Gaetano Riina
Gaetano Riina | |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 November 1933 Corleone, Sicily, Italy |
| Died | 22 February 2024 (aged 90) Mazara del Vallo, Sicily, Italy |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Other names | Zú Tano |
| Occupation | Mafioso |
| Criminal charge | Mafia association |
| Criminal penalty | Imprisonment |
| Relatives | Salvatore Riina (brother) |
Gaetano Riina, known as Zú Tano (Corleone, Sicily, 5 November 1933 – Mazara del Vallo, Sicily, 22 February 2024) was an Italian mafioso linked to Cosa Nostra, younger brother of the historic mafia boss Totò Riina who was nicknamed "the Beast" for his brutality.[1][2]
Biography
Born in 1933 in Corleone, Sicily, Italy, Gaetano lost his father Giovanni and his younger brother Francesco in 1943 due to the bomb explosion, during which he was also injured.[3][4]
He likely worked as a farmer before becoming a point of reference for several mafiosi who came to him for advice,[5] so much so that in 1982 he was appointed consigliere of the Corleonesi. Residing in Mazara del Vallo since the 1970s, he was a partner of Mariano Agate, the boss of the town and a faithful ally of his brother Totò.[6]
On 28 January 1985, Judge Alberto Giacomelli, president of the preventive measures section of the Court of Trapani, ordered the confiscation of a villa and land owned by Gaetano Riina in Mazara del Vallo. For this reason, Giacomelli was brutally murdered in an ambush on September 14, 1988, after his retirement.[7][8]
Gaetano Riina was arrested on July 1, 2011, together with his grandchildren Alessandro Correnti, and Giuseppe Grizzafi,[9] accused for being the clan's cashier[10] after nearly two years of wiretaps by the Carabinieri of the Corleone Company.[5]
In 2014, it was discovered that Gaetano Riina was in agreement with the Casalesi clan to transport fruit and vegetables from Rome to Sicily and control the markets. The chosen company for transportation was Autofrigo Marsala, directed by Carmelo Gagliano.[11]
In April 2021, due to his age and numerous health problems which, according to the judges, would impair his social dangerousness, he was released and placed under house arrest in Trapani Province.[12] Riina, who had been imprisoned since 2011, would have completed his sentence in May 2024.[13]
Gaetano Riina died on February 22, 2024, at the age of 90. He was buried the following day in the cemetery of Mazara del Vallo without a formal funeral service, except for a Mass celebrated by the cemetery chaplain in defiance of his bishop's orders.[14]
Notes
- ^ swissinfo.ch, S. W. I. (2011-07-01). "Bruder von Mafia-Boss Riina auf Sizilien festgenommen". SWI swissinfo.ch (in German). Retrieved 2025-06-25.
- ^ "Head of Mafia in 'The Godfather' town arrested". The Telegraph. 2011-07-01. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
- ^ "Killer Queens". Mafia Genealogy. 2016-04-11. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
- ^ "Morto il fratello di Totò Riina, vietati i funerali pubblici: Gaetano Riina era ai domiciliari dal 2021". www.virgilio.it (in Italian). 2024-02-24. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
- ^ a b "Mafia, arrested the brother of Totò Riina "He is the advisor of the Corleone clan"".
- ^ "THE TREASURE OF RIINA - la Repubblica.it". Retrieved 2022-03-01.
- ^ "That retired judge assassinated by Totò Riina - la Repubblica.it". Retrieved 2022-02-03.
- ^ "Mafia, sequestrati beni per 1,5 milioni di euro a Riina: c'è anche la villa della latitanza". rainews (in Italian). 2017-07-19. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
- ^ "Italians arrest Mafia don of Corleone - UPI.com". UPI. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
- ^ "Mafia cast shadow over Sicily even as properties seized". BBC News. 2011-11-15. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
- ^ "Agreement between Cosa Nostra and Camorra, convicted Gaetano Riina and the Casalesi". 2014-03-25. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
- ^ TG24, Sky (2021-04-21). "Mafia, scarcerato e posto ai domiciliari il fratello di Totò Riina". tg24.sky.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-06-25.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Sandra Figliuolo (2021-04-21). "Elderly and ill, after contracting Covid in prison, Gaetano Riina will go to house arrest". Retrieved 2021-04-24.
- ^ Ignazio Marchese (2024-02-24). "Died at 90 Gaetano Riina, Totò's brother, funeral prohibited". Retrieved 2024-02-28.