I read his first involvement in murders was in 1986, when he was 14. He did provoke a black-out in the whole city when the Cosa Nostra hitmen did a massacre of the Grassonelli clan, as an answer to the recent Messina murders (they couldn't even find decent hitmen so an innocent, Filippo Gebbia, was killed). Salvatore Grassonelli later retaliated with another massacre in which 2 innocents were killed too (Giuseppe Marnalo and Stefano Volpe). Really, the shooting "ability" of some gangsters really amazes me. Do they go on hits while drunk and high on drugs at the same time?

An interesting detail about Gerlandino Messina's convictions: when Pasquale Salemi was questioned about those murders, he initially replaced him with Giuseppe Gambacorta in all cases, trying to protect him. He later admitted this when it contradicted other informants' statements.

By the way, was Riina involved in the Guazzelli murder? I read the one who commissioned it was Simone Capizzi (boss of Ribera) and was organized by Salvatore Fragapane (boss of Santa Elisabetta), Riina wasn't indicted, but I read it could have been a part of a terror strategy when Riina ordered to kill 1 police officer in every province or something like that.

You're completely right. Gerlandino was 14 in 1986 when he first killed, and that was because his father was just killed that June, 1986, by the Grassonelli clan. I think the very first person killed that started those wars was Antonino Messina who was married to a Caruana woman. That's one way the Caruana-[BadWord] families tied into the Messina families. Then he caused the black out in Porto Empedocle, yes.
Maybe it was his brother Salvatore I was thinking of with the age of 19.

Riina wanted one police officer or prison guard killed in each town, that's how Messina ended up killing that officer. He was tremendously loyal to Riina and did anything for him.

As far as the hitmen..well when you give teenage boys jobs to go do hits...they tend to make mistakes acting like cowboys.

You're also correct about Pasquale Salemi. He was caught substituting names to protect their family. That's why he was kicked out of witness protection in Italy. Then he was thrown in jail, and later was released.

According to this article, a confidant has reported that Messina-Denaro has ordered large amounts of TNT with intentions on bringing things back to old school ways of doing things. Another article today, states that Riina, from prison, has stated he wants things going back to the way they were ie: balls to the wall, threatening, bombing. However, this conflicts with some of the younger mafiosi way of doing things today, but there are still plenty loyalists to Riina and if anyone thinks he's not calling shots from prison with this new info of MMD ordering dynamite, they're being naive.

http://www.antimafiaduemila.com/20140111...nel-mirino.html

watch out nino di matteo

Thanks for explaining article in english Carmela(since i don't know italian).Well you are one of the best posters about Sicilian Mafia,generally about Italy,i always enjoy reading your posts,even if thing about TNT is true,I doubt that they are going to use that TNT,but time will tell.

You're welcome, strax. The thing is Riina is still out for revenge against the italian gov't and wants things blown up and men killed, families killed, whoever. The thing is, even though he's still got plenty of loyalists out there, he's the one doing life under 41-bis, and has nothing to lose. But Messina-Denaro is a crazy bastard and just crazy enough to make things happen. He has the same old school values as Riina and Provenzano do.

If they start with bombings again,it's gonna bring only trouble to them,Riina tried to kill everyone,they kill one,the another one will show up.They need to operate in shadows and avoid high profile murders.

Exactly my thoughts. From what i have read and seen on documentaries etc provenzano played a very important role after riina was arrested by moving away from the high profile attacks and bombings and only doing what was absolutely necessary.

Thank you Carmela for providing excellent posts and information, the mafia in Italy in what interests me the most, i am always keen to read new information!

so I just read a article about whats going on over there on that friends of ours blog aka weird blog. but anyway there saying toto the beast was caught on a wire tape last year talking to another boss larusso I think, he's camorra anyway toto's gloating about all the killings even 1 killing of a judge in 1983 were he watched from a distance and says to the other boss I messed him up real bad. then he says quoting "that mr m.m.d. is investing all the money in to lights an solar energy he needs a light up his ass. I might have screw the quote up lil. but did he know he was getting recorded i think so, just cause he sas that mr mmd, like he didn't know him weird. if he in such solitary condition why the hell is he openly talking to another boss from some powerfull clan doin lifes. there saying it was recorded November last yr there some trial or grand jury looking in to those 92 judge murders like the state had something to do in it. really confusing and very interesting. didn't they let the guy who set the bomb off free probably lives in new jersey or florida today.actualy didn't he got to rome and get arrested for shaking people down again. maybe this is bs spread to the press by police trying to smoke out mmd. don't no how to link stuff its a ana press never heard of it. just got to that friends blog.

maybe the other boss was wearing a wire but I don't think that's the case probably roving bug. good question do mafia guys were wires like every one over here. you never here to many nicky skins type shit going on over there. usualy they l
kill like your kid maybe your dad and brother then you run to police.like massino wire the wire on vinny g in the bullpen. no mob guys must trust each other in jail in usa anymore after that. even the guy in the philly trial who just kept robbing banks well working for the feds.

