June 16 1982 a date etched in Palermo’s memory. Right here on the Circonvallazione the Strage della Circonvallazione Palermo 16 Giugno 1982 unfolded. It was a Cosa Nostra attack. This attack shook Italy to its core.
The Circonvallazione massacre targeted Alfio Ferlito. He was a Catanese boss. Ferlito was being transferred from Enna to Trapani jail. The hit killed not only Ferlito but also his three carabinieri escorts. Salvatore Raiti Silvano Franzolin and Luigi Di Barca died. Giuseppe Di Lavore the 22-year-old driver also perished. He worked for the private company transporting prisoners. Di Lavore had replaced his father that day.
Salvatore Riina and Bernardo Provenzano ordered the massacre. They favored Nitto Santapaola. Santapaola was at war with Ferlito. Their conflict centered on dominance in Catania.
Around 10:00 am the Mercedes carrying Ferlito approached this junction. It was heading for the Palermo-Mazara del Vallo motorway. A BMW 520 and an Alfetta 2000 intercepted it. Occupants unleashed a barrage of AK-47 fire and shotgun blasts. Di Lavore died instantly. The Mercedes swerved and collided with a Fiat 500. Nunzia Pecorella the Fiat’s driver was injured. Franzolin tried to return fire but was killed immediately. The killers approached the Mercedes. They riddled the remaining occupants with bullets. They fled the scene. The victims were almost unrecognizable.
Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa arrived soon after. He had just taken office as prefect. He struggled to hold back tears. The massacred carabinieri were a horrifying sight.
Initial investigations relied on Armando Di Natale’s statements. He was a convicted criminal from Syracuse. Di Natale claimed Syracusans carried out the massacre. Nunzio Salafia Salvatore Genovese and Antonino Ragona were named. They acted on Benedetto Santapaola’s orders. Giovanni Falcone issued arrest warrants.
The Maxi Trial addressed the Circonvallazione massacre. Salvatore and Michele Greco were tried. Salvatore Riina and Bernardo Provenzano also faced trial. They were considered principals. Giuseppe Greco and Mario Prestifilippo were named material executors. Ballistic evidence linked them to the AK-47 used.
At the Maxi Trial families of the deceased sought justice. Widows and children of the carabinieri joined as civil parties. The first-degree verdict sentenced several to life imprisonment. Salvatore Riina Bernardo Provenzano and others were convicted. Mario Prestifilippo’s case was dropped. He had been killed.
The appeal trial overturned most convictions. Only Santapaola’s conviction stood. The court deemed the massacre not a Commission order. Individual Mafia groups were blamed especially Rosario Riccobono’s clan.
The Supreme Court annulled the appeal acquittals. A retrial took place. Salvatore Riina and Bernardo Provenzano received life sentences.
In 1996 collaborators confessed to the massacre. Calogero Ganci Francesco Paolo Anzelmo Giovanni Brusca and Salvatore Cucuzza admitted involvement. Investigations reopened. New trials followed. Antonino Madonia insulted the court. In 2005 La Barbera Tullio Troia and Montalto were sentenced to life imprisonment. Raffaele Ganci Antonino Madonia and Giuseppe Lucchese also received life sentences. The crime was prescribed for others.
Today the Strage della Circonvallazione Palermo 16 Giugno 1982 serves as a stark reminder. It symbolizes the Mafia’s brutality and the fight for justice. The memorial here honors the victims. Their sacrifice should never be forgotten.