Matteo Messina Denaro, also known as Diabolik, was a famous Sicilian Mafia boss from Castelvetrano.
After the arrest of Bernardo Provenzano and Salvatore Lo Piccolo, he emerged as one of the new leaders of the Sicilian mafia.
The son of a Mafia boss, Denaro gained national fame after appearing on the cover of L’Espresso magazine with the headline “This is the new Mafia boss” in 2001.
File
- Full name: Matteo Messina Denaro
- Date of birth: April 26, 1962
- Age: 61 years old
- Place of birth: Castelvetrano, Sicily, Italy.
- Nationality: Italian
- Occupation: Italian Mafia boss of the Cosa Nostra gang in Sicily.
- Height: N\A
- Parents: Francesco Messina Denaro and Lorenza mesina denaro
- Siblings: Patrizia Messina Denaro, Salvatore Messina Denaro, Rosalia Messina Denaro, Giovanna Messina Denaro, Bice Maria Messina Denaro
- Spouse: None
- Children: Lorenzo Alagna
- Relationship: None
- Net worth: $4 billion
Early life
Matteo Messina Denaro, born April 26, 1962 in Castelvetrano, Sicily, is the son of Francesco Messina Denaro, capo mandamento of Castelvetrano.
Growing up in a crime-ridden environment, Matteo learned how to use a gun at the age of 14.
With a ruthless nature, he proudly declared that he had “fill a cemetery alone.” His notoriety increased after he murdered rival boss Vincenzo Milazzo in Alcamo and brutally strangled Milazzo’s three-month pregnant girlfriend.
As a result of his violent actions, Messina Denaro became a fugitive from justice in 1993 and evaded capture for decades until his capture in 2023.
After being arrested, he was convicted of mass murder and sentenced to life in prison for his heinous crimes.
Education
Matteo Messina Denaro’s formal education needs improvement. It is believed that he dropped out of school early, not completing the equivalent of high school in Italy.
There are conflicting reports about his level of education, with some sources claiming that he may have completed primary school, while others claim that he left school even earlier. However, it is generally agreed that he did not pursue a university education.
Despite his lack of formal education, Denaro was known to be intelligent and well-read. He was said to be interested in history, philosophy, and literature, and was able to use his knowledge to manipulate and control others. He also had a good understanding of the Mafia’s power structure and how it operated.
Although Denaro may not have had a traditional education, he was still able to learn and adapt in a way that served his criminal purposes.
Career
Giovanni Messina Denaro, a notorious criminal who was once on the list of the ten most wanted and most powerful individuals in the world, became the undisputed leader of the Mafia after the deaths of Bernardo Provenzano and Salvatore Riina.
After three decades on the run, he was finally arrested on January 16, 2023, near a private clinic in Palermo, Sicily, where he was reportedly receiving chemotherapy under a false identity.
Tragically, Messina Denaro passed away at the prison hospital on September 25, 2023, at the age of 61, after falling into an irreversible coma during treatment for colon cancer.
Personal life
After years of evading authorities, Matteo Messina Denaro, a notorious Italian mafia boss, was finally arrested while visiting a private clinic for cancer treatment.
His arrest was a major victory for the Italian authorities and a major blow to the Cosa Nostra criminal organization.
Despite his notorious criminal activities, Messina Denaro’s personal life remains largely secret.
It is said that he had many girlfriends but never married. He is said to have had a daughter named Lorenzo Alagna, whom he never met.
The arrest of Messina Denaro marks the end of one of the longest manhunts in Italian history and is a stark reminder of the power and danger associated with organized crime.
Net worth
According to reports from Italian media, Messina Denaro was arrested by the Carabinieri just before 10:00 (CET) and then escorted to an undisclosed location.
It was also revealed that at the time of his arrest, his assets were believed to be worth at least 4 billion euros.
