International

Matteo Messina Denaro, head of the Sicilian Mafia, dies at 62

Matteo Messina Denaro, the long-hunted head of the Sicilian Mafia, died on Monday in a hospital in central Italy, the ANSA news agency reported. He was 62.

Denaro had been suffering from colon cancer, which he had sought treatment for while he was on the run. His decision to seek treatment led to his arrest in January at a clinic in Palermo.

Denaro was a ruthless assassin and the last surviving member of the old guard of Cosa Nostra, the Sicilian Mafia. He was convicted in absentia six times of life in prison for his role in a series of murders and bombings in Italy.

"I could fill a cemetery with the people I've killed myself," he was once quoted as saying.

Denaro was born into a Mafia family in Castelvetrano, Sicily, and began his criminal career at a young age. He was involved in the 1992 assassinations of anti-Mafia judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, which helped to trigger a crackdown on the Mafia.

Denaro went on to become the head of Cosa Nostra in the province of Trapani, and his influence extended to Palermo, the capital of Sicily. He was known for his sophisticated use of technology and his ability to evade capture for decades.

Denaro's death is a significant blow to the Sicilian Mafia, which has been struggling to maintain its power in recent years. It is also a victory for the Italian authorities, who had been determined to bring him to justice.

Translation by Iurie Tataru

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