On January 6, 1980, the mafia orchestrated a tragic event that shook Sicily and the Mattarella family—the assassination of Piersanti Mattarella, President of the Sicilian Region and brother of the current President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella. In an ambush on via Libertà in Palermo, the Fiat 132 carrying Mattarella, his wife Irma Chiazzese, and their two children, Bernardo and Maria, was riddled with bullets while they were on their way to attend a mass.
Political Career:
Born in Castellammare del Golfo in 1935, Piersanti Mattarella devoted his life to his two greatest passions: jurisprudence and law, and politics. Aligned with the ideas of Aldo Moro, he was a member of the Christian Democracy party (Democrazia Cristiana). His political journey included being a city councilor in Palermo in 1964, a regional deputy in 1967, regional assessor for the Presidency with a focus on the budget from 1971 to 1978, and ultimately, the President of the Sicilian Region in 1978.
Anti-Mafia Commitment:
Throughout his tenure, Mattarella fiercely battled against the mafia. He endeavored to uphold a line of legality within the Christian Democracy, firmly resisting mafia pressures. His commitment to transparency and legality marked him as a revolutionary figure in politics. Tragically, on January 6, 1980, as he attended mass with his family, an assassin approached his car, shot him with a .38 caliber revolver, and fled along via Libertà in Palermo in a white Fiat 127. Mattarella, without any security detail, was defenseless against what came to be known as "the ice-eyed killer."
The Assassination and Masterminds:
The immediate assumption was that Cosa Nostra was responsible for Mattarella's murder, viewing him as a trailblazer and revolutionary in politics, ushering in an era of change, transparency, and legality. Despite convictions in 1995 of those deemed in a court of law as the masterminds behind the murder—mafia bosses Salvatore Riina, Michele Greco, Bernardo Brusca, Bernardo Provenzano, Giuseppe Calò, Francesco Madonia, and Nenè Geraci—the death of Piersanti Mattarella remains one of Italy's many mysteries, even 44 years later.
Schifani Remembers Piersanti Mattarella:
Governor Renato Schifani paid tribute to Piersanti Mattarella's memory, emphasizing his fight against the mafia through political choices and governance actions. Schifani highlighted that celebrating Mattarella's legacy involves honoring the commitment to transparency, legality, and efficiency in public administration—a direction that marked a new path for Sicily's transformation.
In commemorating Piersanti Mattarella, Sicily remembers a leader whose ideals and sacrifice continue to inspire the ongoing battle for a more just and transparent society.
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