Mafia leader Michele "The Pope" Greco died in Rome at the age of 83 after being hospitalized for weeks, a report said. The former Cosa Nostra chief was serving multiple life sentences at the Rebibbia hospital in Rome before his death on Tuesday, ANSA reported Wednesday.
Greco was known for his mediation skills between Sicilian Mafia families when he reached the organization's top position in 1978.
Greco was arrested in 1986 as part of a "maxi-trial" against hundreds of organized crime members accused of arranging the murders of 78 individuals.
He was sentenced to life in prison in 1987, let out in 1991 on appeal, and arrested again in 1991 after the court overturned the appeal.
''I am a prisoner. Because of an injustice in the 1980s I have been buried alive and have been in prison for 22 years. The dampness of my cell has destroyed my health and I am truly in a bad way,'' he said.