Riina spoke to another inmate about what he wants done to the prosecutor, knowing it'd be picked up and would rattle the gov't just the way it's doing. Riina doesn't care what he says, he's in jail for life and under 41-bis seclusion. His whole life is tapped.

Riina was talking about one of the first prosecutors he had blown up and how happy he was watching his body fly thru the air. This prosecutor was the one that got the maxi trials going and also was one of the first prosecutors to start speaking out in schools, etc, about the mafia. Riina wanted to shut him up once and for all. Success.

What he's saying about the Messina-Denaro is he doesn't respect this wind farm racket that MMD has going for years now that generates billions for MMD. Riina refers to them as "light poles".
What I don't understand is Riina's sudden change of heart on MMD, saying he needs a light pole up his ass. Maybe he's just saying he needs to get moving and get back to the old ways of doing things instead of playing around with wind farms.
Those things are all over Sicily and honestly, to this day, I've never seen one move yet. Where's the wind?

http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/sicilian-mafia-boss-toto-riina-prosecutors-have-to-die

great article about what Riina said with some astute speculation on what it may mean. I'm thinking Carmela is right, Riina knows whatever he says will get out there - So why not rattle the bars a bit?

kuklinsky did the same thing before he died, although what he did was more towards making outrageous claims of his supposed exploits, but, I think it was coming from the same "nothing to lose" place.

New article releases the newest computer generated picture of Messina-Denaro. The article goes on to say how MMD spoke with some guy about getting to an eye specialist in Spain for his eyes. (In case anyone didn't know...he's practically blind.)

http://www.grandangoloagrigento.it/ecco-il-nuovo-volto-di-matteo-messina-denaro-lultimo-padrino/

El chapo went down so this guys next even thou america don't have a horse in this race. But I really believed chapo wouldn't be caught. Maybe the CIA helping mmd hide been watching alot of homeland. He was smart not trying to ship a million pounds of heroin to USA like the bosses back in the day I swear maybe keeping mob bosses free over there is like a FBI Greg scarpa thing .mmd keeps them in the loop USA loves t.e.i. bulger

Come on gorgeous, translate or cliffs?

^^^ Thanks Strax. I didn't see the english version and didn't feel like translating.

That paragraph I posted above article, was my cliffs notes. It was really about the picture anyway, and in my article (which was a lot longer than the american one), the rest was rehashed bullshit.... he's filled a cemetery by himself...he strangled his rivals pregnant girlfriend, blah blah blah.

throw some white hair on the head and he looks like joe bonanno

Actually, Bonanno and MMD were both born in the Trapani province in Sicily.

We may need a thread for our encounters with police. I've had a couple strange ones.

One was positive, I was walking to my bus stop, only to see my bus pull up and take off just before I got there. I threw up my hands, yelled a curse, but then, all of a sudden, this lady cop pulls up next to me, she's like

"Didja miss your bus?"

and I'm all "yeah and I'm late for work"

so she says hop in! She takes off, flips on her sirens and pulls the bus over so I could get on. Surreal, but awesome.

^^^ Boring story and has nothing to do with this thread. That being said, next time I hope the bus hits a huge ass puddle and gets your school uniform all wet.

Thanks guys and gals

Cousin of Messina-Denaro has millions seized in property, house, cars, etc.

Article with video...

http://www.grandangoloagrigento.it/ultim...enaro-il-video/

Something I don't understand is, why was Provenzano arrested if he was in possession of the mythical black dossier. And didn't Riina also have it? I mean I guess I can understand Riina being arrested but Provenzano quieted things down and they still got to him a decade later.

What's to stop them from arresting MMD despite him having the black dossier if Riina and Provenzano were arrested before him? Isn't the importance of this dossier being overstated?

I agree. Why would Riina or Provenzano give up the black dossier? If MMD has it, and people think he won't be caught because he has it, why would the others have given it up?

I am not really sure. Or maybe I know but can't think off hand. My mind is amusciata right now.