Michele Mainaghi (died 1992) was an Italian businessman from Milan. Mainaghi was the founder of the Mainaghi Group, a business with interests in pharmaceuticals, insurance, and other industries, as well as with ties to corrupt political figures in Lombardy. In 1992, Mainaghi was one of the first victims of the Tangentopoli scandal, and he was found dead of a probable suicide that same year.
Biography[]
Michele Mainaghi was born in Milan, and he became a powerful businessman in Lombardy, investing in pharmaceuticals, insurance, and other industries. He was linked to political circles, and was thought to have been involved with kickbacks and other forms of corruption; policeman Luca Pastore was given HIV from infected blood given to him in a transfusion from Mainaghi's company. In 1992, at the start of the Tangentopoli scandal, Pastore set out on a revenge quest against Mainaghi, intending to frame him for Mario Chiesa's corruption. He seduced his daughter Beatrice in order to gain access to Mainaghi's household, and he ultimately found documents that incriminated Mainaghi in corruption. Antonio di Pietro had Mainaghi arrested, and his sentence was commuted to house arrest after he gave up Bettino Craxi's cashier Silviano Larini. Mainaghi apparently went on to hang himself due to his loss of honor and the loss of his mistress, Veronica Castello, who lost her television jobs due to her association with Mainaghi. He left the majority of his shares in the business to his daughter Bibi Mainaghi, as he did not trust his son, Zeno Mainaghi, with the business. However, a year later, Bibi Mainaghi found out from Mainaghi's friend and business partner Antonino Del Re that the mafioso Luigi Brancato had Mainaghi murdered. Brancato had previously warned Del Re that he would be killed if he was thrown in jail, as the Sicilian Mafia did not want to risk one of its high-level business contacts revealing their conspiracies; Brancato had Mainaghi murdered and left hanging from his living room to make it appear as if he had killed himself. Mainaghi's children swore revenge against Brancato, leading to Bibi's murder.