This is how the godfather of the Cosa Nostra really lived

Until now, only photographs and phantom images of him had been published. But now his voice echoes through Italian talk shows. Phrases like “I like you” can be heard, but also wild swear words. Insights into the life of a mob boss. Some listeners wonder: is it really that dangerous?

This is the voice of Matteo Messina Denaro (61). Italy’s most wanted criminal was on the run for more than 30 years – until he was arrested on January 16, 2023 at La Maddalena private clinic in Palermo. Private voice messages from the head of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra have since been leaked to the Italian media.

As “Andrea Bonafede”, he lived an amazingly normal life. Visits to restaurants, trips in his Alfa Giulietta, meetings with loved ones, it’s all public now. Denaro even traveled abroad with forged papers.

Everyone is silent for him

The mafia boss didn’t like being stuck in traffic at all. Some streets were closed for a memorial service for Judge Giovanni Falcone (1939-1992). His voice message: “I’ve been blocked because of the memory of this motherfucker, damn shit.”

Denaro describes herself as a “kitten”. He was alone with himself. “And when people study me and try to figure out who I am, I get fucking upset like a beast.”

In the small town of Campobello di Mazara, where Denaro lived for four years, everyone held out until the audio recordings were released. Probably out of fear of the mafia. This is one of the reasons why it took three decades for the mafia boss to finally be caught.

In the living room: a “The Godfather” poster

He lived in a completely normal apartment. The police found a pile of sneakers there, a room decorated like a gym, expensive clothes and beautiful watches – some from Switzerland.

In the living room there was a poster of the movie “The Godfather” with: Marlon Brando (80) as Don Vito Corleone. Denaro also owned a small library of about 50 books, including the biography of Vladimir Putin (70), “Pablo Escobar, my father”, written by the son of the Colombian drug lord, and the autobiography of tennis player Andre Agassi (52).

The first to receive audio was the “Non è l’arena” program on the small La7 channel. A friend who was especially fond of Denaro allowed access to the audio.

Both had met in La Maddalena, where they had to undergo chemotherapy. She mistook him for a food industrialist, which was only half a lie. Because: The Denaros empire also included a cheese dairy and olive oil production. (nad)

Source: Blick