Francesco Fortugno (; Brancaleone, 15 September 1951 –

Locri Locri is a town and ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Reggio Calabria, Calabria, southern Italy. Its name derives from that of the ancient Greek region of Locris. Today it is an important administrative and cultural center on the Ion ...

, 16 October 2005) was an Italian politician and the Vice President of the Regional Assembly of

Calabria Calabria is a Regions of Italy, region in Southern Italy. It is a peninsula bordered by the region Basilicata to the north, the Ionian Sea to the east, the Strait of Messina to the southwest, which separates it from Sicily, and the Tyrrhenian S ...

. He was killed by the

'Ndrangheta The 'Ndrangheta (, , ) is a mafia-type organized crime, criminal syndicate originating from the Calabria region of Italy. Gratteri & Nicaso, ''Fratelli di Sangue'', pp. 65–68 This body, also referred to as the Commission in reference to the ...

in October 2005, in Locri, a hotbed of 'Ndrangheta activity.

Death

Fortugno was a physician by profession and represented the centre-left

Margherita Margherita is an Italian feminine given name. It also is a surname. As a word, in Italian it means " daisy". The name is related to Margaret. Given name As a name, it may refer to: * Margherita da Trento (anglicized as Margaret of Trent) compa ...

party in the regional legislature. He was known for his appeals to young Calabrians to fight the 'Ndrangheta. He was gunned down with five bullets in front of dozens of bystanders as he cast his vote at the primary elections of the centre-left coalition

Unione According to the theory of the art historian Marcia B. Hall, which has gained considerable acceptance, ''unione'' () is one of the canonical painting modes of the Renaissance; that is, one of four modes of painting colours available to Italia ...

. The masked attacker strolled calmly through the exit of the local polling station to a waiting car. Students spontaneously took to the streets in protest the day after Fortugno's killing. One banner read, ''E adesso Ammazzateci tutti'' (And Now Kill Us All), and many carried white sheets as a symbol of protest against the

omertà Omertà () is a Southern Italian code of silence and code of honor and conduct that places importance on silence in the face of questioning by authorities or outsiders; non-cooperation with authorities, the government, or outsiders, especially ...

, or silence, that protects the mafia.Italian Students March Against Mafia After Official's Killing
Bloomberg, November 4, 2005 The killing triggered the birth of the Ammazzateci tutti movement against the 'Ndrangheta. The funeral of Fortugno, on 19 October 2005, was attended by 8,000 people.

Investigating 'Ndrangheta penetration of health care system

His assassination is thought to have something to do with the 'Ndrangheta's efforts to penetrate the local health authority.Move over, Cosa Nostra

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

, June 8, 2006 He was investigating the awarding of hospital contracts in the Calabrian healthcare system.Patients die as Sicilian mafia buys into the hospital service
The Guardian, January 1, 2007
La Repubblica, December 18, 2006 In March 2006, police arrested several alleged members of the Cordì family—a leading clan of the 'Ndrangheta—including the suspected current boss, Vincenzo Cordì, and Salvatore Ritorto, believed to have pulled the trigger in the killing of Fortugno.Mafia turncoat found hanged in Italy
DPA, October 16, 2007Nove arresti per il delitto Fortugno
Rai News, March 21, 2006 The investigation into the killing benefited from the declarations of Bruno Piccolo, a bar-owner from Locri and a member of the 'Ndrangheta. Piccolo had helped identify the men who ordered and carried out the murder. Though the state guaranteed him police protection, Piccolo paid a high price for his co-operation. Piccolo allegedly committed suicide. His body was found one day before the second anniversary of the murder of Fortugno.Mafia murder witness found dead
BBC News, October 16, 2007.

Murder convictions

On 2 February 2009, four men received life sentences for the 2005 murder of Fortugno. Alessandro Marcianò and his son Giuseppe were convicted of ordering the killing, while Salvatore Ritorto was found guilty of being the gunman. The fourth man, Domenico Audino, was judged to have been an accomplice.Four get life for 'mafia' killing
BBC News, February 2, 2009Delitto Fortugno, quattro ergastoli
Corriere della Sera, February 2, 2009 Fortugno was murdered so that Domenico Crea, a Christian Democrat member of the regional assembly, could take his place, according to investigators. But the politician was found to be unaware of the 'Ndrangheta's backing and was not prosecuted. The killing took place against the backdrop of a web of suspicious relations through which the 'Ndrangheta was able to manipulate contracts and appointments in the regional health services. Crea was arrested in 2008 in relation to investigations concerning the health system.Gli intrecci e i favori «Adesso la sfida è svelare il terzo livello»
Corriere della Sera, February 3, 2009

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fortugno, Francesco 1951 births 2005 deaths People from the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria Antimafia History of the 'Ndrangheta Assassinated Italian politicians People murdered by the 'Ndrangheta People murdered in Calabria Deaths by firearm in Italy Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy politicians 2005 murders in Italy European politicians assassinated in the 2000s Politicians assassinated in 2005