Giuseppe Pulvirenti

Giuseppe Pulvirenti (1930 – 2 February 2009) was a Sicilian mafioso who rose to prominence within the Catania Mafia family and was a close associate and trusted lieutenant of Benedetto Santapaola, one of the most influential mafia leaders in Sicily.

Giuseppe Pulvirenti, also known as "U malpassotu", was born in Belpasso, a town located on the slopes of Mount Etna. Characterized physically as stocky, with an unkempt beard, shaved head, and a weary demeanor, Pulvirenti led a life steeped in violence and criminal enterprise. During the 1990s, he actively participated in a bloody internal mafia feud that claimed around one hundred lives per year. His criminal activities spanned extortion, murder, drug trafficking, and political corruption. Notably, he orchestrated a large-scale electoral manipulation scheme in 1991 involving multiple political figures, including members of the Italian Republican Party and Christian Democracy.^[1]

After eleven years in hiding, Pulvirenti was arrested in 1993 during the "Operazione Mito" while concealed in a 16-square-meter underground bunker in the countryside of Belpasso. The bunker, hidden beneath a trapdoor, was equipped with basic living amenities, a radio tuned to police frequencies, a firearm, and cash. Upon arrest, he was found wearing a gold Rolex, a lion-head necklace, and a ring with twelve diamonds surrounding a ruby, believed by informants to symbolize the leadership of twelve mafia districts.^[2]

Following his arrest, Pulvirenti chose to collaborate with the authorities. His decision was reportedly influenced by a desire to rebuild his life with a nurse with whom he had a child. His cooperation led to multiple anti-mafia operations and unveiled extensive collusion between the mafia and political entities. This decision cost him personal relationships; he was abandoned by his wife and children and later denied a divorce when he attempted to formalize his relationship with his long-time mistress.^[1]

In his later years, Pulvirenti lived under a secret identity in Cerveteri, near Rome, where he worked modestly as a night watchman at a playground. Despite his criminal past, he remained unrecognized by the local community. On February 2, 2009, he died at the age of 79 in a traffic accident while driving his three-wheeled Ape vehicle, symbolic of his humble post-criminal life. His death revealed the quiet, inconspicuous existence of a man who was once a feared figure in the Sicilian underworld.^[3]