like an animal and left him in a box. He remained crying. We went back there to him with what little humanity we still had. The child was terrified. We reassured him we would meet with him again the next day. We never saw him again. Only after years did we realize Brusca still had the boy while trying to get Santino Di Matteo (Giuseppe's father) to retract his testimony. "We still hold the card, said Brusca." But it wasn't easy moving Giuseppe up and down between Palermo, Trapani, Agrigento, and Caltinessetta. At some point, they realized Santino would never retract his testimony. At this time, the boss, decided to kill Giuseppe. Weakened by the long imprisonment, the young boy died immediately. They put a rope around his neck, strangled him and put his lifeless body in acid.

Horrible

I read the one who strangled him, Vincenzo Chiodo, got only 18 years and will probably be out on house arrest after doing only 1/3 of the sentence just because he turned informant. What a [censored].

Also, Gerlandino Messina, as you know is my husband's cousin, got just a few years added to his multiple life sentences, for being one of the kidnappers of Giuseppe. Interesting, too, is that when Messina captured the boy, he was only a boy of 19, himself, while Giuseppe was 11.

Anyone that was involved in that kids kidnapping, torture or murder deserves to suffer a slow miserable painful death. It's beyond evil what they did to him.....just sadistic and actually sounds like something a serial killer would do. Torture the victim as much as possible before they eventually die. You have to be a real piece of shit to do that kind of stuff to an 11 year old for 2 years, even if the father was a pentito.

And Messina is suffering a slow miserable death, in lockdown, under 41-regime, for the rest of his life and he's only 39.
The father of Giuseppe could have retracted his testimony. They were never giving that boy back.

Unfortunately, neither the one who gave the order (Giovanni Brusca) nor the one who did pull the rope (Vincenzo Chiodo) or the ones who held the boy while Chiodo strangled him (Giuseppe Monticciolo and Enzo Brusca) are in 41-bis regime or at least not for life.
Such a paradoxical situation: the most guilty ones received lenient treatment.

Unfortunately your probably right about that Carmela, the kid was doomed from day 1.