Discover the defining moments in the early life of Matteo Messina Denaro. From birth to education, explore key events.
Matteo Messina Denaro, nicknamed Diabolik, was a prominent Sicilian Mafia boss hailing from Castelvetrano. Following the arrests of key figures like Bernardo Provenzano and Salvatore Lo Piccolo, he rose to prominence as one of the new leaders within the Sicilian mob. The son of a Mafia boss, Denaro gained national notoriety when L'Espresso magazine featured him on its cover in 2001, declaring him the new head of the Mafia. His career was characterized by alleged involvement in numerous crimes and a long period spent as a fugitive.
April 1962: Birth of Matteo Messina Denaro
In April 1962, Matteo Messina Denaro was born in Castelvetrano, Sicily. He later became a prominent figure in the Sicilian Mafia.
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1983: Antonio D'Alì Sr.'s Resignation
In 1983, Antonio D'Alì Sr. had to resign from the board of the Banca Sicula because he appeared on the list of the secret freemason lodge Propaganda Due (P2) of Licio Gelli.
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1991: Acquisition of Banca Sicula
In 1991, Banca Commerciale Italiana (Comit) in Milan acquired the Banca Sicula.
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1991: Observed Giovanni Falcone and Claudio Martelli
In 1991, Messina Denaro observed the movements of Giovanni Falcone and the Minister of Justice, Claudio Martelli.
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January 1993: Start of Fugitive Status
In January 1993, Matteo Messina Denaro began his life as a fugitive, coinciding with the arrest of Riina in Palermo on January 15, 1993.
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January 1993: Arrest of Salvatore Riina
In January 1993, after the arrest of Salvatore Riina, Cosa Nostra embarked on a terrorist campaign in which Messina Denaro played a prominent role.
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March 1993: Testimony in Murder Case
The voice recording from 12 August 2021 originated on 18 March 1993, taking place in the court of Marsala regarding a murder case in Partanna, when Messina Denaro testified in the case.
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May 1993: Tailing Maurizio Costanzo
In May 1993, Messina Denaro tailed the TV journalist Maurizio Costanzo, who had just escaped a car bomb attack.
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June 1993: Went into Hiding
In June 1993, Messina Denaro went into hiding following the bombings earlier that year.
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1993: Became a Fugitive
In 1993, Matteo Messina Denaro became a fugitive and was placed on the Italian Ministry of the Interior's most wanted list.
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1994: Hiding with Maria Mesi
Between 1994 and 1996, Messina Denaro spent time in his hiding place located between Aspra and Bagheria with his lover Maria Mesi.
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1995: Lived with Mother
In 1995, Messina Denaro, who had a daughter from a previous relationship, went to live with his mother.
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1996: Vacation to Greece
Between 1994 and 1996, Messina Denaro went on vacation to Greece with his lover Maria Mesi under the false name of "Matteo Cracolici".
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1996: Antonio D'Alì Jr.'s Senatorial Role
In 1996, Antonio D'Alì Jr. became a senator for Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party.
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November 1998: Arrest of Salvatore Messina Denaro
In November 1998, Matteo's brother Salvatore Messina Denaro was arrested. He worked at the Banca Sicula and continued to work for Comit.
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2000: Arrest of Maria Mesi
In 2000, Maria Mesi was arrested, and because police found love letters that she had exchanged with Messina Denaro, the following year she was sentenced to three years in prison for aiding and abetting.
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April 2001: Antonio D'Alì Jr.'s Appointment
In April 2001, Antonio D'Alì Jr. became under-secretary at the Ministry of the Interior, the institution responsible for fighting organised crime.
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April 2001: L'Espresso Cover
In April 2001, Matteo Messina Denaro gained national notoriety when the magazine L'Espresso featured him on its cover with the headline "Ecco il nuovo capo della Mafia" ("Here is the new Mafia boss").
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May 2002: Life Imprisonment Sentence
On May 6, 2002, Messina Denaro was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment for his role in the bombings of 1993.
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April 2006: Provenzano's Arrest and Grigoli Link
In April 2006, documents linking Giuseppe Grigoli to Messina Denaro were found in the hideout where Provenzano was arrested.
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July 2006: Love Letters Found
In July 2006, investigators found other love letters from Maria Mesi at the home of Filippo Guttadauro, who had the task of delivering them to his brother-in-law Messina Denaro.
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December 2007: Arrest of Giuseppe Grigoli
Giuseppe Grigoli was arrested in December 2007 after authorities found documents linking him to Messina Denaro in the hideout where Provenzano was arrested in April 2006.
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November 2008: Seizure of Giuseppe Grigoli's Assets
On 18 November 2008, Italian authorities seized €700 million in assets from the supermarket king of Sicily, Giuseppe Grigoli, traceable to Messina Denaro.
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2008: Seizure of Giuseppe Grigoli's Assets
In 2008, €700 million in assets were seized from supermarket magnate Giuseppe Grigoli, reinforcing the awareness of Messina Denaro's significant economic influence.
