Francesco Madonia (Resuttana)

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"Ciccio" Madonia became the unquestioned patriarch of the Resuttana Mafia family and mandamento. He replaced Antonino Matranga, murdered in 1970, and strongly supported the Corleonesi during the Second Mafia War in 1981-83. In 1987, at the Maxi Trial, he was sentenced to life for murder, but he went on running the Family from prison; first through his sons Antonino, Giuseppe and Salvatore "Salvino" Madonia, all three jailed, after that through his brother Diego, the reputed acting boss.

Life sentences

"Ciccio" Madonia had several life sentences and was involved in several of the most bloody events in the 1980s, such as the murder of Piersanti Mattarella, the Christian Democrat president of the autonomous region of Sicily in 1980; general Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa, the prefect of Palermo in 1982; police chief Ninni Cassarà in 1986; and Libero Grassi, the Palermitan businessman who was killed by the Mafia after refusing to pay extortion money, known as "pizzo". Francesco Madonia was involved in the failed bomb attack against Antimafia judge Giovanni Falcone at Addaura in 1989 (which is in the Resuttana mandamento) and the killings of Falcone and his colleague Paolo Borsellino in 1992.it [http://espresso.repubblica.it/dettaglio-local/Morto-Madonia-boss-di-Resuttana/1538607/6 Morto Madonia, boss di Resuttana] , La Repubblica, March 14, 2007]

He was arrested in 1987 together with his son Giuseppe Madonia. However, despite his life sentence at the Maxi Trial, the most important Mafia bosses of the Commission spent months at a time not at Ucciardone prison, but in hotel-like conditions of Palermo’s Ospedale Civico (Civic Hospital). The director of the hospital was Giuseppe Lima, the brother of Salvo Lima, member of parliament suspected of mafia ties. [Stille, "Excellent Cadavers", p. 276]

Extortion and forfeiture

In 1989, the police discovered the hideout of Francesco’s son Nino Madonia that contained an account book of the family’s extortion business which listed some 150 businessmen. [Stille, "Excellent Cadavers", p. 346-47] Francesco Madonia has been convicted for ordering the killing of Libero Grassi in 1991, the Palermo shopkeeper who refused to pay protection money (the so-called "pizzo"). Grassi's business was in the area that is controlled by the Madonia clan. His son Salvatore "Salvino" Madonia was the killer.

In 2003, Italian authorities seized the Tresanti estate near Montespertoli, 18 kilometers from San Gimignano in Tuscany. The estate, which produces olive oil and Chianti wine, was the jewel in the crown of a €32.5 million Mafia fortune owned by Francesco Madonia. Mafiosi are said to be transferring their interests to Tuscany, which many discovered while serving time or visiting friends in the large number of high-security prisons there. [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/core/Content/displayPrintable.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/06/10/wbul10.xml&site=5&page=0 Police seize 'mafia' vineyard] , Daily Telegraph, June 10, 2006]

Death

He died on March 13, 2007, in a prison hospital in Naples where he was serving his life sentences under the severe conditions of the article 41-bis prison regime.it [http://espresso.repubblica.it/dettaglio-local/Morto-Madonia-boss-di-Resuttana/1538607/6 Morto Madonia, boss di Resuttana] , La Repubblica, March 14, 2007]

References

*Jamieson, Alison (2000), "The Antimafia. Italy’s Fight Against Organized Crime", London: MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-80158-X
*Stille, Alexander (1995). "Excellent Cadavers. The Mafia and the Death of the First Italian Republic", New York: Vintage ISBN 0-09-959491-9