''Pentito'' (; lit. "repentant"; plural: ''pentiti'') is used colloquially to designate collaborators of justice in Italian

criminal procedure Criminal procedure is the adjudication process of the criminal law. While criminal procedure differs dramatically by jurisdiction, the process generally begins with a formal criminal charge with the person on trial either being free on bail ...

terminology who were formerly part of criminal organizations and decided to collaborate with a

public prosecutor A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the adversarial system, which is adopted in common law, or inquisitorial system, which is adopted in civil law. The prosecution is the legal party responsible ...

. The judicial category of ''pentiti'' was originally created in 1970s to combat violence and

terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...

during the period of left-wing and right-wing terrorism known as the Years of Lead. During the 1986–87

Maxi Trial The Maxi Trial () was a criminal trial against the Sicilian Mafia that took place in Palermo, Sicily. The trial lasted from 10 February 1986 (the first day of the Corte d'Assise) to 30 January 1992 (the final day of the Supreme Court of Cassati ...

and after the testimony of

Tommaso Buscetta Tommaso Buscetta (; 13 July 1928 – 2 April 2000) was a high-ranking Italian mobster and a member of the Sicilian Mafia. He became one of the first of its members to turn informant and explain the inner workings of the organization. Buscetta p ...

, the term was increasingly applied to former members of

organized crime in Italy Criminal organizations have been prevalent in Italy, especially in Southern Italy, the southern part of the country, for centuries and have affected the social and economic life of many Italian regions. There are major native mafia-like organiz ...

who had abandoned their organization and started helping investigators.

Role and benefits

In exchange for the information they deliver, ''pentiti'' receive shorter sentences for their crimes, in some cases even freedom. In the Italian judicial system, ''pentiti'' can obtain personal protection, a new name, and some money to start a new life in another place, possibly abroad. This practice is common in other countries as well. In the United States, criminals testifying against their former associates can enter the

Witness Protection Program Witness protection is security provided to a threatened person providing testimonial evidence to the justice system, including defendants and other clients, before, during, and after trials, usually by police. While witnesses may only require p ...

, and be given new identities with supporting paperwork. The Italian Mafia bosses Buscetta and Francesco Marino Mannoia were allowed to live in the U.S. under new identities in the Witness Protection Program when Italy did not yet have such a program.Mob Boss and Stoolie Share a Day in Rome Court
''The New York Times'', November 20, 1993Stille, ''Excellent Cadavers'', p. 302-10

Cases

Among the most famous Mafia ''pentiti'' is

, the first important ''pentito''. He was helpful to judge

Giovanni Falcone Giovanni Falcone (; 18 May 1939 – 23 May 1992) was an Italian judge and prosecuting magistrate. From his office in the Palace of Justice in Palermo, Sicily, he spent most of his professional life trying to overthrow the power of the Sicilian ...

in describing the Sicilian Mafia Commission or ''Cupola'', the

leadership Leadership, is defined as the ability of an individual, group, or organization to "", influence, or guide other individuals, teams, or organizations. "Leadership" is a contested term. Specialist literature debates various viewpoints on the co ...

of the Sicilian Mafia in the 1980s, and identifying the main operational channels that the Mafia used for its business. In Italy, important successes were achieved with the cooperation of ''pentiti'' in the fight against

(especially against the

Red Brigades The Red Brigades ( , often abbreviated BR) were an Italian far-left Marxist–Leninist militant group. It was responsible for numerous violent incidents during Italy's Years of Lead, including the kidnapping and murder of Aldo Moro in 1978, ...

), by

Carabinieri The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign poli ...

general Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa (who was later killed by the Mafia). In the period until the 1990s, there were few, albeit significant, ''pentiti'' such as Tommaso Buscetta, Salvatore Contorno, Antonino Calderone, etc. However, this changed during the early 1990s. From 1992, over a thousand ''mafiosi'' have agreed to collaborate with Italian justice.Martin J. Bull, James L. Newell, ''Italian Politics''
Google Print, p. 111
In some cases, ''pentiti'' have invented stories to obtain reductions in jail time. A famous case regarded the popular TV anchorman Enzo Tortora, who was falsely accused of

cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...

trafficking and

Camorra The Camorra (; ) is an Italian Mafia-typeMafia and Mafia-type orga ...

membership by a ''pentito'' named Giovanni Melluso. Tortora was detained for years before being cleared; he developed cancer and died soon after the case was finally solved, some say because of the emotional stress of his imprisonment.Enzo Tortora: When justice miscarries
, The Florentine, October 30, 2008

Important ''pentiti'' of the Sicilian Mafia

* Leonardo Vitale (1941–1984) was the first to become a ''pentito'' in 1973, although originally his confessions were not taken seriously. *

(1928–2000) was the first high-profile ''pentito'' against the Sicilian Mafia. He started to collaborate with the anti-Mafia prosecutor

in 1984. His testimony was of crucial importance in the landmark

of 1986–87. * Salvatore Contorno (born 1946) started to collaborate in October 1984, following the example of Buscetta. * Leonardo Messina (born 1955), member of the San Cataldo clan, who became an informant in 1992. He was the greater accuser of

Giulio Andreotti Giulio Andreotti ( ; ; 14 January 1919 – 6 May 2013) was an Italian politician and wikt:statesman, statesman who served as the 41st prime minister of Italy in seven governments (1972–1973, 1976–1979, and 1989–1992), and was leader of th ...

