Italy demands €2 million in ‘expenses’ from the family of mafia boss Totò Riina
The Italian state has presented the family of late mafia ‘boss of bosses’ Salvatore 'Totò' Riina with a bill for expenses incurred during his 24-year imprisonment.
Riina’s family lawyer Luca Cianferoni said the two million euro bill presented by local tax authorities in Sicily seemed to be a “mistake.”
"The law expressly excludes that the reimbursement for costs in prison extends to the heirs of the condemned. So we're studying the matter closely,” he told Italian media.
Riina’s family already seem to be in financial difficulty after having much of their property confiscated.
His son-in-law pleaded poverty and begged for money online, and other family members have been trying to sell products including coffee and olive oil using Riina’s name.
READ ALSO: Italy's 'Ndrangheta mafia 'on all continents' and still growing
Former Sicilian mafia godfather Riina died of cancer in prison in November 2017.
Arrested on January 15, 1993 after evading police for 23 years, Riina was considered the undisputed leader of the Cosa Nostra.
He had been serving 26 life sentences after being convicted of ordering more than 150 murders.
An early police shot of Salvatore 'Toto' Riina. Photo: public domain via Adri08/Wikimedia Commons.
Nicknamed "The Beast" because of his cruelty, Riina led a reign of terror for decades after taking control of Sicily's powerful organised crime families in the 1970s.
The most high-profile murders he ordered were those of anti-mafia judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino in 1992. The two judges were famous for their groundbreaking work in bringing more than 300 mobsters to trial in 1987.
In 2009 he broke the mafia code of omerta – a vow of silence - and surprised those who thought he would take his secrets to the grave by admitting his link to the mob.
Riina was buried in his hometown of Corleone, near Palermo.
Last month the Sicilian mafia attempted to reorganise and appoint a new ‘boss of bosses’. But anti-mafia police interrupted the initiation of Riina’s replacement, Settimino Mineo, arresting him along with 45 other suspected Mafiosi.
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Riina’s family lawyer Luca Cianferoni said the two million euro bill presented by local tax authorities in Sicily seemed to be a “mistake.”
"The law expressly excludes that the reimbursement for costs in prison extends to the heirs of the condemned. So we're studying the matter closely,” he told Italian media.
Riina’s family already seem to be in financial difficulty after having much of their property confiscated.
His son-in-law pleaded poverty and begged for money online, and other family members have been trying to sell products including coffee and olive oil using Riina’s name.
READ ALSO: Italy's 'Ndrangheta mafia 'on all continents' and still growing
Former Sicilian mafia godfather Riina died of cancer in prison in November 2017.
Arrested on January 15, 1993 after evading police for 23 years, Riina was considered the undisputed leader of the Cosa Nostra.
He had been serving 26 life sentences after being convicted of ordering more than 150 murders.
An early police shot of Salvatore 'Toto' Riina. Photo: public domain via Adri08/Wikimedia Commons.
Nicknamed "The Beast" because of his cruelty, Riina led a reign of terror for decades after taking control of Sicily's powerful organised crime families in the 1970s.
The most high-profile murders he ordered were those of anti-mafia judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino in 1992. The two judges were famous for their groundbreaking work in bringing more than 300 mobsters to trial in 1987.
In 2009 he broke the mafia code of omerta – a vow of silence - and surprised those who thought he would take his secrets to the grave by admitting his link to the mob.
Riina was buried in his hometown of Corleone, near Palermo.
Last month the Sicilian mafia attempted to reorganise and appoint a new ‘boss of bosses’. But anti-mafia police interrupted the initiation of Riina’s replacement, Settimino Mineo, arresting him along with 45 other suspected Mafiosi.
READ ALSO:
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