Episode 227: The dramatic capture of mafia ’boss of bosses’ Matteo Messina Denaro

HE was the notorious Cosa Nostra boss who lived in hiding for 30 years and who was responsible for terrorist atrocities against Italy. Matteo Messina Denaro was amongst a group of violent mafia bosses who hit back at Italian magistrates, their families and body guards with lethal bomb attacks during the early 1990s when the brave judges took on the notorious criminal organisation.For decades, he was hunted to no avail, but this month he was dramatically arrested in Palermo as he made his way to a cancer clinic.So who is Denaro and what is the significance of his arrest for the people of Sicily and southern Italy?Nicola Tallant chats with Dr Anna Sergi, a Professor of criminology and organised crime at the University of Essex, the author of a number of books about the mob, including her latest 'Chasing the Mafia'.She describes Denaro's background, his violent life, his incredible capture and the secrets he may take to his grave.

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