Sicilian Mafia Commission

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The Sicilian Mafia Commission , also known as the cupola (cupola) or simply the commission, is an assembly of the main heads of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra ; this serves to make important decisions and resolve internal disputes in a peaceful way. The commission was founded in the mid-1950s based on the American model (see also Cosa Nostra: Structure ). It was designed neither as a government body of the Cosa Nostra nor as a representative of all Sicilian Mafia families, but according to the words of the later key witness and Pentito Tommaso Buscetta an "instrument of moderation and inner peace." It should also act as a counterbalance to the power of bosses over their respective families. At first it was set up only for the province of Palermo ; later similar institutions were to follow for the province of Catania , the province of Trapani , the province of Caltanissetta , the province of Agrigento and the province of Enna . In 1975 an Inter-Provincial Commission was also set up under the name Region for all of Sicily.

The first commission from 1958 to 1963

The first commission consisted of the following men, each representing a "mandamento" (the territory of three families each):

The triumvirate from 1969 to 1974

After the first Mafia war of 1962/1963 and the subsequent pressure of persecution by the Italian criminal authorities, the commission was dissolved for a few years. In 1969 a provisional three-member triumvirate was set up. It consisted of the following bosses who were considered the most powerful leaders of the Cosa Nostra:

The Commission from 1974 to 1977

In 1974 the commission was restored to normal; as in previous years of the triumvirate, the members were now also the bosses of the families represented.

The 1978 Commission

In 1978 Gaetano Badalamenti was expelled from the Cosa Nostra on the initiative of the Corleonesians . He was succeeded as secretary of the commission by Michele Greco. At that time, the Cosa Nostra was split into two power blocs; the dominant block consisted of the Corleonesians, who were allied with the powerful Grecos, with Giuseppe "Pippo" Calò, Nenè Geraci, Francesco Madonia, Ignazio Motisi and, presumably, Salvatore Scaglione. The minority faction was represented by Stefano Bontade, Salvatore Inzerillo, Rosario Riccobono and Calogero Pizzuto. Antonio Salamone also sympathized with this faction, but not openly; Salamone's deputies, the Bruscas, in turn were closely allied with the Corleonesians and also supported them. The dominant Corleonesians made several decisions together with their allies, of which Bontade, Inzerillo and Riccobono found out nothing or only afterwards.

The 1982 Commission

In the Second Mafia War from 1981 to 1983, the Corleonesians destroyed their opponents Bontade and Inzerillo and their supporters. Rosario Riccobono, who defected to the Corleones at the beginning of the war, was also murdered by them at Christmas 1982. Salamone voluntarily turned himself in to the police because he could not hold his position against the Bruscas without Bontade's support and he was threatened with murder. Many mandamenti were reformed. Under the direct rule of the Corleonesians (even more so than before) the commission changed from a democratic assembly to an organ with which the ruling group could get its way. The position of secretary also increasingly changed from that of a balancing “ moderator ” to an authoritarian head of the commission, especially after Salvatore Riina took the post when Michele Greco was arrested in 1986.

1992

The 1992 commission that decided the murders of Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino :

The Directory

As a result of the attack on the Italian state , the latter fought back resolutely; Most of the members of the commission as well as the "boss of the bosses" Salvatore "Totò" Riina himself could be arrested. At the end of the chaotic 1990s for the Cosa Nostra, his successor Bernardo Provenzano appointed a directorate consisting of the following bosses to replace the commission:

Current situation

In 2009, 89 suspects were arrested by the Italian police, thus preventing attempts to re-establish the commission. The new commission should consist of the following members:

The Interprovincial Commission

The Interprovincial Commission, often called "Region" within the Cosa Nostra, was founded in 1975 on the initiative of Giuseppe Calderone as an assembly of representatives from the various provinces of Sicily; The provinces Ragusa, Syracuse and Messina were not represented. The first meeting took place in February 1975 in Enna . The composition of the first provincial commission remained unchanged until 1978. It consisted of

The 1992 assembly consisted of:

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ John Dickie: Cosa nostra: The history of the mafia. Fischer Verlag, Frankfurt a. M. 2006, ISBN 3-596-17106-7 .
  2. ^ Giovanni Falcone: Inside Mafia , Herbig Actuell, Munich 1992, ISBN 3-7766-1765-9 .
  3. ↑ Tim Shawcross, Martin Young: Mafia Wars. The Confessions of Tommaso Buscetta , Fontana / Collins, London 1988, ISBN 0-00-637347-X .
  4. ↑ Mafia boss hangs himself in prison. ( Memento of the original from February 1, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on: sueddeutsche.de , May 17, 2010. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.sueddeutsche.de
Cosa Nostra • Sicilian Mafia


structure
Chain of command

Cupola (The Commission) • Capomandamento (District Boss) • Capofamiglia (Family Boss) • Sottocapo (Underboss) • Consigliere (Adviser) • Capodecina (Captain) • Soldato • Avvicinato (Associate)

Designations

Capo dei capi (boss of the bosses) • Uomo D'Onore (member) • Palermo Mafia Summit (1957) • Pizza Connection • Initiation ritual • Omertà • Pentito • Lupara Bianca • Death triangle

Historical
Wars

First Mafia War (1961–1963) • Second Mafia War (1981–1983)

massacre

Ciaculli massacre (1963) • Viale Lazio massacre (1969) • Rapido 904 massacre (1984) • Capaci massacre (1992)

Processes

Maxi Trial (1986–1992) • Pizza Connection Trial (1985–1987)

Clans

Corleonesi