An infamous Italian mob boss who was captured in January after 30 years on the run has died. Officials tell Reuters that 61-year-old Matteo Messina Denaro, known as the “last godfather,” has succumbed to colon cancer, after falling into a coma on Friday from which he never emerged. The Sicilian mobster had been held in a maximum security prison in central Italy until recent weeks, when he was brought to a hospital due to his deteriorating condition. Per state radio, the police detail that had been guarding Denaro’s hospital room in L’Aquila shifted to the hospital’s morgue around 2am Monday, the AP reports.
Prosecutors in both L’Aquila and Palermo have requested an autopsy, despite the fact that it was common knowledge that Denaro was “afflicted with a very serious illness,” per a statement from L’Aquila prosecutors. “You shouldn’t deny prayers to anyone, but I can’t say I am sorry,” Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini posted on Instagram after Denaro’s death was announced. Denaro—who “once claimed to have murdered enough people to fill a cemetery,” per the AP—wasn’t believed to have given up any information on his crimes or others to police before he died.
An infamous Italian mob boss who was captured in January after 30 years on the run has passed away. Officials report that Matteo Messina Denaro, also known as the “last godfather,” died from colon cancer. Denaro fell into a coma on Friday and unfortunately never recovered. The 61-year-old Sicilian mobster had been held in a high-security prison in central Italy until his deteriorating condition prompted his transfer to a hospital in recent weeks. State radio reveals that the police detail assigned to guard Denaro’s hospital room in L’Aquila shifted to the hospital’s morgue on Monday.
Prosecutors in both L’Aquila and Palermo have requested an autopsy, despite it being widely known that Denaro was seriously ill. After news of Denaro’s death broke, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini shared his thoughts on Instagram, expressing no remorse. Denaro, who once bragged about killing enough people to fill a cemetery, is believed to have taken his secrets with him to the grave. Born in Castelvetrano, Sicily, Denaro followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the mob at a young age. He went into hiding in 1993 and managed to evade capture for three decades, earning 20 life sentences in absentia for his involvement in various murders, including the killings of two prominent anti-Mafia prosecutors in 1992. Denaro was arrested in January while seeking treatment for his cancer and received ongoing medical care, including chemotherapy, while in prison. Italian state media reports that Denaro will be laid to rest in Sicily later this week.
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