. * Antonino Giuffrè (born 1945), boss of

Caccamo Caccamo ( Sicilian: ''Càccamu'') is a town and ''comune'' located on the Tyrrhenian coast of Sicily in the Metropolitan City of Palermo. History The official founding of Caccamo was not until 1093, when the Normans started to build the castle ...

and member of Corleonesi, turned informant in 2002, after his arrest. * Antonino Calderone (1935–2013) started to collaborate in April 1987. * Francesco Marino Mannoia (born 1951) started to collaborate in October 1989 because his brother had been murdered. He was the first ''pentito'' who used to belong to the winning faction of the Second Mafia War (1981–83). * Giovanni Brusca (born 1957), the murderer of anti-Mafia prosecutor Falcone, began to collaborate in 1996. * Santino Di Matteo (born 1954), became an informant in 1993 after his arrest; offered information relating to the Capaci bombing, for this reason his son Giuseppe was kidnapped, murdered and dissolved in acid. * Salvatore Cancemi (1942–2011), another of Falcone's assassins, turned himself to the

in July 1993 and immediately began collaborating. * Giuseppe Marchese (1963), Filippo Marchese's nephew and who became an informant in 1992. * Gaspare Mutolo (born 1940), started to collaborate in prison in May 1992 and was the first mafioso who spoke about the connections between the

Cosa Nostra The Sicilian Mafia or Cosa Nostra (, ; "our thing"), also referred to as simply Mafia, is a criminal society and criminal organization originating on the island of Sicily and dates back to the mid-19th century. Emerging as a form of local protect ...

and Italian politicians.

Other important ''pentiti''

* Pasquale Barra (1942–2015), the first ''pentito'' and high-ranking member of Raffaele Cutolo's Nuova Camorra Organizzata. * Pasquale Galasso (born 1955), former high-ranking member of the Nuova Famiglia faction of the Camorra. * Carmine Alfieri (born 1943), former ''Boss of Bosses'' of the Nuova Famiglia. * Carmine Schiavone (1943–2015), former high-ranking member of the Casalesi clan. * Maurizio Abbatino, former boss of the Banda della Magliana. * Felice Maniero (born 1954), former boss of the Mala del Brenta.

Cultural acceptance

In some southern Italian communities, the Mafia has a significant presence, and in these areas becoming a ''pentito'' is tantamount to a death sentence. Indeed, the Mafia family of Totò Riina based in the town of Corleone habitually extended the death sentence of the ''pentiti'' over to their relatives. For example, several of

's close family members were killed in a long series of murders.

Commentary on the term

It is often pointed out that the correct term should be ''collaboratori di giustizia'', or "collaborators with justice". The word ''pentito'' implies a moral judgment that is considered inappropriate for the courts of justice to make.

Criticism

In Italy, ''pentiti'' have come under criticism because of the favours they receive and because they would invent stories to receive benefits; they would invent stories to persecute people they do not like; their employment is seen as a reward for criminals, instead of a punishment; and they would be unreliable since they come from a criminal organization. Criticism comes most often from politicians, especially when they or an associate of theirs is under investigation for connections to the Mafia. It is therefore interpreted by some as an attempt to discredit one's own accusers, instead of a genuine preoccupation of the common citizen's civil rights. Luciano Violante, a politician and former president of the Italian Antimafia Commission, countered that "We do not find information about the Mafia among

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service and contemplation, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 5 ...

s." Laws have been passed that bar ''pentiti'' from obtaining substantial benefits unless their revelations are later deemed new material, and lead to concrete results. The State can collect revelations only for six months after the initial intention to collaborate, after which they cannot be used in court. This has had the effect of reducing the appeal of becoming a ''pentito'' since a single mafia associate does not know whether his knowledge will be useful to the prosecutors at the time of defection. Defection from the mafia in Italy have subsequently sharply reduced from the height reached in the early nineties, and results in the fight against mafia have reduced accordingly.

References

Bibliography

* Stille, Alexander (1995). ''Excellent Cadavers. The Mafia and the Death of the First Italian Republic'', New York: Vintage {{Authority control History of the Sicilian Mafia Organized crime members by role Defectors by type Italian words and phrases