Washington Post – ROME — Italian authorities on Monday arrested their most wanted fugitive, Mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro, who was detained at a private clinic in the Sicilian city of Palermo after 30 years on the run.
(Carabinieri/Reuters)
Denaro had been on Italy’s most wanted list since the early 1990s and is alleged to be the head of the Cosa Nostra crime syndicate. He had been convicted of dozens of murders in absentia and faces multiple life sentences.
His arrest is a landmark moment in the decades-long battle by authorities against organized crime. Video on social media showed people cheering in the streets of Palermo, honking horns in celebration and clapping for the Carabinieri police.
“A great victory for the state,” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement. She thanked the national anti-Mafia unit as well as prosecutors in Palermo for their work.