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November 2009: Seizure of Francesco Pecora's Assets
In November 2009, authorities seized €200 million from construction tycoon Francesco Pecora, further highlighting Messina Denaro's deep-rooted economic power.
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November 2009: Arrest of Domenico Raccuglia
On 15 November 2009, Domenico Raccuglia was arrested in a small town near Trapani, having been convicted in absentia for murder and other crimes. He was facing three life sentences.
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December 2009: Video Sighting
In December 2009, a security camera in the Valle del Belice captured a video potentially showing Messina Denaro as a passenger in a car.
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January 2010: Seizure of Rosario Cascio's Assets
In January 2010, police seized construction companies, villas, shops, and vehicles worth some €550 million from Rosario Cascio, believed to be a key financial figure for Messina Denaro.
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March 2010: Arrest of Salvatore Messina Denaro
On 15 March 2010, Messina Denaro's brother, Salvatore Messina Denaro, was arrested along with 18 others in operation "Golem 2".
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September 2010: Seizure of Vito Nicastri's Assets
In September 2010, police seized a record amount of assets, worth €1.5 billion, from Vito Nicastri, accused of working with Messina Denaro.
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October 2010: Arrest of Gerlandino Messina
On 23 October 2010, Gerlandino Messina, the alleged boss of Agrigento, was arrested, tightening the circle around Messina Denaro. Notes addressed to Messina Denaro were found, potentially revealing his location and activities.
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2010: Listed Among World's Most Wanted
In 2010, Forbes listed Matteo Messina Denaro as one of the ten most wanted and powerful criminals in the world.
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May 2011: Failed Arrest Attempt
On 19 May 2011, an attempt to arrest Messina Denaro failed when police surrounded a manor farm near his hometown, Castelvetrano.
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2012: Life Imprisonment for Giuseppe Di Matteo Murder
In 2012, Messina Denaro, though still at large, was one of five people sentenced to life imprisonment for their roles in the murder of Giuseppe Di Matteo.
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December 2013: Arrest of Patrizia Messina Denaro
On 13 December 2013, Messina Denaro's sister, Patrizia Messina Denaro, was arrested along with several other mafia associates in a serious blow to Messina Denaro by Italian police.
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December 2014: Seizure of Olive Groves
In December 2014, Italian police came close to apprehending Messina Denaro after they made an estimated €20 million seizure of his assets in the form of valuable olive groves in Trapani.
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December 2017: Police Raids in Castelvetrano
In December 2017, over 200 Italian police officers executed search warrants at properties owned by around 30 Italian mafiosi in and near Castelvetrano, Messina Denaro's hometown, in the search for him.
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April 2018: Sentencing of Patrizia Messina Denaro
On 17 April 2018, Patrizia Messina Denaro, sister of Matteo, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for mafia association, external competition, and attempted extortion.
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November 2018: Seizure of Carmelo Patti's Assets
In November 2018, Italian businessman Carmelo Patti, accused of working with Messina Denaro, had €1.5 billion of his assets seized by Italian police on the basis that they related to the proceeds of crime.
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October 2020: Life Imprisonment for Bombings
On 20 October 2020, Messina Denaro was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment by the Corte d'Assise for having been one of the instigators of the Capaci bombing and Via D'Amelio bombing.
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August 2021: First Voice Recording Released
On 12 August 2021, TG1 released the first-ever voice recording of Messina Denaro, originating from a cassette tape of the Court of Marsala.
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September 2021: False Arrest Report in The Hague
In September 2021, a Dutch news report incorrectly stated that Messina Denaro had been arrested in The Hague, leading to criticism of Italian authorities.
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September 2021: Video Sighting Revealed
On 30 September 2021, TG2 revealed the first known video of Messina Denaro, taken from a security camera in the Valle del Belice in December 2009.
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October 2021: Manhunt Launched in Sicily
In October 2021, following the release of the video sighting, Italian authorities launched a manhunt across Sicily.
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January 2023: Capture of Messina Denaro
In January 2023, Messina Denaro was captured, leading to the confirmation of his life imprisonment sentence.
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January 2023: Arrest of Messina Denaro
In January 2023, after 30 years on the run, Matteo Messina Denaro was arrested near a private clinic in Palermo, Sicily, where he was reportedly undergoing chemotherapy under a false name.
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January 2023: Arrest in Sicily
On January 16, 2023, Matteo Messina Denaro was arrested in Sicily by Italian police after being a fugitive since 1993, marking the end of his long period in hiding.
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July 2023: Sentence Confirmed
On 18 July 2023, after his capture in January 2023, Messina Denaro's life imprisonment sentence was confirmed.
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September 2023: Death
On September 24, 2023, Matteo Messina Denaro fell into an irreversible coma and subsequently died in the early morning on September 25, 2023, at the age of 61.
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